Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-09-28
Edgar Poe.
From Putnam's Literary Sketches

From Putnam's Literary oketcnes.1
In one of many letters which / received
in England from Mr.. Upper, the poet
proverbalist, he says: "Shall we make
Edgar Poe famous by notice in the
Literary Gazettes" referring TO the vol.
umes OF Poe's tales which Mr.. Wiley had
printed in our Library of American
Books" and which / had given to the
poet as novelties. These tales have a
weird kind of fascination, which made
me curiously interested in the author,
whom had never seen. Another Incl
dent enhanced this interest. At tour Lon
don Office we had received, about l840, a
volume called The Narrative of Arthur
Gordon Pym, Of Nantucket" which, in a
long title page, purported to describe
sundry veritable voyages, ending with
one in which the author had reached the
eighty-fourth parallel of southern lati-
tude. The late Mr.. d. Appleton was sit
ting in our Office in Paternoster row.
"Here is an American CO ntribution to
geographical science" / said to him.
This man has reached higher latitude
than any European navigator. Let as
reprint this for the benefit of Mr.. Bull
He assented, and took half share ip the
venture. The grave particularly of the
title and of the narrative mislsd many Of
| the critics as we'll rs ourselves, and whole
columns of these new discoveries" in
cluding the hieroglyphics % fo'lnd on the
rocks, were copied by many OF the Eng.
lish country papers as sober historical
truth. Whether such book we 8 as JUS
tifiable as Robinson Crusoe may be ques.
tioned-it was certainly ingeni ous and
skillful.
Some years after, when my desk was in
Broadway, in separate quarters, gentle,
man with somewhat nervous and xcited
manner claimed my attention on a sub
ject which he said was of the highest
importance. Seated at my desk, and
looking at me full minute with his
"glitteriug eye." be at length said: II
am Mr.. Poe" was "sll ear" of course,
and sincerely interested. 1t was the
author of 1.-THE Raven" and of +" The
Gold Bug T. II hardly know" said the
poet, after a pause, "how to begin what
have to say. 1t is matter of profound
Importance" After another pause,
the poet seeming to be in tremor OF
excitement, st length vent on to say
that the publication he had to propose
was of momentous interest. Newton s
discovery of gravitation was mere incl
dent compared to the discoveries revealed
in this book. 1t would at once command
such universal and intense attention that
the publisher might give up all other en-
terprises, and make this one book the
business of his lifetime. An edition OF fifty
thousand copies might be sufficient to
begin with, but it would be but small
beginning. No other scientific event in
the history of the world approached in
importance the original developments OF
this book. All this and more, not IN
irony or in jest, but in intense earnest,
for he held me with his eye, like the
Ancient Mariner. / was really i'm
pressed-but not overcome. Promising
decision on Monday lit was late Satur-
day D. m. J, the poet had to rest so long
in uncertainty about the extent of the
edition-partly recouciled, by a small
loan. meanwhile. We did venture, not
upon fifty thousand, but FIVE hundreds
This little book of great expecta-
tions" was simply Eureka-a New
Theory of the Universe which Mr.:
Poe had read as q lecture to small
audience at the Society Library.
Even after this small edition was in type.
the poet proposed 10 punish us BY giving
duplicate Of the MS. to another publisher, Pc
cause a third little advance was deemed IN
expedient.