New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-06-20

ny L. A. WILMER,
Aathor Of che Life of Ferdinand De Soto.

IRON the Baltimore t,ommercial.1
rI7fe following sketch of Mr.. Poe has never be
fore appeared in print 1t is the production of o
gentleman who originated the Baltimore Saturday
Visitor, and for thirty years was employed as ed
itoT of various papers in this city. As the tribute
Of an Intimate friend to the memory of a gfte6
writer, personally known for long period Of his
life TO many BslEmoreans, it cannot fail to prove
highly acceptable.-E Editors Of C9mmercialI
The character aud habits of Edgar A. Poe have
been fully and freely discussed in English and Am.
eriean periodicals, and the public is supposed to
he well .pOsted upn in relation to the natural sub
ieut nevertheless there is good reason to believe
that some considerable mistakes have found taeir
wny into the account. With the hope of doing
sonic Justice to the memory Of that unfortunate
man. propose to give the result of my own OBJ
sargatioDs. made at time when my opportunities
for becoming familiar with the good and bad quail
lilies Of q poet were extremely favorable
My acquaintance with Poe commenced in Balti-
more, soon aftsF his return from st. Petersburg,
- covered with debt and infamy, and confirmed in
habits Of dissipation, as most Of his biographers
represent. | can most consoientioasly declare,
however, that at the time referred to, and long
SINE afterwards, heard nothing of his debts and
ilfamy, and saw nothing of his dissipated habits.
His time appeared to be constantly occupied by
his literary labors; he had already published a
volume Of poems, and written several of those
minor romances which afterwards appeared in the
collection called = Tales of the Grotesque and Ara
besaae,a He lived In a very retired way with his
amt, Mrs GLENN, and his moral department, as
far as my observation extended, was altogether
correct Intemperance,] says the biogTapher
quoted above, was his master passion" How,
then, did it happen, that during an intimate ac-
Quaintance with him. which continued for more
than twelve years, never saw him intoxicated in
@ single instance.
His personal appearance and equipments at the
time speak off, have been thus described: q He
Has thin and pale even to ghostliAess; his whole
appearance indicated sickness, and the utmost
aass1 4 a-al14 - x..V-
Inc absence Of shirt, and imperfect boots dis.
covered The want Of hose This description is
wholly Incorrect In his youthful days, Poe's per-
BonAl appearance was delicate and efeminate, but
never slekly or ghaHtly and never saw him in any
dress which WIS not fashionably neat with some
stia= to elegance. Indeed, often won
@eEeu now ne couIu santrive to equip himself so
nAndsomeiy, considering tnas s. FecuniaTy re-
y s9stees Wefe geneEahy seanfy and precarivus
phuagh'
bly, intercourse with Poe was almost continuous
f0r weeks together. Almost every day we took
long walks ii the Tural district near Baltimore,
and had long conversations on great variety of
Subjects And However dry might be the subjects
Of our discourse, and however dusty ina road we
Travelled, VIC never stopped at any hotel for liquid
refreshments, and / never observed any disposi.
tien on the part Of my companion to avail himself
0i helberal supplies Of alcoholic beverages which
were always 70 be had in the vicinity Of Balti-
more. Ia short, his general habits at that time
we're strictly temperate and bnt for one or two
incidents, might have supposed him to be mem
Der o. the cold water army. On one occasion,
When visited him at his lodgings, he produced
with d practice which was yerv commogs Il
those days, especially in the Southern
and Middle States, where one gentleman
could scarcely visit another without
being invited to drink On the occasion inst re-
4efYed to, Poe made moderate use Of the lionoT.
and this il the only time that ever saw him drink
ardent spirits. On another occasion was present
when bis aunt Mrs. GLENN scolded him with soIne
severity for coming home iatoxeatad IN tbe ra.
cedIBg evening, He excused himself by saving
fhat lie had met win some friends Who had ne5s
sEnded him to take dinner with them at tavern
4 where the whole party had become inebriated a
circumstance for which many poetieaI sentle-
manis experience might furnish nara5leI, i
judged from the conversation between Mrs Clernno
ana Poe, that the fault for which she reproved
hsard him charged with repetition of The nffence
The purpose of these statements a merely Il
contradict the assertion that Poe was an eIyyert,
period Of bis life al habitual drunkard.
~ conversation; Poo was fluent but not elo.
4nent He was seldom enthusiastic on any snh-
geet, He had none Of the conversational fervor of
pesssl1ge. He cannot monopoize the discourse,
WV aeelaea 70 be quite as willing to listen as to
NV. Laough ne seldom said anything very start
49,, IL ie1aarhs were generally ahrewd. On lite
ssay suelsess roc held some singularly heterodox
ohAh.loas. Az for Milton, Shakespeare, and the
800 array OF Industrious British poets, he pro-
E ssaseu No. 70 aoa them IN great contempt. never
s sp oeacal writer, except Alfred Tennyson.
$500 pAsae @1tAoisy sen. Dlsraeli was his
- Pna' $50 IL, a,,;.4,. d.,
s4e Onin;a,,s 100 o9iloqlsI, When his favor
ahawsd nnas.;, ess assaaied or even ridicued, he
Fns,v NM NJ si N, ~ no resentment. never
r. ~ I'M ~ entoit any il-temper in conversation
Ssrnat;ent ~ S;;ss osonttuyeTsy ne never became
ever ,sopanc.ed 4 ..eoua. ~ short, no person
~ ss conversation with more strict
@as s5, " we ,uies q good breeding.
80 sYsItne 4, ne nag faults, and very eonspcu.
80 onss, 700 put strangely enengh, his RAJ
hlsss pesn overlooked by his censoriops
U tnelr anxiety to paint him backer
saaan ne was. ne was slngularly eifeminate In
mn. lhe an4 person MS defects of character we're
socn Ss rope attributes to the female sex in gene
= -, meep Ae naAss me singular statement that
" 1l nse 60 characters at an The
sggsa Il IN q Maa often rohFoiled by Whims and
p9lsesi 4hu u snot easy to conjecture how be
sgulu ~ ~ any given case Hehad no steadfast
lSI shere Was nos substantially epougl
~ 8 ltsileWofk 70 support them, yetun
NY o. correct feelings and sense o.
49, " Aiotai v9uSuVs was generally good
,vttas, seen ~ W aEuele ~ BRUSH review Il
,rts, VII ~ was made between Poe, anS
rsiah5a9as Z. ~ Qulhoey, CoIerdge, and Other
IN ls.ss us.quehis N English literature AL
Fsos.;a nsts auhtSea 70 nave had some " re
Ss5 .s Yuaiiltiss, put roe, said the reviewer
M ,soss ~ 80 ~ haiaan sympathies, no anna