A curious addition.
“Is it not curious, General,” said Abe to McClellan, “that whenever a piece of field artillery is fired, that the number of animals attending it is increased?” “How so?” said the famous Northern General. “Why,” said Lincoln, “it then has not only its four horses in front, but it has also its moke behind.”
The Cost of War.
“Your fighting, General,” said Lincoln, to a general who had returned disabled, “has been an expensive affair to you.” “How so” “Why,” said the president, “it has cost you a leg I see” (legacy.)
In memory of.
To commemorate the battle of Bull’s run, the Yankees are about to build an hotel there. On hearing of this, Lincoln remarked that “there was a hot hell there before.”
A Crocodile’s age.
Abe Lincoln prides himself on being the first to make known the means of ascertaining the age of crocodiles. He says that a negro acquainted him with the fact that a sort of bag is placed in the intestines of the crocodiles, which always contains a number of stones corresponding with the years of its life, it being the custom of these animals to swallow a stone on their birthday.
No Thanks.
Abe, at one of his morning levees, had a visitor who introduced himself as one of the President’s best friends, and soliciting a government post then vacant as the gift of Abe, urged his claim for the appointment upon the ground that it was solely through the applicant’s exertions Mr. Lincoln was elected president. “Oh, indeed;” said Abe, “I now look upon the man, who of all men, has crowned my existence with a crown of thorns—no post for you in my gift, I assure you; I wish you good morning.”