From now on he gave much time to studying grammar. He often handed the book

to a friend to hold definitions and rules.

while he recited

When he was not

From the Menard-Salem-Lincoln Souvenir Album,"
courtesy the Women's Columbian Club of Menard Co.

A New Salem interior, showing the furniture and costumes
of Lincoln's time

sure of the meaning he called in the school teacher. Lincoln learned grammar not only to know it, but to use it. He was putting what he learned into practice.

But the store was "petering out," to use Lincoln's own words. Its owner owed more than he could pay, and the store was

"closed up.'

Lincoln was out of a job, but he soon found something to do.

He was without doubt the most popular man in New Salem. He was only a little more than twenty-two years old, yet he had really thought of asking the people to vote for him to help make their laws, that is, to elect him to the State Legislature. His friends encouraged him, and we may suppose that the "Clary's Grove Boys" were for Lincoln.

He printed a statement declaring that he was in favor of making their own river, the Sangamon, fit for steamboats, and in favor of putting a stop to charging high rates of interest by passing a law against it. On the question of education, he said: "I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in." He asked the people to overlook his youth, and declared that he had spoken the truth.

Not long after Lincoln had sent out these handbills, the people of his county were excited by the news that a steamboat

from Cincinnati intended to bring a load of goods up the Sangamon River. This was good news. Meetings were held at towns on the river to make plans for the coming of the steamboat. Finally word came that the boat was on its way. Lincoln went down the river to Beardstown to meet it. He was made pilot to guide the boat the rest of the way up, for he knew more about the river than most men. At every stop the boat made there was great shouting. Speeches were made, toasts were drunk, and in every way the people showed how happy they were. But the happiest man was Lincoln. Was not this steamboat proving that the Sangamon could be made fit for boats which could carry what they raised to market, and bring goods to them from the great cities of the world? After a week had gone by the boat started down the river. In the meantime the "high water" had run out and Lincoln had a harder time to get the boat down the river than he had had to get it up.

Captain Lincoln

Hardly had Lincoln returned from his work as pilot, when all of Illinois was stirred by the news of Black Hawk's war. Black Hawk was an Indian chief. He had a bad name among the frontier whites.

The governor called the men of the state to arms, and Lincoln and the boys of New Salem started immediately to the place of meeting. Only a part of them had rifles. No one had a regular uniform, but some had deerskin breeches and a few wore coonskin caps. Every man had come to fight the Indians! They must have a captain. There on that village green at Richland, Illinois, were two persons who wanted to be captain. One was Lincoln. Already he felt that he was going to be a "master of men." The men who wanted to be