The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-01-08
BAYtRD TAYLOR.

Bayard Taylor in the New York ri
bune.
The causes which led to his death al
this time, said Mr.. Stedman, after q
pause, date back several wears.
p When he returned from Europe then.
he found his real estate and personal
property largely deprecated and encum.
bered, and though near the age of fifty.
he again found himself forced to tolera.
bly, hard work to support his family and
position. It was this hard work. compiled
with his resolute purpose, however other
work might engross him, to keep up his
more serious contributions to permanent
literature, that ultimately led to his
death: He took great pride in his home
and broad acres at Kennett Square,
Penn, his native place. He designed
his own house, Oedar-croft,' and spent
great deal of money in its erection,
and that with the 200 acres of land
which he owned and had greatly i'm
proved, was a source of expense rather
than income to him. He had hand
some competence when he went abroad,
all OF which he earned as a journalist,
author and lecturer; never having earned
any money except by his pen. He de-
sired to maintain his property in Ken
nett Square, and he set to work imme-
diately to pay off the debt. During the
last four years he has accomplished
this, his income amounting to from
$l2, 900 to $4,000 a year, but he OBJ
tanned it by very hard work. In fact, he
had worked harder and accomplished
more in that time than perhaps any
other living literary man. He lectured
each winter, in all sorts of weather, and
In different parts of the country. He
contributed largely to magazines and re-
views, and never more brilliantly, be-
sides doing a great amount of regular
work for the Tribune. He came from
long lived family, and his strength was
very great, but he undertook too much.
he did the work of two able-bodied men
every day, and his health gave way
under the great strain on one or two
occasions. He was compelled to 90 to
the White Sulphur springs and other
places for recuperation, but he forced
himself to work again before he had
fully recovered. During this time he
wrote his last and most important poem.
Prince Deukalion. It was q source of
great trial to himself and of regret to
his friends that he was unable to 90 on
with his Life of Goethe, for which he
had secured material during his last
soIourn in Germany. The great trou-
pie with him was his inability, owing to
his excessive labors. to take sufficient
social recreation. His enemies, very
few In number, have falsely attempted
to make a point against him on this
account, charging him with excessive
beer-drlnking. 1t was his want of rec
reation and rest that killed him. He
was forced to take some stimulus to
support himself under exhausting labor.
but he was not an excessive be er-drinker
as has been charged, though what he did
take may have helped to develop his
disease.
z" No man in the country could do so
much journalistic work, and do it so
well IN given time, as could Mr.. Tay-
lor. He was remarkable in brilliant off
hand teats of literary criticism. As sn
Illustration l might mention that about
year ago two large octave volumes, con-
tanning poems by Victor Hugo, in the
French, arrived by steamer and were
placed IN Mr.. Taylor's hands on Thurs
day evening. For some reason it was
desirable that the criticism should an.
pear IN the Tribune of the following
Saturday, and of course the copy had to
be IN the printers hands early on Fri
day night Mr.. Taylor's health was bad
at the time, and he also had in the
meantime to deliver lecturs in Brook
lyn and another IN New York, He fin
lshed his review in time on Friday |
night, and it appeared in the Tribune |
the following morning, covering more
than two-thirds of a page. 1t was equal
TO any OF his literary criticisms, and sur
passed any analysis of Hugo's genius
that have ever seen. 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 original poems in the Eng
lish.
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 great deal of time in travel
AMI observation. He had smattering
OF all languages. He was familiar with
Latin and Greek, spoke French well,
and German like native he also con-
versed in Russian, Morse, Arabic, Ital
ian, and knew something of modern
Greek. His knowledge of Greek was
increased by his classical feeling, which,
as with Keats, amounted almost to a
passion. He was good botanist, and
somewhat of geologist, and was an es-
tablished authority ON geographical
questions. He was greatly interested
in all scientific studies.
!" AS a man he was a peer among h 8
fellows. He was the most simple, gen
erous-hearted man of letters / ever
knew: He was the first literary man I
met in New York, my acquaintance
dating from the time he came and took
me by the hand in 1860, after the publ
cation OF one of my articles. He was
never so happy as when surrounded by
his friends in his own house. He had
unbounded hospitality, and made his
house the center of literary life in the