'Double or nothing' - Abe Lincoln settles a bet
Abraham Lincoln’s kindness, strength and feats of strength were the subject of many stories, especially in the tiny village of New Salem, Illinois.
This is one story that combines all three.
When he lived in Sangamon County, Illinois, Lincoln helped a friend escape a gambling debt by offering the creditor double or nothing on a wager that he could lift a barrel of whiskey and pour some into his mouth from the bung hole on the side of the barrel . . . According to those who witnessed the feat, Lincoln squatted, grabbed the barrel by its chimes (the metal rims found at the top and bottom of a whiskey barrel) and hoisted it onto his knees. With the barrel resting on his knees, Lincoln then hoisted it above his head and tilted so that whiskey could pour out of the bung hole (located in the side of the barrel) and into his mouth. At which point – being a teetotaler – he spit it out and set the barrel down. [1]
The author then went on to explain:
An empty whiskey barrel weighs around 110 pounds. A full barrel contains 40 gallons. Assuming whiskey weighs about the same as water (8 pounds to the gallon), that means Lincoln lifted – and drank – from an awkward, wooden container that weighed from 110 pounds to as much as 430 pounds! [1]
No wonder Lincoln was such a good president. He put his strength to work for others - not for himself.
This was another tale from Abe Lincoln, Storyteller.
Mac
FYI: The sketch that headlines this post is "The Railsplitter" by Lloyd Ostendorf (1974)
Comments
Post a Comment