known as "the Clary's Grove boys." They took the boasting of Offutt as
a direct challenge to themselves and eagerly accepted it. So they put
up a giant by the name of Jack Armstrong as their champion and arranged
a "wrastling" match. All went indifferently for a while until Lincoln
seemed to be getting the better of his antagonist, when the "boys"
crowded in and interfered while Armstrong attempted a foul. Instantly
Lincoln was furious. Putting forth all his strength he lifted Jack up
and shook him as a terrier shakes a rat. The crowd, in their turn,
became angry and set out to mob him. He backed up against a wall and in
hot indignation awaited the onset. Armstrong was the first to recover
his good sense. Exclaiming, "Boys, Abe Lincoln's the best fellow that
ever broke into the settlement," he held out his hand to Lincoln who
received it with perfect good nature. From that day these boys never
lost their admiration for him. He was their hero. From that day, too,
he became the permanent umpire, the general peacemaker of the region.
His good nature, his self-command, and his manifest fairness placed his
decisions beyond question. His popularity was established once for all
in the entire community.

There are some, anecdotes connected with his work in the store which
are worth preserving because they illustrate traits of his character.
He once sold a half pound of tea to a customer. The next morning as he
was tidying up the store he saw, by the weights which remained in the
scales, that he had inadvertently given her four, instead of eight,
ounces. He instantly weighed out the balance and carried it to her, not
waiting for his breakfast.

At another time when he counted up his cash at night he discovered that
he had charged a customer an excess of six and a quarter cents. He
closed up the store at once and walked to the home of the customer, and