A State governor came to Washington, furious at the number of troops
headquarters commanded of him and the mode of collecting them. Irate as
he was, General Fry saw him bidding good-by to the Capitol with a
placid, even pleased, mien. The general inquired of Lincoln himself how
he had been so miraculously mollified.
"I suppose you had to make large concessions to him, as he returns from
you entirely satisfied?" suggested the general.
"Oh, no," replied the President, "I did not concede anything.
"You know how that Illinois farmer managed the big log that lay in the
middle of his field? To the inquiries of his neighbors, he announced he
had gotten rid of it.
"'How did you do it?' they asked. 'It was too big to haul away, too
knotty to split, too wet and soggy to burn. Whatever _did_ you do?'
"'Well, now, boys, if you won't tell the secret, I'll tell you how. I
just plowed 'round it!'
"Now, Fry, don't tell anybody, but I just plowed around the
governor!"--(On the authority of General James B. Fry.)
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