A Modest Request

It is related of President Lincoln, that recently a farmer applied to him to secure his assistance in collecting a bill against the Government for damages done by troops passing through his premises. The President referred him to the proper officer, whose duty it was to attend to such matters. But the man was anxious that Mr. Lincoln should examine the case personally, and give an order to have it settled. “Then,” said he, “they will attend to it at once; otherwise I may have to wait a long time.” “But I may have no leisure to look after such things,” said the President. “It won’t take but a few minutes,” urged the man. “You remind me of what occurred to a friend of mine on the Mississippi river,” said the President. “He was a captain of a steamboat, and when passing through the rapids, he always took the wheel, and steered the boat himself. One day when he was in the most difficult part of the stream, a boy came blubbering up to him crying ‘Captain, Captain!’ ‘Well what do you want?’ “O! do stop the boat, I’ve lost my apple overboard!’” The farmer saw the point of the story, and wisely concluded to collect his bill in the usual routine manner.

– Published in the Stark County News, Toulon, Illinois, Thursday, November, 12, 1863