The Wisconsin magazine of history: Volume 1, number 3, March 1918

              editorial the professor and the finger bowl to tell a new lincoln story is something of an achieve ment colonel tom brown a former citizen of badgerdom who now resides in sioux falls south dakota has achieved this distinction we believe in relating the following incident in view of the nature of our leading article and of the local interest which attaches to mr brown's tale we gladly give it such additional currency as lies within our power in some sections of southwestern wisconsin during the civil war so the story runs certain copperhead organiza tions particularly the knights of the golden circle became decidedly outspoken in the expression of their sentiments — so much so that a group of loyal citizens decided to send a spokesman to washington to acquaint the president with the threatening proceedings the delegate chosen for this mission was a certain professor kilgore of evansville semi nary on his arrival at washington he was invited to take lunch at the white house where he was seated next to president lincoln himself at this time finger bowls were coming into fashion but their advent had not as yet come within the ken of the simple western professor accordingly he was greatly perplexed by the little dish containing a slice of lemon and some liquid apparently lemonade which ap peared near the close of the meal observing his embarrass ment president lincoln leaning toward him whispered professor don't sip out of that bowl watch me following this kindly instruction the pedagogue con cluded the meal without disgracing himself when later they found themselves alone together president lincoln con fided to the visitor that he himself needed a servant to keep him informed about those little things