Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-12-23
THE STRUGGLES OF A POET,
How WIN CarIeton Got His start
His Present Condition and
Plans.
Lchlcaad Herald

CLEVELAND, Dec. 5 Meeting a
lifelong friend Of Will Carleton,
the Michigan poet, he said'
"Carleton is the most popular
poet OF the day. and has made
more money than any other poet
from the sale OF his books. be
has deserved all OF his prosperity.
When he was at college he was
very poor, and his father used to
haul him wood from the farm, a
distance Of 16 miles. During the
summer Of 1867 he had his class
mate walk all over Southern
Michigan selling maps and charts
and thus secured money enough
Tor years schooling. A year
later, during the Grant campaign,
he wrote bis famous campaign
poem called Fax, and read it at
political meetings. He obtained
in this way some $400, and pass
ed through bis senior year very
comfortably. His first poem that
attracted any general attention
was Betsy and | Are Out. This
poem sas mailed to the editor Of
the Toledo Bladey and was re-
ceived in the absence of the edi-
tor. An assistant, who had the
Office in charge, glanced at it
hastily, and threw it, along with
many others, into the waste-bas-
ket. When the editor returned he
locked through the waste-basket
for q missing letter. He discov-
cred q portion Of the poem and
became interested. He searched
for the opening page, but could
not find It. He finally wrote the
author that if he would be kind
enough to send q reproduction of
the frat page it would be publish
cd in full, and he would be paid
for the contribution. This poem
was eventually published in the
Blade, and was copied into nearly
every paper in the United States.
Harper's Weekly took it up and
illustrated it, and wrote to the
author for poems of the same ma
ture. Carleton followed with
Farm Ballads, Over the Hills
to the Poor House, 'sand other
poems. Finally book was pub
lished. He had produced vol
ume for local circulation at his
home in Hinsdale long before his
Betsy and I Are Out appeared.
His genius was first recognized
in the college rhetorical class in
1866. He had been writing
rhymes for some time before, but
everyone discouraged him. Onthis
particular day he read his poem
on the Sinking Of the Cumber-
land. The professor applauded
.she reading and said: "Mr.
Carleton, i have always discour-
agr1 yodr writing, believing you
wsre wasting your time. l now
Syish to take it back and say you
may write as much poetry as you
please From that time Garlic
ton felt much encouraged. On
the day Of his graduation he read
one OF his poems--'Life in the
Cloud. At the conclusion an
ardent Methodist in the audience
arose and said, 'Amenr and Pres
ident Fairchild threw fine bou-
Duet after the poet as he left the
platform. Carleton departed
from Hinsdale some years ago.
He went to Chicago, thence to
New York, and is now residing in
Boston. He has published very
little ddring the past two years,
but has been making a careful
study of city life, and will shortly
publish volume Of city poems
depicting, as Dickens did in
prose, the poorer classes in the
great cities. Carleton was worth
$50, 900 when he left Hinsdalet
and ia now in the possession Of
about S150,000. Every dollar o.
this money has been received
fron, hia writin0s