Although he usually treated his customers kindly, Lincoln could on occasion lose patience with them. He took offense at one Harvey Lee Ross, who asked to see some gloves. Lincoln showed him a pair that he identified as being made of dogskin. When Ross asked how he knew they were dogskin, Lincoln, “rasped” at the challenging tone of the question, replied: “I will tell you how I know they are dogskin gloves. Jack Clary’s dog killed Tom Watkins’ sheep, and Tom Watkins’ boy killed the dog, and old John Mounts tanned the dogskin, and Sally Spears made the gloves, and that is how I know they are dogskin gloves.” Lincoln took umbrage at another customer, Charlie Reavis, who used profanity around women in the store. When Reavis ignored warnings to stop, Lincoln accosted him. “I have spoken to you a number of times about swearing in this store in the presence of ladies,” he said angrily, “and you have not heeded. Now I am going to rub the lesson in so that you will not forget again.” Lincoln grabbed Reavis by the arm, hustled him out of the store, threw him to the ground, and rubbed smartweed in his face.
Source: Abraham Lincoln ∶ A Life ▫𓂃
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