Lincoln Discussion Symposium

Happy Labor Day everyone! Speaking of holidays, here is an easy trivia question; we can can thank Lincoln that Thanksgiving is a Federal holiday, but what other holiday was made a Federal holiday by someone that had once worked for Lincoln. Who was the person- and what is the holiday?

(09-03-2012 07:39 AM)LincolnMan Wrote: [ -> ]Happy Labor Day everyone! Speaking of holidays, here is an easy trivia question; we can can thank Lincoln that Thanksgiving is a Federal holiday, but what other holiday was made a Federal holiday by someone that had once worked for Lincoln. Who was the person- and what is the holiday?

I know that the Thanksgiving proclamation was written by William H. Seward....but could it be "Mother's Day?" This was established by Julia Ward Howe - but I don't think that she ever "worked" for Lincoln....

Nope-but I like the information you gave-didn't know she established Mother's Day-which should be a holiday worldwide!

(09-03-2012 08:35 AM)LincolnMan Wrote: [ -> ]Nope-but I like the information you gave-didn't know she established Mother's Day-which should be a holiday worldwide!

I have heard Memorial Day's founding ascribed to General Logan who worked for Commander-in-Chief Lincoln.

Joe: That wasn't the holiday I had in mind but you're absolutely correct in what you said. Nice!
Actually, the holiday I had in mind was Christmas. December 25th was approved as a Federal holiday by President Grant in 1870. And, of course, like General Logan-Grant worked for Lincoln the Commander-in-Chief.

(09-03-2012 11:03 AM)LincolnMan Wrote: [ -> ]Joe: That wasn't the holiday I had in mind but you're absolutely correct in what you said. Nice!
Actually, the holiday I had in mind was Christmas. December 25th was approved as a Federal holiday by President Grant in 1870. And, of course, like General Logan-Grant worked for Lincoln the Commander-in-Chief.

Thanks, Bill, it is always nice to get a new piece of information. I was unaware of the Grant and Chjristmas connection. Thanks again for the information.
Joe

Trivia question: A famous American writer and critic (deceased) made a statement about something that was the worst thing that ever happened to Lincoln besides being killed by Booth. Who was the writer/critic? And what was the statement?

Bill,

It was Edmund Wilson who said, concerning Sandburg, that the cruelest thing to happen to Lincoln since being shot by Booth was to fall into the hands of Carl Sandburg. He said it in his book Patriotic Gore, but he originally said it in a letter to John Dos Passos.

Best
Rob

Rob: I knew I couldn't get that one past you! Apparently, the gentleman was a negative critic of many. What was his beef with Sandburg?

Bill,

It basically started with this article in Vanity Fair in which Wilson wrote "One is bored by the dryness of his emotions and the poverty of his vocabulary." I'm not a literary critic, but I think Wilson saw in Sandburg almost a hillbilly or hick, and his poetry wasn't abstract or obtuse enough for Wilson.

Sandburg once made the comment that what irritated Wilson was that when he [Sandburg] mentioned smoke or steel, he was talking about smoke or steel. Later, Sandburg referred to Wilson as "the Arrow Collar Man" and also made fun of Wilson's numerous unhappy affairs.

Wilson also excoriated Sandburg's The Prairie Years. When Sandburg wrote "A trembling took his body and dark waves ran through him sometimes when she spoke so simple a thing as, 'The corn is getting high, isn't it?'”, Wilson snorted, "The corn is getting high indeed!"

Best
Rob

Rob: I'm stunned by the statements of Wilson against Sandburg. To me-being just "Joe Public"- his words seem mean-spirited and smacks of arrogance that is most unappealing.

Bill,

Read Edmund Wilson A Life in Literature by Lewis M. Dabney. Wilson had a lot of personal demons he battled.

Best
Rob

What is this?

Thomas Lincoln's headstone.

Oak Tree?