Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-07-09
John Godfrey SAKE.

John Godfrey SAKE.
The world is not disposed to give a man
credit for more than one thing at a time.
Bryant is known as the poet rather than the
publisher. There are plenty of people who
are not aware that Longfellow was, for
years, one of the most popular and success
ful Professors of Harvard College. Doctor
Hitchcock writes and breaches excellent
sermons, but fame las covered them with
geological strata; and when Percival died,
the world mourned the poet and not the
geologist.
John G. SAKE supports, in the motley
ranks of life, the title of "the witty poet;"
which was long since awarded him by as-
elamation, and a title which-unlike hosts
of others-is richly deserved. He is, indeed,
ccasionally spoken of a. the "editor OF the
Burlington Sentinel" but he might have
edited that hebdomadal for century with
out having been suspected, by nine people
out of ten, of having finger in its r," or
its leaders. SAKE is known to the public
as the witty poet, and the title is barnacle
that will cling to his anatomical "timbers"
until they are shivered by the bomb of death
"a missile that makes no noise when it ex-
plodes. But, like every other son Of genius,
SAKE lives an inner life of which the world
knows but little, and which we beg leave to
uncurtain, so that those who love and ad-
mire the poet may be constrained to admire
and love the man.
carries it's own superlative with it. As such
we have rarely met his peer-never his su-
perior. He brings to bear upon his forte
of conversation the powerful artillery of a
comprehensive intelligence, an opulent fans
cy, the keenest wit, the readiest repartee;
and possesses that faculty of successfully
adapting himself to trivial, or wrestling
with lofty subject, the envy of which is as
common as its lack. His language is ever
fresh and piquant-never estate and un-
profitable" He talks as easy as a brook
flows; and, like the brook, the wide margins
of his conversations are beautified by the
violets and clover-blossoms of simple and
elegant rhetoric. One of the secrets of his
power in this respect exists in tie fact that
SAKE is thorough scholar. The classics
are his playth ings. He remembers what
he has studied, and can quote the hottest
Greek sentences with no more trouble than
he expends in the act of respiration. He
knows every spear of grass in the field of
belies-lsttres. Metaphysics are never dose
to him, and his love for the natural sciences
is almost unnatural. He is well-informed
man-to adopt conventional phrase which
really means more than it seems to mean
able to scope with the professor, the divine,
the sauant, and sure to "hold his own" with
the best OF them. His power is an educated
power, allied to genius of no ordinary char
acter, and controlled by the strongest good
sense, the most refined taste. and the incest
sense of propriety. He makes no show of
his learning; he never attempts to "air bis
vocabulary" but it is impossible for him t.
converse at all without evincing the quail
ties which we have here set down to his
credit and renown.
SAKE possesses the attribute of geniality
to remarkable extent. The secret of this
possession lies in his own heart. The heart
is gushing fountain, and not an Artesian
well. Its emotions flow forth spontaneously,
because they must; they are not drawn up
in buckets. He is not soured by care or
suffering. Through them all-and he has
had his full share-he has preserved an
amiabilty, feeling Of fraternity that beams
from his honest face like morning sun.-
He loves and hates most cordially-loves
the good, the beautiful and true, and hates
their opposites. He is perfectly familiar
with The acids Of sarcasm, but he never en-
pIoys them-upon the vitriol- -thrower's prin-
ciple-to crafty any private pique or ami
mostly. His wit is attic; it never grovels
in the basement. 1t is ever ready to fow,
and of its flow he himself is unconscious.
It might be supposed that one who had
climbed to the pinnacles of popularity-who
had been fsttered,as the world loves to fat
ter its favorites-wculd be in danger of en-
tertaining seif.conceit which would render
him repulsive to his less favored fellows.
This is not SO. SAKE possesses Just ap-
probation of his own abilities-and he is to
be pitied who does not-but it is as different
from the telling of self-conceit as Thalberg's
Last Rose of Summer is different from a
dried flower. Not one Who really knows
SAKE can fail to credit him with modesty as
well as genius.
Readiness is one of Saxe's prominent
characteristics. Tax him as you will, you
will always find him equal to the emergency.
As pretty instance of this quality let us
mention the fact, that when he was last in
this city, and just as he was preparing to
leave, literary gentleman-one of his
warmest admirers-begged his autograph.
SAKE instantly seized pen--literally The
pen of ready writer'-and dashed off the
following impromtu:-
My autograph. It's pleasant to reflect
Although the thought may cost single sigh
That what banker would with scorn reject, :
May find value in a scholars eye!'
Is not that neat and pointed!
The career of John G. SAKE marked thoug
it has been by glorious achievements and
signal honers has but fairly begun. If kind
heaven continues his life and health, his
future will be lit by the rays of stars that
the world has not yet discovered, land beauti-
fed by flowers whose germs have not yet
sprouted. Fun does not hold its courts in
vain-and it is no mean honor to be its
Prime Minister.
Beautiful Sentiment.
A man without religion is at best poor
repro5ate-the football of destany, with no
tie linking him to infnity and the wondrous
eternity that is within him. But woman
that is.without it is even worse-a flame