LINCOLN'S FIRST DOLLAR.

As in all farming communities, where the only movement of currency is
when the crop comes in and the debts accumulating during the growth
are settled and the slight surplus spent, the Indiana pioneers little
knew "extra" cash. To obtain it, the men used their off hours in
guiding intending settlers, assisting surveyors and prospectors,
felling and hewing trees, and horse-trading. Another source of income
out of bounds was to send a stock of produce down the river to sell or
barter for the Southern plantation produce. As there was talk at home
of furnishing their house, Abraham bethought him of this resource. His
father consented readily to any notion that might result in gain, and
his mother, though believing nearly two thousand miles of water travel
onerous, allowed her "yes." Besides, the young man, by excessive work
on their place, had piled up a goodly stock of salable stuff. Abraham
had only to make a boat. It was small, merely to hold the "venture"
and his hand-bundle of "plunder" for the trip and land cruise at New
Orleans. Western country boys who had seen the Crescent City talked of
the exploit as the Easterners of seeing Europe.

Abe was maneuvering his boat on the Ohio River, at Rockport, when he
heard the whistle announcing the approach of a steamboat. These craft
were not enabled to make a landing anywhere, even with a run-out
gang-plank--but took passengers and parcels aboard by lighters.
Lincoln's small boat seemed admirably placed to serve as a transport
to a couple of gentlemen who came down to the shore to ship on the
steamboat. Their trunks were taken out of their carriages, and they
selected Lincoln's new boat among some others. In his homespun, the
gawky youth looked what he was--not the owner of the craft and about