New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-11-22
The Poet Peroivar.

The New York Times in an article on The lan1Ented
Perciva gives us an insight into bis private NE as
follows
PercivaI was one of the most remarkable men Of
biz time. As linguist and as man of science ne
was more eminent than poet ard yet his poetca4
faculty was maryelOnsIY brilliant and prolific he
was geologst and geographer be understood
the structure Of the earth we live OF, and kDeB All
the highways and byways Of its surface roads,
rivers and eanals-as Familiarity as most know
their own dOmicle the way to market. His habits
Of study were peculiar. He would take up volume
at booksellers counter and stand till he bad read
it through. He never cut the leaves Of bis books
For many years he occupied rooms at the Hospital 81
New haven, and during the whole period those rooms
were entered only once by a visitor He had no food
cooked during that time but lived frugaIy on dried
beef herring, bread with apples and other fruit when
they were abundant In the market. He read al day
and all night-throwing himself on his bed in his
clothes, when nature insisted TGpOse. Then his
bedroom was opened, after bis death it covered
more thansan inch thick with dust, except path
that had been kept free from the door to the bed
An anecdote ia told Of him In this connection that
serves TO Illustrate bis character. The law eonte-
plating the survey provided that the geoogist should
receive his remuneration after he had made his report
and it had been approved by the Governor. Percival
waited upon Governor Ellsworth with the report, and
/ was very courteously received. The Governor took
the report and promised to give it bis immediate at
Iehtl0n and when ne had examined it as the law re-
qulred, would make the necessary reansition il il
were satisfactory Percival rolled np his report and
Withdrew He insisted that neither the Governor nor
Oh his report, and he would not submit to the indig-
nlty He was desperately in want of the money that
the report Woud bring him but he would not take if
on sacn conditions. Some Of his friends finally pro-
cured the report from him BY an innocent trzfarp4
aud itrecelved, Of course the formal appreciation Of
the Governor who admitted his Inconvenience to re-
wise geological work of DR.. Perciyat INT was too
good an officer not TO yield due obedience to the law
We all remember the story told Of the pair of new
shoes left at DR.. Johnson door when he was Young
man and had not decent pair to his feet. similar
aneCdOe is related of DIR. Perciya. friend noticed
| that the cap, which had so long peeFed above The
| cloak in which the Doctor enveoped himself WAS
becoming altogether too shabby and left word with
halter on Main street to present him with q more
appropriate though les poetica covering. In She
most delicate way possible the sh0pman intimate6
to the poet that any hat the counter was at his
service-bnt the poet turned on his heel With con-
| tempt He would never accept q pecuniary favor
any description. Being at one time somewhat en-
barrassed by his expenditures on his books some Of
1 his friends made up purse Of 81 400, which they
4 rendered him TO relieve his difficulties. He would
only accept it as loan, and not only insisted upon
giving security, but actually gave it iii mortgage tn
| his library, from which his friends were ultimately
reimbursed, principal and interest.
| of his poetical reputation, DR.. Pereival took no
care. II he had managed bis productions with
1.-THE of the art possessed by some of his ParasG5an
brethren, he might have acquired money as well Rs
fame from his writings. Had be studied the sPrzets
OF hotpress and establishment, of cream cOOFea pa
per laid between drab covers or been familiar with
blue and gold in giving popularity to inspiration,
PerciVal would have become favOrite and The favor
OF the people could have reacted his selection Of
topics and tamiliafiZed his style. Those few p1es n
4 his in which he treated common aud domestic s6ba
Jects met universal acceptance with the lovers Of
poetry, and all Of them deserve far larger popuaTi
ty than they enjoy. As to his library, we appTehsnd
It Will be ascertained not to suit city library for
Chicago, and that it will be usefnlly dispersed
among the various institutions of the land According
to their several requirements.