Extra Credit Questions

[BettyO]

Surratt did meet Powell at Parr's Baltimore china shop. Later, Parr's son, David, would have a "franchise" with stores in Richmond, VA as well as in Baltimore!

Mr. Parr's shop on West Baltimore Street is now a parking garage....

[RJNorton]

Joe, good try, but it was not Parr's.

[BettyO]

I see the words" Humprey" and "Benjamin" on the drawing over the doors....but I'm at a loss....

[RJNorton]

Hint #1: What I am asking happened in the 1850's.

[Joe Di Cola]

It is the site in Bloomington, Illinois where Lincoln gave his famous "lost speech"--now marked only by a plaque.

[RJNorton]

Excellent, Joe! That is Major's Hall where Lincoln gave his Lost Speech on May 29, 1856. Lincoln's speech was given on the third floor. Well done, Joe!

Like Joe B. you win two free tickets to Fred Smith's Wisconsin Concrete Park.

[Eva Elisabeth]

When at court in Bloomington, A. Lincoln had a habit of coming to the office the judge and circuit clerk shared early in the morning before court. There he tried lawsuits, read, etc. The deputy clerk, Luman Burr, particularly recalled one thing Lincoln did there. What was it?

[Anita]

Lincoln would come in early to study the German language. "A Reporter's Lincoln" by Walter Barlow Stevens.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Kudos, Anita, that is correct. And this book was my source, too.

L. Burr told Stevens:"I recollect in particular, he was studying German. He looked up and said:'Here is a curious thing: the Germans have no word for "timble", they call it a "finger hat" (Fingerhut). And they have no word for "glove", they call it a "hand shoe" (Handschuh).' And then came one of Mr. Lincoln's inimitable laughs."

Your prize is a "German survival kit": a German lesson by Mark Twain, an online course "How to be German in 20 easy steps", and a tin of sauerkraut.
http://venturevillage.eu/how-to-be-german-part-1
http://www.kombu.de/twain-2.htm#x2

[Anita]

Eva, thank you for the great prize. I love the links you posted. They are lustig und wunderbar! I would like a sausage to go with the sauerkraut.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Sure, Anita, no problem. Apropos sure, I was so sure this question would last for a while...

[LincolnMan]

I wonder why Lincoln felt it important enough to study German?

[J. Beckert]

Because like most people, Lincoln desperately wanted to be German. It's a blessing all of us can't be born with. Some folks have to aspire to it.

[Rob Wick]

Bill,

It could have simply been of interest to Lincoln, but I wonder if it had something to do with the German influences in Illinois politics during that time. Eventually, Lincoln would quietly purchase the Illinois Staats-Anzeiger although that wasn't until the late 1850s.

Best
Rob

[Eva Elisabeth]

Rob, Walter B Stevens writes:" His (L. Burr's) service extended from 1857 to 1862. During the early part of it Mr. Burr formed the acquaintance of Mr. Lincoln."

Actually I don't believe A.L. really studied German systematically. I think was rather an anecdote- perhaps there was a German book or dictionary in that office, for whatever reason, and he read a bit in it just for fun or out of curiosity.

Joe, such a statement could bring you (not you as an US citizen, but any German) in serious trouble here, you'd have to make very clear you were just kidding!