Tough Tarbell Trivia

[Rob Wick]

You are correct Roger. You win a year's free legal service provided by Mr. Davis. His office is now located in beautiful Oak Ridge Cemetery.

From the 1904 History of Sangamon County:

Mr. Davis has achieved distinction by his contributions to the literature pertaining to Abraham Lincoln. His newspaper writings on this subject, based on original research, attracted the attention of McClure's Magazine, which was then (1895) about to undertake the publication of a series of Lincoln papers under the editorial direction of Miss Ida M. Tarbell of New York, and he was invited to prepare several papers touching the early life of the Great Emancipator, more particularly the six years which he had spent at the pioneer village of New Salem. A change in the plan and scope of the work necessitated the use of Mr. Davis' material, in a more or less fragmentary way, throughout the series. The larger part of the Illinois material was contributed by him. In the course of the work he made many important discoveries, particularly of Lincoln documents and letters hitherto unpublished. In 1900 the Century Magazine published from his pen an article based on information furnished by the late Governor Richard J. Oglesby, giving for the first time the true history of the "rail movement" of 1860, which was so important a factor in the nomination and election of Lincoln to the presidency. In 1901 he brought out "A. Lincoln - His Book" - a most unique publication, being a reproduction in facsimile of a diminutive scrapbook made up by Lincoln, with annotations in his own handwriting, for the use of Captain James N. Brown, a candidate for the legislature in 1858.

Good job, Roger!

Best
Rob