Page "Abraham Lincoln" Paragraph 25

In 1851, he represented Alton & Sangamon Railroad in a dispute with one of its shareholders, James A. Barret, who had refused to pay the balance on his pledge to buy shares in the railroad on the grounds that the company had changed its original train route.

Lincoln successfully argued that the railroad company was not bound by its original charter in existence at the time of Barret's pledge ; the charter was amended in the public interest to provide a newer, superior, and less expensive route, and the corporation retained the right to demand Barret's payment.

The decision by the Illinois Supreme Court has been cited by numerous other courts in the nation.

Lincoln appeared before the Illinois Supreme Court in 175 cases, in 51 as sole counsel, of which 31 were decided in his favor.

From 1853 to 1860, another of Lincoln's largest clients was the Illinois Central Railroad.