Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-11-30
WASHINGTON IRVING.

1t is announced by telegraph that Washing
ton Irving died Monday night, at his residence
IN Irvington, on the North river, He was in
the seventy-eighth year of his age, having beSa
born April 8, 1888. His life appears to have
been fortunate in most respects Competence
which gave him an early advantage of circum-
stances, the most euviable literary successes,
and the respect and admiration of all who knew
him, were among the influences which con-
tributed to make it SO. His birthplace was the
city of New York, where his father was sue
cessful merchant, and his first start in litera.
ture was given by the success of series of
juvenile ESSAYS which he wrote for a weekly
newspaper edited by his brother.
When Mr.. Irving was twenty one years old,
he went to Europe, partly ON account of ill
health, and was absent about two years. After
his return, he applied himself to study law,
but not successfully, for he was drawn away
to literary pursuits, being in 1907 the chief
writer of the tSalamgund," and publishing
in 1909 his inimitable "Knickerbocker's His.
tory of New York" The seventeen years.
from 1915 to 1882, Mr.. Irving spent entirely
in Europe, not visiting America once during
the whole time. During these years some Of
his best works were written, such as the
Sketch Book" and Bracebridge Hall !"
and, also, the Chronicles of Granada" and
"Tales of the ALEXANDRIA" We take the fol-
lowing from Allibone's Biographical Diction-
ary:-
q In the spring of 1892 he returned to New
York, after an absence of seventeen years.
His return was greeted on all hands with the
warmest enthusiasm a public dinner was
given to him. at Which Chancellor Kent pre-
sided; and similar testimonials were offered in
other cities, but which he declined. In the
summer of this year he accompanied Mr.. Els
worth, one of the commissioners Tor removing
the Indian tribes west of the Mississippi, and
whom he had met on a tour to the west, on his
expedition. The most interesting portion of
this journey has appeared in the Tour on the
Prairies,' published in 1885. This was fol-
lowed in the same year by Abbotsford and
Newstead Abbey, and Legends of the Con-
quest of Spain In 1886 he published Asto-
ria and in the following year he published
The Adventures of Captain Bonneville. In
1889 he entered into an engagement which
lasted two years with the proprietors Of the
'Knickerbocker Magazine, to furnish monthly
articles for that periodical In February, 1872,
he received unsolicited the appointment of
Minister to Spain. He left for Madrid on the
10th of April of that year His official duties
terminating in the summer of 1916, he returned
to this country, ard, in 1913, commenced the
publication of revised edition of his works,
which had long been out of print"
Mr.. Irving's last work was his Life Of Wash
ington. The peculiar charm of his style ap-
pears in everything that came from his pen;
but his great and wedeserved fame arose
chiefly from his "Knickerbocker's History of
New York." "The Sketch-Book,' "Brace-
bridge Hall, - and the like; and these works
will be read as long as there are men to read
the English language