ten thousand voices which were ever heard from mortal throats. This
strange and tremendous demonstration, accompanied with leaping up and
down, tossing hats, handkerchiefs, and canes recklessly into the air,
with the waving of flags, and with every other conceivable mode of
exultant and unbridled joy, continued steadily and without pause for
perhaps ten minutes."

"It then began to rise and fall in slow and billowing bursts, and for
perhaps the next five minutes, these stupendous waves of uncontrollable
excitement, now rising into the deepest and fiercest shouts, and then
sinking, like the ground swell of the ocean, into hoarse and lessening
murmurs, rolled through the multitude. Every now and then it would seem
as though the physical power of the assembly was exhausted, when all at
once a new hurricane would break out, more prolonged and terrific than
anything before. If sheer exhaustion had not prevented, we don't know
but the applause would have continued to this hour."

During all this time Lincoln remained at Springfield, where he was in
telegraphic communication with his friends at Chicago, though not by
private wire. At the time of his nomination he had gone from his office
to that of the Sangamon _Journal_. A messenger boy came rushing up
to him, carrying a telegram and exclaiming, "You are nominated." The
friends who were present joyously shook his hands and uttered their
eager congratulations. Lincoln thanked them for their good wishes, and
said "There is a little woman on Eighth Street who will be glad to hear
this, and I guess I'll go up and carry her the news." Pocketing the
telegram he walked home.

At the wigwam, the news spread quickly. A man had been stationed on the
roof as picket. He shouted, "Hallelujah! Abe Lincoln is nominated. Fire