Middletown transcript., 1881-05-20
IRVING AS DIEDRICH KNTCKER-
BOOKER.

II is a striking coincidence that the
first, certainly one of the very first,
most celebrated works of our bellies
tettres literature, or, as a recent critic
calls it, pure literature, should have
Immediately followed an eloquent proph-
ecy OF its coming. On the 31st of
August, 1909, the Reverend Joseph
Buckminster, one of the most eloquent
orators, accomplished scholars, and
charming men of his time, delivered
the Phi Beta Kappa Grafton at Harvard
College. His subject was the dangers
and duties of men of letters; and, after
describing the intellectual disturbance
and, as he thought, the malign infiu-
ence upon literature of the French Rev.
olutiOn, he says: 1.-THE men of letters
who are to direct our taste, mould our
genius, and inspire our emulation-the
men, in fact, whose writings are to be
the repositories our national greatness
have not yet shown themselves to the
world. But, if we are not mistaken in
the signs of the times, the genius of
our literature begins to show symptoms
of vigor, and to mediate bolder fight;
and the generation which is to succeed
us will be formed on better models, and
leave a brighter track .
This was on the 31st of August, 1909 {;
and on the 9th of October following
notice appeared in the Erening Post,
headed Distressing - and stating that
''an elderly gentleman, dressed in an
old black coat and cooked hat, by the
name of Knickerbocker,'' had disap-
peared from his lodgings and ''prin
ters of newspapers" were informed that
they would be aiding the cause Of hui
manity if they should insert the notice.
This was the preliminary touch to
arouse public interest-Or what the
printers Of newspapers to-day would
call an advertising dodge-Which pre-
ceded the appearance of the history.
On November 6, "a Traveller" wrote
to the Post that person answering the
description had been seen resting by
the roadside little above Kingsbridge,
Oh the Albany road and on the 18th
of November the imaginary landlord of
"the Independent Columbia Hotel,
Mulberry street." wrote that nothing
had been heard of the old gentleman,
but that a queer manuscript book had
been found in his room, which the
landlord said he would be obliged to
dispose of to settle his account. On
the 2Sth of November, Inskeep and
Bradford, 12S Broadway, announced
that they would shortly publish the
work found in Mr.. Diedrich Knicker-
bocker's room, and called History Of
Vn,,1 1r,E 1E.n1aoipnn
price three dollars and on December
6, 1909, it was published. That this
was the kind of bolder fight of Ameri-
can literary genius which Mr.. Buck
minister anticipated is improbable. But
it is none the less a singular verificatiOn
of his anticipation, for it was distinct
lively American work, and Of quality
which has given it a permanent place
in our literature. 1t was followed, ten
years afterward, by Bryant's ''Thana-
tOpsis, = which seemed to Mr.. r. II.
Dana, to whom it was offered for the
North Americdn RerielC-then more
magaZine-to be 50 different |
from any strain of the American Muse
that it could not have been written in
this country.
Those who remember Irving as he |
in New York in his later days |
must often have recalled this prelimi-
nary notice of Diedrich Knickerbocker.
Irving was as quaint figure. Thirty |
years ago he might have been seen on
an autumnal afternoon tripping with
an elastic step along Broadway, with
''lOw-quartered' shoes neatly tied, and
a Talma cloak-a short garment that
hung from the shoulders like the cape
of a coat. There was chirping, cherry,
air in his appearance which
was undeniably Dutch, and most har-
mOnious with the associations of his
writings. He seemed, indeed, to have
stepped out of his own books and the
cordial grace and humOr of his address,
if he stopped for passing chat, were
delightfully."- characteristic. He was
then our most famous man of letters,
but he was simply free from all self
and assumption and dog
One day the easy chair met
him at the publishers, the elder Put
nam, in Park Place, when Pattndm'S
Monthly was just beginning. Irving
was very gay and cheerful, full Of en-
and said. with his twink
ling eye and piping voice, ''But we old
ones had the advantage of you: there
are so many of you clever young fel-
lows that you trip each other up" Like
Longfellow in the later day, Irving had
always the warmest word of cheer and
for every younger brother or
sisterin letters. EDITORS EASY CHAIR,
i'll Hdrper's Magazine for june.