The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-05-05
THE SAGE OF CONCORD.


Ralph Waldo Emerson Passes 10 tie
Dim Future, Full OF Years and
HOnOrS.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet and philosopher,
died at ais home in Concord, Mass, on the
9th uIt., aged 70 years. The deceased, Who
was affectionately known as 'sThe Sage Of
Concord" was born in Boston May Is, 1898.
He came of an intellectual "blue blood, = being
ancestored by eight generations of ministers,
whose lives and works are irseparably entwned
in the early history of New England.
At s years old Ralph entered the public gram
mar school and soon after the Latin school. He
was noted as g one who loved to trif1e in rhyme
| little now and then" He entered Harvard
IN his 18th year, but was even then good clas-
steal scholar. His favorite stGdy was Greek,
and he was an apt translator, and excelled in
composition and defamation. In his Sopho-
more year he assisted his brother William in
teaching a school which was held in his moth
er'B house.
In March, 1929, he was ordained minister of
the Second Church in Boston. In 1882 he re-
signed his place and gradually withdrew from
the ministry, having lost faith in the dogmas Of
religion.
In 1888 Emerson made voyage to Europe
| for the benefit of his health In England he
formed the acquaintance of such men as Cole
ridge, Wordsworth, Carlyle, Walter Savage
Lander, and other famous literati, Returning
to Boston in the winter, he commenced series
of lectures and in 1884 preached for a time for
the Unitarian Church in New Bedford In 1886
he delivered series of biographical lectures i'll
Boston. In 1886, at the laying of the corner
stone of q monument commemorating the Con-
cord fight, an ode written by him was sung. It
contains the immortal lines:
Here, once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.
In 1886 his book, entitled Mature, was pub
lshed, which met with so small sale that
after twelve years only 800 copies were sold. In
| 1888 Emerson collected and published in
three volumes. "Carlyle's Essays hav-
| ing previously edited the American edition of
Sartor Resartus." In that year he,
with Bronson Alcott. Margaret Fuller,
| Parker, Stetson, Clarke and others, formed
the Transcendental Club, devoted to the dis
cusson of idealistic religion. He resigned
| position as minister of East Lexington IN 1888.
on account of his increasing liberallty of opln-
| ion. In 1839-'40 he lectured in Boston. In
| 1910 quarterly magazine. called The Djdl, of
which Emerson was editor being associated
| therein with Margaret Fuller, was commenced
and was published for four years, and for
which lie wrote much both of prose and poe ry.
| III Iu5 htOOh pdIEu 5CL64l0 VI 1ofJ nS LOOK
much interest, but his keen se1lse OF the ridicu-
| lous prevented his becoming aresident of tthe
esthetic village" as he styled it.
In 1847 he published a second series of es-
| says and volume of poems. In the fall of
| that year he made a second visit to England.
There he was engaged to deliver course Of
| lectures Tor the Mechanics Institute, which
had some time previously been organized by
| the famous Lord Broughanl. These lectures
| were remarkably successful; the American phil
osopher was received not only by the most
prominent men of letters, but by the masses of
| the people. The halls were thronged and the
| public journals teemed with the popular opln-
ions.of profound,respect and esteem TO rthe man
| and his lectures. He published another
volume of essays in 1849, and also published
in book form some of his contributions to the
Dial. ESSAYS on Representative Men" APP
peared in 1850, "MemoTs of Margaret Fuller
Ossoi in 1852, 'Euglish Traits p" in 1856,
the q Conduct Of Life" in 1860, May Day
and Other Poems in 1867, "Society and Soil
tude =" in 1870.
The abolition movement gained Emerson's
sympathies from the very first. From the year
1874 when he delivered an address in honor of
West Indian emancipation, he was ever heart
and soul for the cause
Emerson was twice married. In 1929 to
Ellen Louisa Tucker, who died of consumption
in 1882, and in 1885 to Lydia Jackson, of Ply
mouth, who has been the beloved companion
till the last. He was always interested in the
public welfare, and took an active part in the
literary organizations of Concord. BY those
who knew him longest and most intimately he
was regarded with reverence and devotion.