Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-10-08
POET HIS DECLINE.
The Pathetic Story of John Godfrey SAKE,
V.rmont's Lyric Poet.


V.rmont's Lyric Poet.
Edward Duifey in the Brooklyn Magazinc.1
In large and luxuriously furnished
apartment in four story brown-stone
house on State street, in the city of AL
bany, and almost within stones throw
of the great Capitol, sits or walks or re-
clnes throughout the day man of 10
years Of age. With hair that is silvery
white, a full beard that is gray-white, |
form that is bent and emaciated, step
that is slow and tottering, and cheek
that is palld and shrunken-his blue eyes
yet full and lusrous alone indicate the
strength and pride of other days. This
man is John Godfrey SAKE, the poet
1t is only few years since the verses of
Sake were eagerly accepted by the lead
ing periodicals, and his services as lee
turer were everywhere popular. In his
day he was bright member of many
literary gathering, being known person
ally to all of the most prominent of con
temporary poets and prose writer's. He
was the nations wit and humorist whose
delicious rhymes brought to himself fame
and a competence, and to many house
hold the cheerful smile or hearty laugh.
Even across the sea ne was known as the
"Thomas Hood of America"
Yet alas how intensely pathetic is the
rounding out of this mans days For
some years he has been dead to all the
world Few people know that he is yet
aiive few of his numerous former ar
dent admirers think of him now other
than as one who has been, but who no
longer moves among his kind. The vic
tim of deep seated, ever present mel
ancholy, his closing years are touchingly
sad aud uneventful, the never-ceasing care
of the ew relatives that are spared him
even failing to rid him of the deep gloom
in which unhappily his mind is now
shrouded.
Up to the year 1915 John G.. SAKE was Il
splendid and con spicuOus specimen of vir-
| lie manhood. He stood six feet two in
| ches tail, proudly erect and muscular
with large, round and finely poised head
set upon broad and stalwart shoulders.
| The latest photograph of him, now possess
ed by his family, represents his face in pro-
FLEA broad, high, intellectual forehead,
Wavy brown hair in abundance, large,
| keen eyes set in deeply, and with strong
and suggestive feature outlines set off by
II mustache and BURNSIDE" whiskers.
| Less than dozen years ago this picture
was fully justified by its subject
The beginning of the end was the poets
| dreadful experience and remarkable eS-
cape from a revolving death in Il Western
| railway disaster IN the spring OF 1910,
while ON his return to Brooklyn at the
conclusion of lecture tour in the South.
ne siteplIS car III "IIch ne nt't d oeIuu
was thrown down steep enpahkHlenl'
ana ne was rescued UueItlIoih ny me
interest GHHuct, A. ne lay Neuseu III oe
tween the broken tlihbefS, stunned ana
ofuiaeu' leIiOW passenger VINO hiu Is
| capeu peInouShu nm vi Il sum VI MONEY
"hiCu ne hau ielU oenliu mn VI ret II
ing 10 the car ne stumpIed upon lhe ilSeh-
slple poet ne latter was lherepy ulscoV
ereu ana rescued rom Wi1aI Woula lheEi-
taply nave peeh uealh ana destruction ny
| nre, as the sleeper IN Wnlch ne was FOUND,
AFTER prlef interval 1olio"lhg MS rescue,
became a mass OF seeming Ianle. Ills
llesll was bruised, put no bones were oro-
KEN OutWardly ne appeared TO nave
escaped WIN slight poully injuries.
Not So a erleVouS hurt was Ihere-
deep, lnSidlous, ana lastlpg, though at
the t!ihe 1t was unseen ana uhlGll. me
.poeI nerve - sIeih hdu rtcelNeu snoch
from Wnlch IL never rtllled; Exhaustion
SeU II : SLOWLY puO surrey the consequent
WeaHheSa over Pre"u ali,i undermined ms
Whole physlcal DeihG. lie began TO eN
perlehce gfealer uePTte Oh "odlly ana
|
MN. orst OF All was us uepreSslh
influence on MS tAuneraht Hplrit-, Whlcn
became more ana more suDuuen, uhtll AT
last his lnlnd mad lost much OF ITS Wonted
buoyahcy.
Other affections were yet in store Dur
ing the year just prior to that of the rail
! way accident he had inferred his daugh-
ter, Laura, in Greenwood Cemetery. Five
years later death again invaded his Brook
Ign nome, the second victim being his
! daughter Saran. Barely another year
had elapsed when the mother of his chill
dren, noble woman, was put tenderly
away in dreamless rest. Early in the year
of 1851 the dark reaper for the fourth
time laid his cruel sickle at his door, this
time cutting down Hattie the poets only
remaining daughter He yet had two
sons living in Albany. Turning his mourn
full steps thither in June, 1881, he sought
rest and refuge from his sorrows with his
eldest son, John Theodore. Once again
the memorable hand of fate was laid
heavily upon him; death snatched away
the son ere the father had been month
beneath his hOspitable roof! The sons
| " fp had died nine weeks before Hprta