Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-02-24

...~ s.e N-;.ss s.
tn@eiss, ~ .rtissrte ssat watson Is
AL yi.al tiold and Farm.
~ .1'elsqt srat on the disputed
.,tN..g EMaa.@a. IVY" has brought
~ i itoy.. '-.,3r:. IS the poem is
ai led by, .sar 1aisons, It is not
su,;,risinG tE.gi -,..., 70 of the legion
of claimanis y. LA nave his or her
partisans. II, IL rrs. necessary to re-
peat the old story. The evidence has
been pretty thoroughly sifted; and
as a consequence Of the sitting, the
controversy has been narrowed down
to this, either J. w. Watson or Henry
w. Faxon wrote Beautiful Snow"
All Others have been proved impos-
tors. Mr.. Watson says he wrote the
poem in 1855; and he challenges any
one to produce copy in print prior
to this date. This challenge is likely
to bring misfortune upon him. The
brother OF Henry w. Faxon, 1t will
be remembered, made solemn oath
on his deathbed that the manuscript
of the poem bad been submitted to
him in 1S40 or 1850; and we are given
the names of several responsible gem
tlemen who testify that they saw
Beautiful Snow" In print repeatedly
during the year 1851, '52, '53, and "a.
These are hard facts to get over, ana
the testimony against Watson accu-
mulates. Mr.. John Rice, of Detroit,
in the letter that we publish below,
testifies that he has copy of Beau
tiful Snow" in his possession that he
cut from paper as long ago, in the
least, as 1852, or six years before Mr..
Watson claims to have written the
poem. 1t makes no difference that
the poem is credited in the Revtete
to st. Louis actress. The actress
alluded to il Dora Shaw, who was
admitted that she did not write
beautiful Snow" and that the claim
| nut forward in her name was unjust
TO the real author. We have said
that the controversy has been mar
rowed down to Watson and FaXon.
AS Mr.. Watson does not claim to
have written the poem until 1893,
and as Mr.. Rice has u copy of Beau
tiful SnOw,n in his possession that
he found in print in 1852, the evil
dence seems to justify u decision in
favor of Faxon:
DETROIT, MICH, Jan. 81, 1877
EDITORS TURF, FIELD AND FARM
! Being in friends house few even
ings since, / took from the table the
Turf, Field aud Farm of Goth inst,
| In which i read an article headed
"Faxon's Beautiful Snow" AS there
seems to be controversy as to the
authorship, although not knowing
myself who the author Is, still l think
can give you some data that may
be interesting to the parties concern
ed. l have now before me the poem
"Beautiful Snow" which | cut from
the RcueiUe, a small sheet publishedi in
Syracuse, New York, twenty or twen-
ty-tbree wears age, with the follow
ing Introductory remarks whether
the remarks are the editor's own OF
only copied, do not know, as he does
not credit the article to any paper.
give them to you just as published
by him: "Since the publication oil
the "Bridge of Sighs," by Hood, we
have seen nothing equal to the fol-
lowing poem in point OF smooth ver-
sitication, flowing rhymth and touch
ing pathos. The author and subject
of the piece was was an actress ol
some reputation, who formerly lived
ia St. Louis in great style aud mag
nilicence. She was connected oy
marriage with some of the first PEG
pie OF the country, and to those who
knew her the poem will be doubiy
attractive. A woman 0fgreat genius
aud unsurpassing beauty, falling
from her proud estate, paints her own
soul and let's the world see the re
morse written upon it in such terri
BILE letters. The plaintive wall o
u woman's lost honor Will bring tear
to every breast"
From certain events that have oc
Cured in my life, / can FIX the date
of the publication of this poem Ia
the above paper to have been between
April, 1910, and November, 1852. -
Although, as you say, the editor doe;
not give Mr.. FaXon credit for the au
thorship, still from the date of pub
lication rs given by me, IL Is conclus
i've evidence that Mr.. Watson couit
mot have been the author OF 1t II
1853. j am, truly yours,
I JOHN RICE.
He who cannot find time to consult
the Bible will one day find that Ia
has time To he sick he who has liz
,in,o "a nrav ,,,tist tin1 time 10 die