Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-28

A Poet Friends Estimate of the Dead
Poet.
tFrcm the New York Tribunel

! IFrem the New York Tribune.l
| 1.-THE causes which led to his death at this
| time" said MIR. Steadman, after pause, ''date
| back several years. When he returned from
| Europe then. he found his real estate and per-
| s0nal property largely deprecated and encum-
/ beTed. and though near the age of 30, he again
/ found himself forced to toleTably hard work to
| support his family and position. 1t was this
! hard work, coupled with his reSolute purpose,
! however other work might engr0SS him. to keep
Ip his more serious contributions to permanent
literature that ultimately led to his death. He
took great pride in his home and broad acres at
, Kenneth Square. Penn, his native place. He
! designed his own house, 'Cedar-croft,' and that
with the poo acres OF land which he owned and
/ had greatly improved, was source of expense
rather than income to him. He had a handsome
| competence VIXEN be went abroad. all OF which
/ he earned as a journalist, author and lecturer,
never having earned any money except by his
/ pen. He desired to maintain his property in
| Kenneth Square. and he set to work Immediately
| TO pay off the debt. During the last four years
/ he has accomplished this, his income amounting
| to from $4,000 TO $4,000 year, but he OBJ.
tanned 1t by very hard work. In fact, he had
worked harder and accomplished more In tnaC
time than perhaps any other living literary
man. He lectuTed each winter, in all sorts OF
weather and in different parts or the country.
He contributed largely 70 magazines ana re-
views, and never more brilliantly, besides doing
great amount OF regular work for the Tribune.
He came from a long-lved family, and his
strength was very great, but he undertook too
much. He did the work Of two ab!ed-b0dfed
men every day, and his health gave way under
the great strain ON one or two occasions. He
was compelled to 60 to the White sulphur
Springs and other places for recuperatton, but
he forced himself TO work again before he had
fully recovered. During this time he wrote his
last and most important poem, Prince Dauka-
liOn.' 1t was a source of great trial to himself
and Of regret to his friends that he was unable
TO so on with his Life CT GGctlle tor which he
had secured mat Grial during his last Soiourn in
Germany. The great trouble with him was his
Inability owing to his excessive labOrS to take
sufficient social recreation. His enemies, very
few in numbers. have falsely attempted to make
point against him on this account, charging
him with excessive boer-drnking. II was his
want OF recreation and rest that killed him. He
was forced To take some stimulus to support
himself under eXhauSting labor, but he was not
Rn-e&CeSSiye b1er-dTinker. as has been charged,
though what he did take may have helped to
develop his disease.
.'No man in the country could do 50 much
jouFr aliStc work, and do il so weil in given
time. as could Mr.. Taylor He was remarkable
in brilliant 0ff-handS feaCS of literary criticism.
As an Illustration, might mention that about
year ago two large octave volumes, containing
poems by Victor Hugo, in the French, arrived
by steamer and were placed in Mr.. TaylOrS
hands on Thursday evening. For some reason
it was desirable that the criticism should appear
the Tribune Of the following Saturday, aud OF
course the copy had to be in the printers hands
early on Friday night. Mr.. TaylOrS health was
bad AT the time, and he also had in the mean
time to delvera lecture in Brooklyn and another
IN New York Tie finished lis review i'll time On
FRIDAY night and it appeared III the Tribune the
follow ing morning. covering more than two
thirds Of page. 1t was equal to any OF his
literary Criticisms, and surpassed any analysis
or HugO'S genius that ] have ever seem One
remarkable feature Of the review was over a
column OF translation into English poetry from
the original, including several lyrics and ldylS,
so beautifully done that they seemed like Orfgi-
nal poems in the English.
Mr.. Taylor was a man Of wide and thorough
learning, and was much more exact scholar
than would be supposed, considering that he was
never at college, and spent a great deal OF time
In travel ard observation. He had SInatterilg
OF all languages. He was familiar with Latin
and Greek, spoke French wen and German like
native: he also cOnVersed in Russian, Morse
Arabic. Italian and knew something of modern
Greek. His knowledge OF Greek was increased
Dy his classical feelings which, as with Keats.
amounted almost to passion. He was good
hOtaniSt, ard somewhat OF a ge0iOgfSt, and was
an established authority on geographical queS-
tons He was greatly interested in all scientific
studies.
LAS q man, he was peer among his fellows
He was The most simple, geneFOuS-hearted man
OF letters ever knew. HeWaS the first literary
man met In New York, my acquaintance dating
tTom tire time he came. and took me by the
hand in 1859. after the publication OF one OF my
articles. lie never was so happy as when sur
rounded by his friends in his own house. lie
had ulb0uIded hospitality, and nlade his house
the center or literary lille in the City. New
! DIX VIII greatly miss him. and Just such a
leader was needed to give encouragement to our
literary lie. He was sometimes accused of ego
sense OF the term. He was frank and out
spoken, and showed his feelings plainly, which
gave rise 10 that charge. He always denounced
5hGnS and AuInbugS, but | do not believe he
ever did mean act. and he never grew angry
except on account OF the meanneSS OF Others"