The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-11-30

N-ANANN
surprise, yet the despatch which brings us inteli
gence of the decease of WASHINGTON IRVING has
all the shock of an unexpected event. 1t is but a
few DAYS since a brother author spoke of re-
cent visit TO Sunny-side, where he found its vene
rable proprietor apparently in the enjoyment of
fair octogenarian health, and with none of the
signs of immediate dissolution. Had WASHINGTON
IRVING lived to the Sd day of next April he would
have completed his seventy-seventh year. lie was
born that day, in the year 1888, in the city of
New York, in a house in William street. near the
old Dutch church, which was long looked upon
with reverence as his birthplace, but which, with
so many of its fellows has given place TO
the demands of commerce, and its site
is now covered with warehouses. His
father was a Scotchman and his mother
of English birth. Receiving only an ordi-
nary education at school, at sixteen he COM
menced the study of the law His first published
writings were series of letters to Tie Morning
Chronicle, Democratic newspaper published by
his brother, PETER IRVING, under the nom de plume
of JONATHAN OLDsTYLE. This was in 1902. In
1904, in consequence of i'll health, he sailed to
Bordeaux, whence he made an extensive tour
through Italy, Switzerland &c, to England and
returned to New York in 1906 He was subse-
quently admitted to the bar, but never practced
In 1910 he received an interest in commercial
house, in which two of his brothers were princi
pals, but which failed in 1917 in consequence of the
commercial disturbances caused by the peace Of
1915 Prior to this, however, he had contributed
to the celebrated SaImag1n,di its best papers, and
had also published DEDRICH kNICKERBoCKER' S His
tory Of Ne'y York. During the war, he edited
the 1na7eciic -Ntgazinc. After the peace he again
embarked for Europe, which became his home for
the ensuing seventeen years. Ruined in his affairs
by his houses lailure-iu 1918, a resource,
he commenced the Sketch Book. The first num-
bers were sent TO New York and published there,
but the work finding numerous readers and enthu-
siastic admirers in England, he finally made an
arrangement with MURRAY for its publication,
and received 600 for the copyright; but the book
succeeding far beyond the expectation of either
author or publisher the latter generously added
$500 more BrdceJridqc Hall succeeded in 1922;
Tales Qfa Trupell@, in 1927 In February, 1926,
he first went to Spain, where he remained two
years The life and FoyGges Of CoIum5us, and
all the other works in which he has
thrown light on the history or romance
of Spain may lie considered as the fruit
of this residence for it was then that he acquired
that taste for Spanish legends which never left
him. In July, 1929, he returned TO England TO
enter upon the duties of his first political employ
ment, which was that of Secretary of Legation at
the Court of st. James, an office he held until
WI. l IL
fifty guinea gold medals provided by GEORGE ".
for eminence in historical compostion-Mr. HAL
LAM obtaining the other. About this time the
University of Oxford conferred on Mr.. IRVING the
degree of Ii. D. In the spring of 1892 he came
home TO New York. His return was greeted with
the greatest enthusiasm, but after accepting one
public dinner in his native city at which the dis
tinguished Chancellor KENT presided, he respect
fully but firmly declined further demonstrations
In the ensuing summer he accompanied Mr.. Ellis
WORTH, one of the Commissioners for removing
the Indian tribes west of the Mississippi on his eX-
petition The most interesting portion of this
Journey appears in the Tor on the Prairies, pub
lished in 1885. Abb0tsford and NeacStead Ab5eg
succeeded in the same year. Then followed in
rapid succession, Legends Of The Conquest Of Spain
astoria, and the AdCentures Of Captain Bonnecille
In 1889 he engaged to write monthly articles fol
the Kniekerboeker Magazine for two years In
1912 he was appointed Minister to Spain, an Office
which was pressed upon him. Remaining at Ma
drid till 1916, on his return to the UNITED STATES
he commenced the publication of a revised edition
of his works, which had long been out of print
In 1849 the Life Of Oliper Goldsmith appeared
and Ndhomet and his Successors in 1880
His browning work, the Life Of flashing
ton, principally occupied the remainder of biz
| days Wolf9ts Roost being the only other ant
the last of all. AT the moment of writing we arr
without the particulars of his death. We trus
it was peaceful and painless as may fall to the 10
OF man. Few authors, we think, have had more
pleasing fame than WASHINGTON IRVING. Able il
the decline ofhis life to retreat to the spot which
of all others he loved, adjoining it with every
accessory which could confer comfort or lend
grace, easy in his circumstances, the dispenser o.
a hospitality at once liberal and transformations
recognized by the world as one of the most genia
of its authors, and yenerated by his countrymen a
the greatest literary name of America, ambition
itself might pause before asking more than was il
! his possession.