David, that's not the one.

Basically it was about a man that comes to Lincoln while he is president and wants to be appointed as White House doorkeeper.
Lincoln asks him if he has any job experience as a doorkeeper. The man replies "no"
Lincoln then asks him if has had any training as a doorkeeper. The man replies "no"
Read any books or attended any classes about doorkeeping? "No"
Then Lincoln asks him if he knows the full duties of a door keeper. The man again replies "no"
Lincoln politely and somewhat humorously gets the man to recognize he just isn't qualified for the position as doorkeeper as he declines his request and sends the disappointed man away.

I can't remember the source of the story, and I may have a few details wrong, but that's the gist of the story. I think Lincoln used the story to emphasize the fact that so many people came to him asking for a government job that they were unknowledgeable and unqualified for.

(09-03-2020 12:59 PM)Gene C Wrote:  David, that's not the one.

Basically it was about a man that comes to Lincoln while he is president and wants to be appointed as White House doorkeeper.
Lincoln asks him if he has any job experience as a doorkeeper. The man replies "no"
Lincoln then asks him if has had any training as a doorkeeper. The man replies "no"
Read any books or attended any classes about doorkeeping? "No"
Then Lincoln asks him if he knows the full duties of a door keeper. The man again replies "no"
Lincoln politely and somewhat humorously gets the man to recognize he just isn't qualified for the position as doorkeeper as he declines his request and sends the disappointed man away.

I can't remember the source of the story, and I may have a few details wrong, but that's the gist of the story. I think Lincoln used the story to emphasize the fact that so many people came to him asking for a government job that they were unknowledgeable and unqualified for.

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(09-03-2020 12:59 PM)Gene C Wrote:  David, that's not the one.

Basically it was about a man that comes to Lincoln while he is president and wants to be appointed as White House doorkeeper.
Lincoln asks him if he has any job experience as a doorkeeper. The man replies "no"
Lincoln then asks him if has had any training as a doorkeeper. The man replies "no"
Read any books or attended any classes about doorkeeping? "No"
Then Lincoln asks him if he knows the full duties of a door keeper. The man again replies "no"
Lincoln politely and somewhat humorously gets the man to recognize he just isn't qualified for the position as doorkeeper as he declines his request and sends the disappointed man away.

I can't remember the source of the story, and I may have a few details wrong, but that's the gist of the story. I think Lincoln used the story to emphasize the fact that so many people came to him asking for a government job that they were unknowledgeable and unqualified for.

---

I found the story in a source that I have found is not always reliable. It is on p. 257 of Emanuel Hertz' Lincoln Talks, a source which needs to be used with a great deal of caution.

“So you want to be a doorkeeper of the House, eh?”
“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Well, have you ever been a doorkeeper? Have you ever had any experience of doorkeeping?”
“Well, no-no actual experience, sir.”

“Any theoretical experience? Any instructions in the duties and ethics of doorkeeping?”
“Umph–no.”

“Have you ever attended lectures on doorkeeping?”
“No, sir.”

“Have you read any text on the subject?”
“No.”

“Have you conversed with anyone who has read such a book?”
“No, sir, I’m afraid no, sir.”

“Well, then my friend don’t you see that you haven’t a single qualification for this important post?” said Lincoln.

Hertz gives his source as The Lincoln Scrapbook, New York Public Library. I am not familiar with that source.

(09-03-2020 07:55 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Was it an American who was living abroad but was visiting the U.S?

You are correct in your thinking , Roger. The location in New York was actually the Hudson.

Was the President either Obama or Trump?

Nope, Roger.
And the person invited to stay wasnt an American citizen. ( Yes, I know what I wrote earlier ). His mother was.

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So the person wasnt an American when invited. ..... but was later.

(09-03-2020 06:01 PM)AussieMick Wrote:  Nope, Roger.
And the person invited to stay wasnt an American citizen. ( Yes, I know what I wrote earlier ). His mother was.

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So the person wasnt an American when invited. ..... but was later.

It was last century. One of the people was old, one wasn't.

They both wrote books.

Was it John Muir?

No, Roger, sorry.

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To summarise:

A man , whose mother (long deceased) was American, visited New York (Hudson). The then President sent an invitation asking that he come and stay at the White House. It was declined.
Both wrote books.
The man was not an American citizen at the time of the invitation. One of the men was old, one was not.

Teddy Roosevelt was not old when he was President; was he the President?

Jennie Churchill, whose son Winston became an honorary U.S. citizen? Was Kennedy the President whose offer was declined?

100% correct, Susan. Well done! !!!!

Churchill was very old and deaf . His attendant, Montague Brown, declined the invitation without consulting Churchill. Brown thought he would probably over exert himself and even embarrass everybody.
Churchill was on a cruise just after JFKs inauguration. There was a storm and the ship went up the Hudson.

A short time later he was made an honorary American citizen.

I hadn't known that Churchill was made an honorary U.S. citizen until I looked it up, but Jennie Churchill sounded like a likely choice.

I got my information from a biography, quite big,by Roy Jenkins. Churchill.
Yes, Jennie was a beautiful socialite born in New York.