Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-07-23


! ..ti- s l- rt E... $500: :; -.sl rs.
| 1t has been my lot but recently t
witness scene of such heart rendin
pathos as is, happily, but of rare occur
renee Many OF you1' readers will re
~'ember the sorrowful, stor,y Of poo
n n, - Chatterton, who, a1s,e.er writing
a. -. lost brilliant poems evs
:. - ' ~ o,,a " youthful genius,
and after deliberately dec ' i"s ew''i ,
no evil intenD Horace Walp~ g anu 'e
most European critics, died by 3. :
poisoning to escape starvation, at the
early age of nineteen years. His story
is a sad one; but even more direful
conclusion Of a wondrous life has
Germany just witnessed, to its shame,
perhaps-or rather was the whole affair
due the indomitable and indiscreet in
dustry and what may well be termed
reckless pride and selfneglect on the
part of the victim, whose ability. might
at least have earned him bread. The
world knows little of the privation to
which the learned men of Germany fire
quently doom themselves for the love
of learning alone, and has been startled
and shocked by the story of Emmanuel
Deutsch, the author: of that wonderful
paper on the ''Talmud," of which all
the world is now talking. Mel, here
who might in better sphere reap hap
piness from their research (of so much
yalue) are perforce, doomed to live too
frequently all their lives on crust Of
bread and little beer and tobacco a
day They, as the old story runs, dis
cover something about the ''dantif kas,
and what is the only reward. Nd. l,.,
| A wealthy gentleman of Berlin, some
ten months ago, offered a number Of
valuable prizes for the best essays that
should be written on several subjects OF
importance to the learned world a
prize of two hundred thalers for the
best metaphysical essay, and an equal
sum each for essays on medieval his
| tory, astronomy, celestial mechanics
sociology, geology, poetry and-appar.
| emily to show his worldwideliness- five
hundred thalers each for the best ro
mantle tale and the best poem, the pri
yes to, be awarded by a committe.
selected from the various universitiel
and various designated htterateurs. o
eminence, who were supposed to be
and, asthe sequel showed, really wer,
disinterested in the matter and willing
to do only what justice might require
The essays and poems were to- be OF n,
particular length, and were to be judg
ed simply by their real merits, but tn
authors must all be Germans TIL
! wealth and reputation of the man win
offered the prizes were such sutficien
guarantee of certainty of the paymen
and Of consequent reputation as to sc
hlf, if not all, of the younger men q
Germany to work to achieve the guel
don of Success On last Thursday. q
the Gewandt Haus at Leipsic, the pr
yes were awarded, large company @
gentleman and ladies being; presen
The ceremonies were begun by tn
most exquisite music by the old orche'
ira among whom are numbered me
) who knew and loved Mendelsohn---,
: the conclusion of which the venerabl
DR. Schmidt 50 long known for h
kindliaess and learning at Heidelber,
| announced the names of those who ha
J, been SO fortunate as to carry off tn
Z very valuable prizes sofered TIL
+ names Of the yerious works had bee
; sent in sealed envelopes, on which wei
inscribed the fictitious names signed t
their productions. The author of tt
metaphysical essay had chosen as b
theme Rants "Antinomien der rein
: en- Teruhft' (Antonlies Of Pure Rea
sony, and taken as his name for the oc
Z casior Hans Wlldensties, After pas
ing an eulogium on the essay, 9 D
\ Schmidt broke the seal and found
the envelope the name Of Max Mari
mann, who thereupon was called apo
n the stage to receive the reward Of b