New-York tribune., 1886-01-10
SUNDAY EDITION.
JAN. 10, 1886.
AN AMERICAN LAUREATE.
THE BARD OF SHANTY HILL.

THE BARD OF sHANTY HILL.
A SKETCH OF HER LIFE AND EXAMPLES OF HKk
GENIUS.
[FRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT rRIBusk1
PORT JERvIs, Jan. 1.-THE dispatches from
Washington Tuesday stated that the President pro
TEN the had laid before that body very
markabe petition from Mr.. Sarah Kelley, OF Hone esdao,
Wayne County Penn, asking that she be appointed tho
National Bard Mrs. Kelley is we'll known in this vil-
lage and only weeks ago passed through here en-
route, she said for Washington for the purpose Of
laying her claims before Congress Mrs. Kelley made
tour OF the villages of the county where she collected
enough money TO pay her expenses to the National Cap
ital She Is the widow of Sergeant Horace j. Kelley Of
the 177th Pennsylvania Volunteers shs
bases claims for recognition the
American laureate upon the fact that she is a Iona
widow, and lost nine relatives In the for the Un0n
including her husband, father brothers. brothernaw
cousins and unces, aud says she cried because she
wasn't she could go into the army herself She
further claims that her husband when his regiment Was
starving and shivering in Virginia during the Rebellion
down into his pocket to buy prOvender for the
boys and 1t is the duty Of the Government to pay
her $5OOOO which husband spent and after
iosug his mind through exposure In the Army, and to
make her the Bard OF Shalty ILL., the National Poet OF
tho United States of America for the brief period Of
her life which remainelh.
The newspaper offices OF this part Of the country have
suffered numerous visits from the "barl." In every
campaign she regularly Oncred SERVICES 10 hepuO-
lcans and Democrats alike stating that she could wre
poetry any else could write prose, and
she couldn't beat Tennyson she wouldn't ask cent Of
pay Although Republican In sympathy the gifted
child OF Nature told the writer two years ago that sbe
just willing to crown "Grover" or Jimmie"
with the halo of her genius II the was forthcoming
being told that the person she was addressing was
something rival In her line. she presented him with
several clippings from obscure paper which she had
persuaded into publishing her doggere. Her plea for
the appointment. which it seems was written Soma
years ago. is embodied IN the following gen. which ID
entitled
EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN POTTS COMPASSION
A European Poet In his time,
Did suffer much composing rhyme;
SO hard for him twas compose,
For several Days with Blinds aeloso,
Ard then wrote but line or two,
Ere To sGclnsion bade Adieu!
His neighbor seeing blinds opened wide,
Inquired what sickness did betides
The The Master o, the ao9se waie was DARK
The Master did Delivered be
OF COuplet he has read to me.
thank the Lord that / can write.
Without sev'ra Days seclusiOn quite
Ten to Thirty Minutes IL all ask.
To write from Three to Seven Verse Task.
Another Cloudy Morning hath brought Cloudy Day,
Another Bard's reposng at the close Of Lies shon
stay,
Ere ascend unto The Heavens. hope this Congress
Declare the National Poet is The Bard Of shanty HILL
The Bard is by means modest, aud has told hsR
autobiography in verse to the following effect;
BIOGRAPHY OF THE BAKD.
In Rhyme.
In ueace.ul cottage by the sea
A couple dwelt in harmony;
Ere breath Of scandal reached the esr
OF him about his Wife held dear
He was drafted man In War; ...
And falsehood had been written afar
BY Old Maid, who tried to marry In vain;
The the signature OF au honest mans mama
Though the letter forgery he went out Of his head
Soon as honest mans names TO the stories no read
And declared he would h his wife either so0uer or Afsi
Crszed fourteen years aud then diedj very sad ed
The cottage was not quite to the sea-
As the susquehanna River was lowing peacefully
Through town OF the same name, way down toward
Dwelt happy couple once. and of that couple was
Craze husband had stolen them because he had fearz
That as not nt TO bring tn them IN up qai,e i, ,,.
Because Of the falsehOot the Old maid did write.
Twas my happiness in childhood a nelshbor to be.
or B. C. Kiddsr, Of starucca. an odd Follow Is he
With respects To the publisher The Bard OF shany HILL
In another poem the Bard honors Newburg with the
following touching reference its beauty aud history:
Newburgh is grand place
On the Hudson IN NOTION
Where the water at a fast pace
Runs toward the ocean.
Washington once lived there
These sS s''SST two were historical pair
or each other the pet.
IL appears that before married the military
tleman known as d" California Kelley" the Bard Was
teaching school In Susquehanna Comfy, Penn In one
OF her efiuslons she says
am thinking am thinking
OF the days when was young
the very best OF teachers,
At least my praises so were SUNG.
ByA ". Bulisrd, superintendent
OF susquenanna County at that time,
was educated most resplendent.
Another one OF her principal efforts is called.
Aspirations OF tho Bard" and the motto
thereof is Queen Caroline's remark. "Lee
Others seek for fame; give innocence-"
Mrs. Kelley, however has despseatcd prejudice
az inst fame The Aspirations" consist OF five
stsnzas OF each. the object apparently being
put at very long and snort line in each
stan=a the others varying in length By scme oversight
four lines nearly equal length got into one OF these
stanzas, follows:
I'll cIothe myself With Aspiration
For my warirobe's mostly rags
"shreds and Patches " are my Station
or no Bard this Nation brags
These lines present Mrs. Kelley in the light OF sociA
reformeI The American husbands dress bills will be
greatly reduced II OF shanty Hill induce her
TO supplement material wardrobe with aspiration
clothing Iis evident from tho closing stanzs of her
poem Bury Me Beside Ny Husband that while Ms.
Kelley expect TO be immortal In one sense shs
is quite confident of in another:
Bury me in Jackson Cemetery. very beautiful place.
Let the officiating Minister he the Rector oi Grace
Catholic Protestant Episcopal Church. or Honesdaie,
The Bard of shanty Hill. whose Fame shall never fads
away.
Mrs, Kelley said when she left Port Jervs last that she
would never leave Washington until Congress had grant
ed her request is probable that Congress VIII nave
to submit.
THE GREAT CHESS CONTEST
MUCH INTEREST IN THE srEINIizzUKERToRr