Extra Credit Questions

[Eva Elisabeth]

Good idea, Jim, but kudos to Roger - Abraham Lincoln's intended "test animals" were indeed cows.

Sergeant Smith Stimmel, who often escorted the President to and from the White House to the Soldiers Home where he spent summer evenings, recalled that on one occasion, the security detail was diverted into a cow pasture so that a dispute could be resolved between Mr. Lincoln and the lieutenant in charge of the Detail. The lieutenant subsequently told Stimmel: "As we were coming along, the conversation turned upon the peculiar structure of the cow, and the President remarked that the cow is a lop-sided animal, that is, one side is higher than the other. Is aw no, that I never noticed that one side of a cow is higher than the other. 'Well, it is,' said the President, and when he saw those cows feeding over on the commons, he said, 'We will just go over to those cows yonder, and I will show you that I am right about that!'" (Smith Stimmel: "Personal Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln", p. 30-31.)

Roger, since a cow pasturing in your Florida garden might too quickly vanish in an alligator's stomach, you win a bar of cow spot chocolate instead to vanish in your stomach:
   
I am sorry I initially misspelled lop-sided as "lope-sided". I shall reward the prize to all participants who, I am sure, would instantly have nailed it had I spelled correctly...(The worst/weirdest mistakes actually happen when I forgot to switch the keyboard language and don't notice the autocorrection.)

[RJNorton]

Thank, Eva! I love Milka Kuhflecken.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Who lived here?
   

[RJNorton]

Alexander Stephens?

[Eva Elisabeth]

A very smart guess, Roger, but Alexander Stephens didn't live in this place.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Hint #1: You were right as for the kind of building/estate - the same as Stephen's.

[RJNorton]

Second try - could this be it?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Kudos, Roger - you are incredible, that is correct!!! Here's the photo in color:
http://www.kentuckytourism.com/farmingto...tion/1827/

Some further clicks will take you to:
"THE HISTORY OF FARMINGTON

Built for John and Lucy Speed, Farmington was completed in 1816. The Historic Home was the center of a thriving 550 acre hemp plantation that was sustained by nearly 60 enslaved African Americans who lived in cabins on the propery. In the summer of 1841, Abraham Lincoln visited Farmington for three weeks. Relationships he formed with member of the Speed family, including his future Attorney General James Speed, became important during Lincoln's Presidency and the Civil War.

There is circumstantial evidence that the plans for Farmington were taken from a plan by Thomas Jefferson. We know Lucy's family had close connections with Jefferson, and we know that Farmington's floor plan is very similar to one drawn by Jefferson. The building contract for Farmington mentions Paul Skidmore as having done the plan for the house. Whether Skidmore was provided with a sketch from Jefferson or a verbal description from Lucy of what she envisioned or whether he independently arrived at the original design, we will never know. In any event, construction, much of it undoubtedly by slaves, began in 1815 and was completed by 1816."
http://farmingtonhistoricplantation.org/history/

Roger, since you stumped the German, an all-inclusive visit to the Oktoberfest at Farmington will hopefully be an appropriate prize. BTW, a Bavarian downs a Maß (Bavarian beer glass = 1liter) of beer at once. Now then - o'zapft is (the barrel is open) and Prosit (cheers)!
   

[RJNorton]

Thanks, Eva - a great prize!

[RJNorton]

What is this?

[Eva Elisabeth]

I tend to believe a place where Robert or Mary once stayed, but right now that's all that comes to my mind. In any case it looks like a place not in the south.

[RJNorton]

Kudos, Eva! That was Robert Lincoln's home on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago from 1893 to 1911. It no longer stands, and here is the way that corner looks today:

Robert loved to play golf, and for a time he was president of the Chicago Golf Club located in Wheaton, Illinois. You win one free round of golf at Robert's old club.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Roger, is the photo in any book? I am sure I've seen it somewhere.

Thanks for the noble prize - I haven't played golf before, so I will bring a hole-in-one ball to be competitive.
   

[RJNorton]

Eva, do you have John S. Goff's biography of Robert? There is a photo of the home in that book. It's probably in other books as well.

[L Verge]

Next question: Who was the first person to be allowed the privilege of shaking hands with the Emperor of Japan?