d John Overstreet appearing before the
County Commissioners' Court at Springfield and averring upon oath
"that he is informed and believes that John Cameron and James Rutledge
have erected a mill-dam on the Sangamon River which obstructs the
navigation of said river;" and the Commissioners issued a notice to
Cameron and Rutledge to alter the dam so as to restore the "safe
navigation" of the river. James M. Rutledge, of Petersburg, a nephew
of the mill-owner, helped build the mill, and says of it: "The mill
was a frame structure, and was solidly built. They used to grind corn
mostly, though some flour was made. At times they would run day and
night. The saw-mill had an old-fashioned upright saw, and stood on the
bank." For a time this mill was operated by Denton Offutt, and was
under the immediate supervision of Lincoln. A few heavy stakes, a part
of the old dam, still show themselves at low water.--_Note prepared by
J. McCan Davis_.]

[Illustration: LINCOLN'S AXE.

This broad-axe is said to have been owned originally by Abram Bales,
of New Salem; and, according to tradition, it was bought from him by
Lincoln. After Lincoln forsook the woods, he sold the axe to one Mr.
Irvin. Mr. L.W. Bishop, of Petersburg, now has the axe, having gotten
it directly from Mr. Irvin. There are a number of affidavits attesting
its genuineness. The axe has evidently seen hard usage, and is now
covered with a thick coat of rust.]

A NEW HOME.

The party settled some ten miles west of Decatur, in Macon County.
Here John Hanks had the logs already cut for their new home, and
Lincoln, Dennis Hanks, and Hall soon had a cabin erected. Mr. Lincoln
himself (though writing in the third person) says: "Here they built a
log cabin, into which they removed, and made sufficient of rails to
fence ten acres of ground, fenced and broke the ground, and raised a
crop of sown corn upon it the same year. These are, or are supposed to
be, the rails about which so much is being said just now, though these
are far from being the first or only rails ever made by Abraham."[A]

[Illustration: MODEL OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S DEVICE FOR LIFTING VESSELS
OVER SHOALS.

The inscription above this model, which is shown to all visitors to
the Model Hall of the Patent Office, reads: "6469 Abraham Lincoln,
Springfield, Ill. Improvement in method of lifting vessels over
shoals. Patented May 22, 1849." The apparatus consists of a bellows,
placed in each side of the hull of t