Existing comment:
Popularity and Respect:
The young man's easy manner quickly made him popular with New Salem's residents. One likely result was his 1833 appointment as New Salem's postmaster, a position that paid a percentage of the receipts and allowed Lincoln to read newspapers that arrived in the office. That same year saw his appointment as deputy county surveyor. Lincoln became an accomplished surveyor and built a reputation for honesty. The part-time nature of the two government jobs left him free to pursue other interests, including his education. |