The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-27
TWO CENTS.
THE POET PERuY4L-
prom The New Y0rk paIIy Times. ]

4 lfron the New York Daily nmes1 Z.
We observe that the library of the late Dr. Perciyal
has been offered by his aud resdy legaee 10
the city of Chicago in letter written to ascertan II
IL would suit Chicago for city library As some city
libraries managed would matter very little OF what
books such institution composed but II Is
what amusing 10 think of Percyas unique collection OF
books as city library for brethren of the great
City of the Lakes. Chicago is extraordinary place In
twenty years II reached population which it took Lon
don Amsterdam twenty centuries TO achieve. lt IS
the greatest primary grain market in the world
though twenty years ago it did not ship busel of wheat
But unless II has raised scholars numerously grain
merchants we apprchend that ii would find Percval IL
brary of very little available value There hardly q
dozen men In the Union to whom il would be aservice
able collection 1t full Of books in all the languages
which nobody reads except such enthusiast of
learning as Percyal himself Probably there
other in the United States who could read all Of
them. III
Penlgal mas one Of the most Iaarkalle men of his
time AS a lngust and as a man OF science he was
eminent than poet and yet his poetcal faculty
maryellousy brilliant and prolific lie seolo-
gst and geogapher; he understood the structure Of
the earth live on and knew all the highways and by
ways Of its surface roads rivers and canals ainl
iary most men know their domicile or the way
to market His habits Of study peculiar He would
take up a volume at booksellers counter and stand
till he had read it through He cut the leaves
of his books For many he occupied rooms at the
hospital at New Haven, and daring the whole period
those entered only by visitor He had
food cooked during that time, but lived frugally on
when they were abundant in the market He read all
day and all night, throwing himself on his bed liz his
clothes when nature insisted repose When his bed
room opened after his DEATH it was covered more
than inch thick with dust except path that had been
kept free from the door to the bed.
1t was but seldom that Percival took lively interest
in what going in the world but when aroused by
any event he became enthusiastic in relation to It, The
great struggle of Greece for Independence appealed most
strongly him. and his poetry ut the time devoted
entirely to topics derived from this In the .
NOUS political campaign preceding President Harrison
election he drawn out by his friend Dr. Bacon and
entered into il with zeal truly poetic. IL Is not gen
orally known that very large number of the songs OF
those days that rang through the log cabins from Maine
to louisiana from the pen Of DR. Pcrcival. He
would attend the political gatherings at New Haven,
where they were sung and enjoy them with much
gusto the most devoted politician OF the canvass.
When engaged the geological survey of Connecticut
he necessarily brought more in contact with men, and
the influence OF this association To extent yis
bic in modifying his morbid temper and habits.
An anecdote is told of him in this connection that
serves to illustrate his character The law contemplating
the survey provided that the geoogst should receive his
remuneration after he had made his report and it had
been approved by the governor. Perclval waited upon
Governor Ellsworth with the report and was very cour
teously received The governor took the report and
promised give it his immediate attention. and when
he had examined it the law required would make the
necessary requisition if it satisfactory Perciva
rolled up his report and withdrew He insisted that
neither the governor any else was competent to
NIT to the ndignity He desperately in want of the
money that the report would bring him, but he Goud
not take it such conditions. Some of his friends final
y procured the report from him by innocent strata
gem and it received of course the formal appreciation
of the governor who admitted his incompetence to
wise geological work of DIR. Perciyal but 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 DIR. Johnsons door when he young
man. and had not decent pair to his feet. similar
anecdote is related of Dr. PercivaL friend noticed that
the cap which had longed peered above the cloak in
which the Doctor cnveloped himself becoming alto
pether too shabby, and left word with halter the
main street to present him with more appropriate
though less poccal covering In the most delicate way
possible the shopan ntimated to the poet that any hat
on the counter was a his SERVICE but the poet turned
his heel with contempt He would never accept pecu
MARY favor Of any description Being at one time some
what embarrassed by his expenditures on his books
Of his friends made up purse OF ST. 4O0 which they ten
dercd him to reicsc his difficulties. He would only
cept it as oan and not only insisted upon giving
cuty but actually gave it in mortgage his library
from which his friends ultimately reimbursed, prin-
cipal and interest.
OF his poetcal reputation Dir. Percival took
IL he had managed his productions with tithe of the
art possessed by OF his Parnassian brethren, lie
might have acquired money well fame from his
writings Had he studied the secrets of hot press and
establishment Of coored paper laid between drab
covers or been familiar with the effects of blue and gold
in giving popularity to inspiration Perciya would haye
become fivore, and the favor of the people would
have reacted his selection of topics and famiarzed
his style Those few poems of his in which he treated
common and domestic subjects find universal accept
ance with the lovers of poetry and all of them deserve
far larger popularity than they enjoy As to his library
we apprehend it will he asceained not to suit city
library for Chicago and that it will lie useully
dispersed among the various institutions Of the land
cording to their several requirements.
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