Lincoln's New Salem by Benjamin P. Thomas

Author:Benjamin P. Thomas [Thomas, Benjamin P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: History, United States, Civil War Period (1850-1877), Military, Modern, 19th Century
ISBN: 9781787204041
Google: 2xkkDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2017-04-07T15:55:35+00:00

William F. Berry was a son of Rev. John M. Berry, but was a confirmed drunkard. He devoted himself to the consumption of the firm’s whiskey, while Lincoln spent most of his time talking, joking and reading books. Naturally, as Lincoln said, such a combination “did nothing but get deeper and deeper in debt.”

At that time the question of how liquor should be sold was as much a problem as it is today. No license was required to sell it in quantities greater than a quart for consumption off the premises, and practically every general store sold it in that way. It was only when it was sold by the drink, for consumption on the premises that a license was required, and that the seller incurred any degree of opprobrium. Places where liquor was sold by the drink were called “groceries.”

Lincoln and Berry undoubtedly sold liquor in quantities larger than a quart; but there has long been controversy as to whether Lincoln sold it by the drink. Douglas in his debate with Lincoln at Ottawa, on August 21, 1858, claimed, half jokingly, that when he first became acquainted with Lincoln the latter was a “flourishing grocery-keeper in the town of Salem,” and could “ruin more liquor than all the boys of the town together.” Lincoln replied: “The Judge is woefully at fault about his friend Lincoln being a ‘grocery keeper.’ I don’t know that it would be a great sin, if I had been; but he is mistaken. Lincoln never kept a grocery anywhere in the world.”{25}

In view of this positive denial we may be sure that Lincoln never sold liquor by the drink. Yet, on March 6, 1833, the County Commissioners Court of Sangamon County issued a “tavern license,” permitting the firm of Lincoln and Berry to sell wines and spirituous liquors in quantities less than a quart, and beer, ale and cider in quantities less than two gallons. The following entry appears in the records of the Country Clerk:

Ordered that William F. Berry in the name of Berry and Lincoln have license to keep a tavern in New Salem to continue 12 months from this date and that they pay one dollar in addition to Six dollars heretofore paid as per Treasurer’s receipt, and that they be allowed the following rates (viz)

French Brandy per ½ pint—25

Peach Brandy per ½ pint—18¾

Apple Brandy per ½ pint—12

Holland Gin Brandy per ½ pint—18¾

Domestic Gin Brandy per ½ pint—12½

Wine Brandy per ½ pint—25

Rum Brandy per ½ pint—18¾

Whiskey Brandy per ½ pint—12½

Breakfast dinner Supper—25

Lodging per night—12½

Horse per night—25

Single feed—12½

Breakfast, dinner or Supper for Stage passengers who gave bond as required by law.—37¼

It will be noted that the license was taken out by Berry. The bond required in connection with its issuance was signed with Lincoln’s as well as Berry’s name; but neither signature is in Lincoln’s handwriting. Moreover, there is local tradition that sale of liquor by the drink was a primary cause of the dissolution of the Lincoln-Berry partnership. This is probably true;

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