Who wrote this?

[Gene C]

(09-24-2025 12:18 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Please try without googling. Thanks.

In 1830 Thomas Lincoln moved his family from Indiana to Illinois. He planned to farm the Illinois prairie land.

Years later a well-known writer described Illinois' prairie land as follows:

"Looking towards the setting sun, there lay, stretched out before my view, a vast expanse of level ground; unbroken, save by one thin line of trees, which scarcely amounted to a scratch upon the great blank; until it met the glowing sky, wherein it seemed to dip: mingling with its rich colours, and mellowing in its distant blue. There it lay, a tranquil sea or lake without water, if such a simile be admissible, with the day going down upon it: a few birds wheeling here and there: and solitude and silence reigning paramount around... Great as the picture was, its very flatness and extent, which left nothing to the imagination, tamed it down and cramped its interest."

What was the name of the writer?

Carl Sandburg ?

[RJNorton]

Nope, it was not Lindsay or Sandburg.

[AussieMick]

John Steinbeck? I know he didn't write much about Lincoln nor Illinois, but it's close to his style.

[RJNorton]

Nope, not Steinbeck. It is a familiar name, however.

[RJNorton]

Hint #1: The manner in which one of the words in the quote is spelled might help in identifying the author.

[David Lockmiller]

(09-25-2025 02:08 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Hint #1: The manner in which one of the words in the quote is spelled might help in identifying the author.

So, once again, "the British are coming."

dictionary.com defines "color" and adds: "especially British, col·our"

[RJNorton]

Yes, the author was British!

[AussieMick]

I had to read it again and again and again until I saw that word.
I will guess Charles Dickens ( on a reading tour of US).

[RJNorton]

Very good, Michael! Dickens made lots of observations as he traveled. His impressions were published in a travelogue entitled American Notes for General Circulation.

[AussieMick]

I was tempted to guess Oscar Wilde but the wordiness pointed to Dickens.

[AussieMick]

Who wrote the following ...

"Lincoln just freed the slaves on a bet."

[RJNorton]

Can you say if the correct answer has been previously mentioned on this forum?

[AussieMick]

Roger, Ive checked using 'Search' Posts for the answer.
I'm confident that the correct answer to this question hasnt been mentioned before.
But the person's name has been mentioned tangentially a few times.

---

In fact the writing (a fictional story) included these words ....

" Lincoln just freed the slaves on a bet. The Dred Scott case was framed by the Anti-Saloon League. Sex explains it all."

[AussieMick]

The full paragraph might assist ....

“Listen. You're a hell of a good guy, and I'm fonder of you than anybody on earth. I couldn't tell you that in New York. It'd mean I was a *****. That was what the Civil War was about. Abraham Lincoln was a *****. He was in love with General Grant. So was Jefferson Davis. Lincoln just freed the slaves on a bet. The Dred Scott case was framed by the Anti-Saloon League. Sex explains it all. The Colonel's Lady and Judy O'Grady are Lesbians under their skin."

---

The writer deeply supported the American volunteers of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.

[AussieMick]

does this help?
"One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh"

---

Google is ok