Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-08-29
ALBEIT PIKE.
A Sketch of the Eventual Career of
the poet and soldier.
Il. WHITMORE.
Publisher and Proprietor

the Poet and soldier.
We find a sketch of the career Of
General Albert Pike in the San
Francisco Bulletin. We publish
some extracts which will prove in
teresting to many of our readers
Some months since an article
went the rounds of a portion Of the
Eastern press, entitled GA Man
Whom History Has Passed Over"
Although giving numerous Incl
dents in the life of General Pike,
as he is now familiarly termed, the
title of the article is certainly a
misnomer, and in a conversation
which the writer had with that
gentleman, during his soiourn' in
this city, short time since, his
visit to this coast being in the
capacity of Sovereign Grand Com
mander Of the Scottish Masons Of
the United States, he did not seem
pleased, either with the article or
the implied compliment conveyed
in the title.
Albert Pike was born in Boston,
December 30, 1909, To quote his
own language in reference to hi;
parentage-who, of course, to use
the stereotyped phrase of ancient
biographers, were "poor but hon
est" as if poverty and honesty werC
incompatible-his father was q
iourneyman shoemaker, who worked
hard, paid his taxes, and gave hi
children the benefit Of an educa
tlon." His family removing tt
Newburyport, in the district school
of that place and in an academy q
: Framipgham he received his earl,
education, Entering Harvard Col
a Iege at the age of sixteen, and beini
d unable to support himself at Cam
bridge, he became assistant teache
: and subsequently preceptor at New
buryport. Afterward he taugh
successively in a private school a
that place and in an academy,a
Fairhaven.
Starting for the West and SOut
in 1881, he Travelled much Of tn
way on foot. Arriving at st. Lou
he started on an expedition to Me-
9 Mexico, and reached Santa FC
= where he remained a year in th
capacity of a merchants clerk. |
il. September, 1882, he left Taos wit
} a company of trappers, and, aftC
a visit to the head waters of th
Red and Bra2os rivers, separatin
from the party, along with fou
( Others he Travelled five hundre
miles on foot, and reached Fol
Smith, Arkansas, "without a rag
!. clothing OF dollar in money" 4
engaged in teaching during the 70
$. lowing winter, and in July, lS3'
!. he commenced a school which !
t was forced to abandon on aecom
to of sickness. Having written Sc
O. O. eral poems, which were publshe
ut in the Arkansas Advocate "a Lit
ms Rock newapaper), they so please
he he the editor that he offered the authC
es a partnership, which was acoeptP
bSS The partnership continued unit
II 1884, when he purchased the enti
ed establishment, He continued
NJ edit the paper until 1886, studyir
ia law in the meantime, and after b
g admission to the bar, devoted b
X, entire time to that profession. |
About this time be published
volume of "Prose Sketches M
II. Poems," in which he gave a graph
he account of some of his early adve
's' lures. His Hymns to the Gods
which received marked attentio
no were accorded by English reviewt
the compliment of being the fine
mt. specimens of American poetry, a
:. they were rated by them as t
- equal of anything in the languaI
They were written while he was G
. ! gagged in teaching at Fairhayen,
4 an early period Of his life. In Is
a fuller collection of his poetry, j
Guiding the ''Hymns to the God
was printed in Philadelphia, un{
the expressive title of "Nuge."
The only humorous [prosel co
~ position Of Pixies that we recoll,
our to have met with is the parody