Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-07-14

GS-@N-NNA'H 49,
Noah's Times and Messenger, We Rnd the follow
ing questions and answers:
Querg:-Can you inform mo where the re-
mains Of Edgar A. Poe are now lying2 There
was some talk short time ago OF erecting q
monument TO him; has any action been taken
as YETI If not, would it not be well to agttate
the subject, and endeavor to have a suitable
monument built to his memory! Notwithstand-
ing the faults of his private life, his talents
an author quite well acknowledged, and
probably The Raven and some of his tales will
be read as long American literature is known.
Anstcer-0f Mr.. Poe our last information
stated that his remains were lying in the poor
house battle-ground at Baltimore. The mOnu-
ment will be we'll enough-when it is built
Like all others Of the kind, it will be a cold
compliment to the dead and bitter satire upon
the living, and perhaps calculated to excite as
many bad feelings as good. The old saying,
which represents men of talent as asking of the
world bread and receiving stone, has lost none
of its force. Should any monument be raised
to the memory of Poe, it will be prompted by
admiration, and not by sympathy, which latter
is, or should be- the handspring of monument
tai structures; for it is clear enough that the
author of 1.-The Raven" did not appeal to the
! hearts of mankind. He was content to employ
his talents as instruments, without much regard
to the feelings Of others, and simply with refer
emce to his convenince. Viewed in cold and
mechanical light, he was rather man of sci
cncc than man of letters, and such as appreci-
ate him as peculiar specimen of talent, if they
think such appreciation warrants 1t, should be-
stow themselves to erect some monument or
other
G1uery:-Can you explain to me why it is that
all my young correspondence mean such as
are under thirty, including nephews and nieces,
are so datOry in correspondence Isit because
am an old man, and that my style of compost
ton is not to their humor, or why? 1t did not
use to be so when was a middle aged man,
some five and thirty years ago.
Anslcer: are not alone in your griev-
ance, if grievance it be. The habit of cores
pondence is much less cultivated now than for
merly. Letter-writing is now, as a general
thing, engaged in under the urgency of business
or immediate necessity of some kind or another
| AT the time when you were in your hey-day
a correspondent, there were no ocean steamers,
mo railroads and no telegraphs, and compare.
lively few daily papers, to communicate the
NEWS Of the day; and such organs of communi
cation as there were, were far less free and par
ticular in chronicling matters either of public or
| personal interest. The rapidity and detail of
the present system of publishing intelligence
has superseded the letter-writer, taken away
| the dependence of distant friends upon each
other for the news, and, in consequence, has
| subdued and deadened the very disposition to
write itself. We will not reflect so far upon
/ your WOrthy-no doubt they are worthy-ne-
| phews and nieces as to harhor suspicion that
! they do not know how to write; but even if such
were the extremity of their case, we are quite
confident they would not be "alone in their
| glory" There are great many of the young
of both sexes who can both read and write; but
| is it not barely pOsSible--and you may soothe
| yourself with such beief-that your estimahle
| Young relatives hesitate to submit their crude
compositions to the severe scrutiny and tasteful
criticism of a gentleman and a scholar of the
''old schools"
Here's run of queries that are some in their
way, certain-viz:
Queries:-Who is the author of the late mar
vellous and successful comedy, 'rhe Flip Flap,
or Dance of the Pewter Spunc,' first introduced
I in this country by Mr.. Diamond BoasttulE-
What is the lady'sname and the length other
nose that played the first part in it2 What was
| the color of Hendrick Hudsons eyes? What
is the height of the North Polt3 What is the
name of the first steamship that crossed the
sea of trouble?' Are ships really hoeI? Does
the dog star ever bark? Are 81 axes va1min,
reptiles, or sarpients? Is fish either flesh,
meat, nor small hominy2 Is Graham bread
made of sawdust; if so, will persistent diet on
it 'shingle one all ovel?' Is Broadway really
paved with bricks TINT have fallen from gentle
mems hatsP Who is the author of the following
lines:
Master catch em nit hook, fry pan
Was the patch on Marcy's breeches as large as
small potatoe patchP AfuH and lucid answer
to each and all of these queries will afford a
world of useful information TO the readers of
this column.
Aas,oer:-we regret TO say that, having run
out of mental foolscap we are unable to crafty
our correspondent with the specific knowledge
for which he yearns; but we publish his queries
in full, trusting that some more cyclyI odical
mentality than our own will be able to quench
the burning thirst for information that threat
ems to ignite the river his Imagination.
Query:-Isa knowledge of the Latin language
absolutely indispensable to make good writer?
Ansper--A direct answer would be in the
negative, inasmuch as there have been numer-
Gus good writers who have not been Latin schol-
airs; but n further examination of the question
will show that the greatest writers, and the
greatest number of good writer's in our own
language have possessed knowledge of the
LatinSfur example: Shakespeare (of whose ac.
QUESTION in that respect there can be no reason
able doubt and Milton, Dryden and Pope,
Walter Scott and Byron, representing three diff
ferent eras in English literature 1t is not mere
ly the technical knowledge, the pedantrv, which
is of advantage, but rather the insight into the
nicer shades of meaning, which almost always
follows the original, and which imparts pre-
ciSion and elegance of style scarcely attainable