The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-12-09
Death of Washington Irving.

The telegraph conveys the sad news that
WASHINGTON IRVING, the greatest prose
writer, perhaps, that this country ever pro-
duced, and who was conceded to be as great
as the most eminent of other lasds, died on
Monday night at Irvington. No particu-
lars are given. The Chicago Times pre-
sents the following sketch of the life of this
charming author and good man
Washington Irving was born in the city
of New York, April 8, 1888, in which
place his father, William Irving, had been
settled as merchant some twenty years.
After receiving an ordinary school educa.
ton, at the age of sixteen, he commenced
the study of law. Three years later be con-
tributed, under the signature of Jonathan
Oldstyle, series of letters to the Morning
Chronicle, newspaper (which his brother,
Peter Irving, was editor. These juvenile
essays attracted much notice at the time,
were extensively copied by other journals,
and in 1923 or 1924 were collected and
published without the sanction of the
author. In 1904, in consequence of i'll.
health, he sailed for Bordeaux on visit to
Europe, and travelled through the south of
France and Nice, where he took felucca
to Genoa, in which city he remained some
t wo months. He then went by sea to
Sicily, made the tour of the island, crossed
from Palermo to Naples, passed through
Italy, meeting Alston at Rome, who
strongly recommended his devoting himself
to art, thence over the St. Gothard, through
Switzerland to Paris, where he remained
several months. He then went to Holland,
whence be embarked for England, where he
spent part of the autumn, and returned to
New York in March, 1906, completely re-
stored to health. He again resumed the
study of the law, and was admitted to the
bar in November of that year, but never
practised. Shortly after he took the chief
part in " Salmagundi," the first number of
which appeared in January, 1907, and the
last in January, 1903. In December, the
following year, he published his "Knicker-
bocker's History Of New York." In 1910,
two of his brothers, who were engaged in
commercial btsiness, one being at the head
of the establishment in this city, and the
other in Liverpool, gave him an interest in
was not to enter. into the duties and details of
the business, but pursue his literary avoca-
tions. During the war with Great Britain,
in 18l3-14, he edited the ",Analectic
Magazine" and in the fall of the latter year,
joined the military staff of the Governor of
the State of New Y ork, as aid-de-camp and
military secretary, with the title of Colonel.
On the close of the war, May, 1915, he
embarked for Liverpool with the intention
of making second tour of Europe, but was
prevented by the sudden and great reverses
which followed at the return of peace, over.
whelming, after struggle of two or three
years, in which Mr.. Irving took an active part
to avert the catastrophe, the house in which
his brothers had given him an interest, and
involving him in its ruin. In 1918, he deter.
mined to try his pen as means of support
and commenced the papers of the +" Sketch.
Book" which were transmitted piecemeal
from London, where he resided, to New
York for publication. Three or four mum.
bers were thus published, when, finding that
they attracted notice in England, he had
them published in volume, February, 1920
by Mr.. John Miller; but be failing shortly
after, the work was transferred to Mr.. Muir.
ray, with second volume, published in Ju
ly of that year. Mr.. Murray had bought
the copyright, for e200, but its success fal
SURPRISING his expectations, he sent Mr.
Irving, of his own accord, first GlO0, ani
the sale still increasing, an additional Gl00
After residence of five years in England
Mr.. Irving removed to Paris in August 1926
and remained there till July of the followins
year, when he returned to England anc
published his Bracebridge Hail. in Lon
don and New York, in May, 1922. Th'
following winter he passed in Dresden, re-
turned to Paris in 1923, and crossed t,
London in May, 1924, to publish his g Tale
of a Traveller" which appeared in. Angus
of that year in two volumes, and in fou
parts in New York. In August, he re
turned to Paris, and in the autumn Of 1926