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Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
09-03-2020, 01:59 PM (This post was last modified: 09-03-2020 02:07 PM by Gene C.)
Post: #1996
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
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.

So when is this "Old Enough To Know Better" supposed to kick in?
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09-03-2020, 04:11 PM (This post was last modified: 09-03-2020 04:13 PM by Mylye2222.)
Post: #1997
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
(09-03-2020 01:59 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.




(09-03-2020 01:59 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, 05:02 PM
Post: #1998
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
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.
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09-03-2020, 05:23 PM (This post was last modified: 09-03-2020 05:24 PM by AussieMick.)
Post: #1999
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
(09-03-2020 08:55 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.

“The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that” Robert Burns
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09-03-2020, 06:26 PM
Post: #2000
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
Was the President either Obama or Trump?
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09-03-2020, 07:01 PM (This post was last modified: 09-03-2020 07:29 PM by AussieMick.)
Post: #2001
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
Nope, Roger.
And the person invited to stay wasnt an American citizen. ( Yes, I know what I wrote earlier ). His mother was.

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

“The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that” Robert Burns
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09-03-2020, 10:24 PM
Post: #2002
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
(09-03-2020 07:01 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.

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

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

“The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that” Robert Burns
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09-04-2020, 07:06 AM
Post: #2003
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
They both wrote books.

“The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that” Robert Burns
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09-04-2020, 07:22 AM
Post: #2004
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
Was it John Muir?
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09-04-2020, 08:04 AM (This post was last modified: 09-04-2020 08:36 AM by AussieMick.)
Post: #2005
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
No, Roger, sorry.

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.

“The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that” Robert Burns
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09-04-2020, 08:52 AM
Post: #2006
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
Teddy Roosevelt was not old when he was President; was he the President?
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09-04-2020, 05:22 PM (This post was last modified: 09-04-2020 05:29 PM by Susan Higginbotham.)
Post: #2007
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
Jennie Churchill, whose son Winston became an honorary U.S. citizen? Was Kennedy the President whose offer was declined?
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09-04-2020, 05:31 PM (This post was last modified: 09-04-2020 05:50 PM by AussieMick.)
Post: #2008
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
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.

“The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that” Robert Burns
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09-04-2020, 05:45 PM
Post: #2009
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
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.
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09-04-2020, 05:52 PM (This post was last modified: 09-04-2020 05:55 PM by AussieMick.)
Post: #2010
RE: Presidents and First Ladies Trivia
I got my information from a biography, quite big,by Roy Jenkins. Churchill.
Yes, Jennie was a beautiful socialite born in New York.

“The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that” Robert Burns
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