to try a speculation on the river, but one of the "scrubs." The
"scrubs," not from any relation with washing--quite otherwise--were
those poor families on the outskirts of towns who lived in the scrub
or dwarfed pines. Accordingly one of them asked, indicating the
flatboat:

"Who owns this?"

The hero relates the story thus:

"'I answered, somewhat modestly: 'I do!'

"'Will you take us and our trunks out to the steamboat?'

"'Certainly,' glad of the chance of earning something. I supposed that
each of them would give two or three _bits_--practically the dime
of nowadays."

Lincoln carried the passengers aboard the vessel and handed up their
trunks. Each of the gentlemen drew out a piece of silver and threw
it on the little deck.

"Gentlemen, you may think it was a very little thing, and in these
days it seems to me a trifle; but it was a most important incident
in my life. I could scarcely believe my eyes as I picked up the two
silver half-dollars. I could scarcely credit that I, a poor boy, had
earned a dollar in less than a day--that by honest work, I had earned
a dollar!" (Lincoln's flatboatman wage was $10 a month.)

(Related by Frank B. Carpenter, the portrait-painter, as given out by