Many historians devote countless hours of research proving that many
things we always thought were true were, in fact, not. As an example, we
now know that George Washington never cut down a cherry or any other kind of
tree, for that matter.
One of the mysteries, yet unexplored, is how Abraham Lincoln wrote The Gettysburg Address on the back an envelope. Various attempts to duplicate this feat have been successful, but the resulting text always proved to be unreadable. Many authorities have concluded that either Lincoln had a very fine pen, a steady hand and very powerful glasses or one huge envelope.
No secret exists today regarding modern presidential speeches. Even the most naive observer does not believe they are written by the President himself. There is a presidential speechwriter on the staff. This person is most often one with newspaper background.
I once knew a former newspaper writer. Though his job was unusual, it might provide a clue as to what happened on that train ride to Gettysburg. You see, the man I met worked in the classified ad department and spent eight hours each day helping customers compose their ads, using as little space as possible. After many years of this, the man was unable to write normal text, though his manner of speaking was not unusual. If Lincoln's speechwriter had come from a similar background, the back of the envelope might have looked something like this:
4 scr & 7 yrs ago,
Sound far-fetched? MayB, but it cld B.
July 19, 1982
Yorba Linda, CA
One of the mysteries, yet unexplored, is how Abraham Lincoln wrote The Gettysburg Address on the back an envelope. Various attempts to duplicate this feat have been successful, but the resulting text always proved to be unreadable. Many authorities have concluded that either Lincoln had a very fine pen, a steady hand and very powerful glasses or one huge envelope.
No secret exists today regarding modern presidential speeches. Even the most naive observer does not believe they are written by the President himself. There is a presidential speechwriter on the staff. This person is most often one with newspaper background.
I once knew a former newspaper writer. Though his job was unusual, it might provide a clue as to what happened on that train ride to Gettysburg. You see, the man I met worked in the classified ad department and spent eight hours each day helping customers compose their ads, using as little space as possible. After many years of this, the man was unable to write normal text, though his manner of speaking was not unusual. If Lincoln's speechwriter had come from a similar background, the back of the envelope might have looked something like this:
4 scr & 7 yrs ago,
R 4fths brgt 4th upon ths cont
a nu nat concvd in lib
a nu nat concvd in lib
& ddc8td 2 the prop
that all men R cr8td =
Sound far-fetched? MayB, but it cld B.
July 19, 1982
Yorba Linda, CA
P.S. Recently discovered evidence
appears below.
Proof?