Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-05-21

Edgar Allan Poe makes the publication of
his portrait at this time most fitting. AL
though his works have become familiar to
every school boy, the features of Americas
great poet are not so we'll known. The
placing of this tablet by the actors of Amer
lea is only the beginning of that apprecia-
tion of him whose fame is immortal. 1t is
thirty-tive years since the poet died, and
tardy as the recognition comes, it still gives
evidence of the daWning of a brighter aspect
of Poe. He was born in Boston, January
10th, 1909, of strolling actors. His father
was one of the victims of the Richmond
theatre fire on the 26th of December, 1911.
His mother had died on the Sth of the same
month, of pneumonia. Edgar and two 9TH
er children were thus left orphans. The lit
tie fellow, by his winning manners and
beauty, attracted the attention of Mr.. John
Allan, wealthy citizen Of Richmond, who
adopted him, and in 1917 he paid visit to
England, with that gentleman and his wife.
In England he was placed at school. In
1926 he entered the University of Charlottes-
vile, Virginia, and here commenced that
reckless career of his after life. When he
returned home, he did so accompanied by
number of gambling debts, and as his tos-
ter-father refused to meet these, the spoiled
boy left the house in dudgeon, taking refuge
with his aunt, Mrs. Maria GLENN, whose
daughter, Virginia, subsequently became
his wife. The death of Mrs. Allan, in 1929,
reunited Poe with his benefactor, and for
time all went well. In 1880, the young man
was sent to West Point and, for a time, he
was most exemplary scholar, but soon
firing of the restraint, desired to resign;
his resignation not being accepted, he COM
mitted such excuses as led to his expulsion
from the institution. This led to his total
arrangement with Mr.. Allan. He now
turned his attention to writing, which, be-
fore had only been passion with him, as
means of obtaining u livelihood. In 1882
he, with his story of ga Manuscript found
in Bottle" won prize of S100, offered by
the Saturday Rerie1c. In 1884 he was made
editor of one of the departments of the
Southern Literary Messenger, published in
Richmond. On the eve Of setting out to
cousin Alice Nora GLENN. In 1887 he was
offered position in the New York Quarter
Ly Reuie,O, and, consequently, withdrew from
the Messenger. He remained at his new
post but one year, and near the end of 1888
removed to Philadelphia, where he was
made editor of the Gentiemen's Magazine,
and in his leisure moments wrote for many
other periodicals. During his stay in Phil
adelphia, many of his most important writ
ings were produced. In 1S43 he attempted
to establish magazine, to be called the
.Sylats, but the enterprise was 'still-born."
After this failure, he picked up some money
as u lecturer, and, during the same year,
1913, gained prize of 500, offered by the
Dollar Magazine, for the best prose story.
In 1874 he was engaged on the Northern
was during his engagement on the latter
paper that the "Raven" was written. The
poem created excitement, both in Europe
and America, and POe'S fame rose accord
ingly. But notwithstanding the favor he
made in thinking circles, the pecuniary af-
fairs of Poe remained in miserable condi-
ton. In 1916 he removed to FOrdham, on
the Hudson, and there his wife died; whilst
he himself was Frustrated by consumption.
During part of their stay at Fordham, the
three peOple-Poe, his wife and her moth
er-were actually in want Of food and raj
ment. If Poe erred grievously, he also paid
most grievously for his indiscretions. 1t
can be no source of pride for Americans to
think that the man who conceived the ''Ra-
ven," who created "Ulahme," "rhe Bells"
al Aaraaff," "Israteel," who has and still
continues to delight thousands with his
wierd prose tales, actually wanted bread.
Who were his calumniators indeed, that
they dared to measure a genius so rare, so
great, so wierd and wild as Poe, by the STAN
dard of common men. He lowered far, far
above all his competitors, and he will be re-
membered as we remember one of those
rare meteors whose splendOrs dazzle and
blind us for a moment and then leave us to
our memories and regrets. The American
people cannot undo, but by a recognition of
his genius they can, in some measure, atone
for the wrong done him. And now, we
&<lo ~ s., 20
life. In Baltimore, upon the eve of election
day, October s. 1919, he yielded to his sad
propensity for drink. In his maudlin con-
dition he was seized by a party of repeaters,
who used him as tool, and forced him to
vote at several polling places, and after using
him, left him in a back-room at one Of the
political headquarters, but such was his con-
dition, that it was necessary to send him to
the Washington University Hospital, where
he died October l. 1S40.
A No. FOOT NOT ALWAYS PRETTY.-|