The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-12-17
Death of washington Irving.

duced, and who, was conceded to be as
great as the most eminent of other lands,
died on Monday night at Irvington. No
particulars are given. We are enabled to
present the following sketch Of the life of
this charming author and good man:
Washington Irving was born in the city
of New York, April 3, 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 the law. Three years later
be contributed, under the signature of
Jonathan Oldstyle, series of letters to
-tsseas1 Morning Chronicle" arewspaper Of
which his brother, Peter Irving, was edi-
tor. 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 con-
sequence of i'll health, he sailed for Bor-
deaux on visit to Europe, and travelled
through the south of France to Nice,
where he took a felucca to Genoa, in
which city he remained some two months.
He then went by sea to Sicily, made the
tour of the island, crossed from Palermo
to Naples, passed through Italy, meeting
Allston at Rome, who strongly recon-
mended his devoting himself to art, thence
over the st. Gothard, through Switzer-
land to Paris, where he remained several
months. He then went to Holland,
whence he embarked for England, where
he spent part of the autumn, and returned
to New York March, 1906, completely
restored 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 "Salmaguadi," the first
number of which appeared January, 1907,
and the last in January, 1908. In De-
cember the following year, he published
his "KnickerJocker' Historyof Me,0 York."
In ITO, two of his brothers, who were
engaged in commercial business, one being
at the head of the establishment in this
city, and the other in Liverpool, gave him
an interest in the concern, with the under
standing that he was not to enter into the
duties and details of the business, but
pursue his literary avocations. During
the war with Great Britain, in 1813-14,
he edited the "Analeetic Magazine" and
in the fall of the latter year, Joined the
military staff of the Governor of the State
of New York, ,as aide-de-camp and military
secretary, with the title of Colonel. On
the close of the war, May 1915, he en-
barked for Liverpool with the intention of
making a second tour of Europe, but was
prevented by the sudden and great reverses
which follow 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 in
terest. and involved him in its ruin. In
1878, he determined to try his pen as a
means of support, and commenced the
papers of the "Sketcl- Book" which were
transmitted piecemeal from London,
where he resided, to New York for publi-
cation. Three or four numbers were thus
published. when, finding they attracted
notice in England, he had them published
in volume, February, 1920, by Mr.. John
Miller; but he failing shortly after, the
work was transferred to Mr.. Murray, with
second volume, published in July of
that year. Mr.. Murray had bought the
copyright for f200, but its success far sur
passing his expectations, he sent Mr..
Irving, of his own accord, first f100, and
the sale still increasing, an additional
f100. After residence of five years in
England, Mr.. Irving removed to Paris in
August, 1920, and remained there till
July of the following year, when he re-
turned to England and published his
"Bracebridge Hail." in London and New
York, in May, 1922. The following win
ter he passed in Dresden, returned to Paris
in 1923, and crossed to London in May,
1924, to publish his 'Tales of Travel
ler," which appeared in August of that
year in two volumes, and in four parts in
New York. In August. he returned to
Paris, and in the autumn of 1925, visited
the South of France, spending part of the
winter in Bordeaux. In February, 1926,
he left that city for Madrid, where he
remained two years. Here he wrote the
life of "Columbus." which appeared in
1928. In the spring of 1928, he left
Madrid on tour to the South of Spain,
visiting Granada and the main points
mentioned in the "Chronicles of the Con-
quest Of Granada, by Fray Agapida," of
which he had made rough sketch. This
he prepared for the press at Seville, and
transmitted to London and New York for
publication; itappeared in 1929. In the
spring of this year he again visited Gra-
NADIA, and resided some three months in
the Alhambra, where he collected mate
rials for the work published under that
name in 1882. In July he went to Eng
land, being appointed Secretary of Lega-
ton to the American Embassy in London,
which Office he held until the return of
Mr.. McLane in 1881, when, after remain
ing few months as charge, he resigned,
on the arrival of Mr.. Van Buren. While
in England, in 1880, Mr.. Irving received
one of the fifty guinea gold medals, pro-
vided by George ", for eminence in his
torical composition, the other was awarded
to Mr.. Hallam, the historian. In 1881,
the University of Oxford, England, con-
ferred on Mr.. Irving the degree of LII. D,
In the spring of1832, he returned to New
York, alter an absence OF seventeen years.
His return was greeted on all hands with
the warmest enthusiasm; public dinner
was given to him, at which Chancellor
Kent presided; and similar testimonials
were offered in other cities, but which he
declined. In the summer of this year he
accompanied Mr.. Ellsworth, one of the
commissioners for removing the Indian
tribes west of the Mississippi, and whom
he had met on tour to the West, on his
expedition. The most interesting por-
ton of this journey has appeared in the
"Tour Oh the Prairies," published in
1886. This was followed in the same
year by "Ab5otsford and Newstead Alb
bey," and Legends of the Conquest oi
Spain" In 1886 he published the "Ad-
ventures of Captain Bonneville.n In
1889 he entered into an engagement which
lasted two years with the proprietor Of