The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-06-01
Information.
ryav. we "a Poet Among Us:

Modcsty is a good thing But there may be
too much of it. And We submit that the good
people Of Ottawa arc to modest by half in theiI
estimate of their own little town We have often
said this. We say it again.
Until quite lately. they were even blind to the
fact that in natural beauty it surpassed almost
every other place in the state. While Peoria,
and Springfield, and Galesburg, and jacksonville,
and Quincy, Blew their own trumpets most
sonorously, Ottawa meekly hing her head and
declared that she had nothing, and mas nothing.
We do not speak Of Chicago in this connection,
of course Chicago Is the greatest place IN creation
and we are proud to admit the fact.
What is it that is needed to giv. our citizens
the happy equipoise of desired self-respect? Is
il new hotel: Well, we are to have hotel
we all rejoice in the fact; but meanwhile we have
"a few things" already. ...,......,.
Rich in scenery of romantic interest, on which
point Mr.. Bowman's landscape photographs have
done much to conviction, for which let us pro-
foundly thank him, here and now; rich in early
historic association and in Indian tradition, OF
tawa is also rich in other ways. .v
She is rich in a bod, of clergymen who adorn
their profession, and one of of whom, at least.
bears estimablc literary reputation else'r1ers !;
in a bar of marked ability, one member of whomis
rapidly rising TO confessed distinction in the halls
of Congress; in teachers ono of whom in almost
any othetplacc would have hid, long ago. the
title and salary Of a professor, with an academy
built, endowed and placed reiohingly under his
control. Ottawa has all these, and she has be-
side Poet, and that is what we have been trying
to come to. ''h "'.lA r. H'
The ordinary conception of poet is of some
singular looking man, given to fits of alternate
excitement and abstraction, his personal appear
ance neglected, his collar turned. down, q Ia
Byron, his hair end, his eyes fearfully rolling;
an individualand in short frantic distraught I'M
practical, and good-for-noth ing in ordinary life.
If any ono is looking TO recognize our poet by
these or similar tokens, he will fail to find him.
Yes, We have ycritable Poet among MS, one
who writes not verses merely--any one can do
that-but poetry. One who wears the radiant
crown of genius. accorded to but few. He goes
in and out among US as other men do no :" fine
frenzy is ever apparent, his inspiration comes
unknown TO us all. When it pens some lovely
Coral Dream, or glorious Cable Song, sets our
hearts aglow and we wonder when and how he
wrote it, For tho main portion of his time and
thought is given to the law, q stern exacting
mistress. The muses., b they never so alluring,
win him to their haunts only now and then,
when he.has-a few odd mornc,ts -A. w.
Why, wchave often asked ourselves, do not
our own city papers take pride enough in his
poety, to seize upon it for the adornment and
gloryfing of their columns? If Gllesburg, or
jacksonville, or Quincy, or Chicago, had origina-
ted the 'Song of the Cable there would have
been no end to their iubilation. In poetic con-
cepton, in fancy, in feeling, in exquisite rhythm,
and in surprising melody as well as power, it is
rare, choice and original poem.
"orop me down in the deem while the sea Is asleep,
And q spell Is upon the tide = ,fr
It is a stately opening, and the st0.cliness is
kept up to the end. The wings preserve steady
flight at the high Lowell assumed in the outset.
The following exquisite lines have few SUPER
Tors in English lyric poetry:
"Then slroud me in ms let the surf be whist
On It's siyery couch no more;
Lest some sossping shell my secrets shall tell
10 the tatting echoine shore -. Nta
And there is acertain augmentng and accelera-
ton OF movement, like the hurry and impetus of
grand and passionate music, in the lines that
read - 39ae'
II hug the hemisphere in my grasp
| hrilge the continents with my clasp;