New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-01
gITT WHfaMARS BIRTHDAY
uar .eoop eaaY-PoET' REACHES hls
THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN
-, OCCASION FrTTINeLY CELEBRATED 1N
: c,spxN-MR WHITMAN SPEAKS Al
THE pINNER-LErTERs OF REGRET
-: FROM PROMINENT PERSONS
- ,sr rxLEaRArH TO THE TRIBUSEl


- ,sr rrLEeRApH TO THE TRIBuSEl
ysa.dslphta, May si,-walt' Whitman, "U wear
&c NJ Camden, completed his soven''e'n yoa1
ssv and about 600 Of his friends ana "o's ,",nod
nrmhAr AZ admirers from q distance Jo'"oN
" .-n,np IN n dinner IN celebration OF tne 'o"o
"a. authors successful arrival at three soo ".,,ds
y. poet certainly lnnovator IN Poo''o sa,, ,h,r
was ever in higher honor In MS oWn hs,s bAeu
.,noas his stanehest supporters ana Parus ,,ncs
-. w,s sop,stuss need OF partsanship ever sle
:. oams 10 spend quiet old age among hen ~.
1890, vear. sro, His vigorous pereon~l', -
t,nStv temper ana the dignity and smph0ns 80,
,,A. hsve msas n dseper and deeper impr =.
nv YEAR and now II Camden mas P
certainly Is the good, gray poet v,,.,,s, has
yor. mora than a twelvemonth MI "h',
ham IN extremely feeble heslth, ana os ', e.,
sco)sd TO see him reach his seven,ie.n - ro,Ia
4 ttme, even, Il seemed SCARCELY nAoH 80. .rthr,,s.tc
he able 20 be present at the dinner ~, a. ,sc,
ss,.xnors hsd been arranging. The dinner IN ISo''
- s,aytsd WITHOUT him, snd IL was hesns o,or
-. zoo fa.hlo 10 get out OF his dig arm'cnar'
wy ". ,..n No,rau HALL where the two hundreo-
- -. ...tsd st table. EVERYBODY got up
ara ebs.r,d, and the poet smueu anu U'"eu auN
-.v.6 he hand In answer 10 tae no~,H st1ouns:
1s.a ,. wa. pushed around to tho nghtnsho sue
N tss prssssng Officer and ron 'nSe on no
- - an. ss.ctioaate interest OF every participant
~nue " ,'Ss.,,on One thing was easily made clear
~ ~ ~. .n. snthusIsstic and more than neighoony
=, W. -ss.h met the pa.riarcbal author. Camden
=. -. a., whitman has given 1t fame alongside
- ~, as r,putstion IS Gretna Green Is temporary
snd ephemera- ,,.., ana ns,shbor,v
..r,sc.n1. Whatever may be the hnai judgment
.n y, whitnans work, he has at least long oeon
.o.set.uous and striking figure In American III
80. His name Is known wherever contemporary
$3.50 nostry Is studied Nor is the knowledge Of
- hsoss confined to EnglIshspeakins peoples He
~. tao. q certain large and masculine quality
shout him q personal charm and degree OF cocen-
s-,e,,y which made him in a broad sense National
fsure In literature.
TonIghts celebration was TO have had distinctly lit
svsrv "A well as personal and local SIDE Many we'll
trown literary men were invited to make addresses.
ana otberx were asked 10 meet Mr. Whitman guests
Of his Camden friends Unfortunately. the committee
has for me last day two been almost Overwhelmed
with shower Of regrets. John G. Whittier, George
wInism Curtis, John Burroughs. Mark Twain, E c.
sssarnan and w. D. Howells were all Obliged 10
.sud notes to b read instead Of appearing to speak
ia person. An Of these responses were kindly In
tone Some Of them arc gwen in fun or referred to
briefly below Mr. Whitder's note win probably
seer, odd to some readers, however. 1t contains no
reference 10 Whitman as poet.
The dinner was set for o'clock 10 let the septu-
sesnsxian poet get home 10 bed st his usual hour.
showers fell through the afternoon and his attendance
seemed for awhile uncertain. Finally. about
o'clock the guests took their seats, Mr.
whitman not coming in until tho dinner
ras nearly over.
Samuel II. Grey, Of the leading lawyers in
,amden presided. To his night Mr.. whtman's
aesnt chair. Beyond were Richard Watson Glider,
b Editor OF The Century, and Herbert H. Gil.
hrts the London artist, who spoke sierward for the
snden poets English frRnds. Al the other side Of
be president Judge Charles J. Garrison, Of the
Tcw-Jersey supreme Court, and Julian Hawthorne,
'eorse ", CAllds and Charles Emory smith, Of Pha-
eiphia, wore expected up to tho last moment, but
Id not come few Of the others present
zero ex,United States Senator A. G. Csttell
4 Camden; Fl. L. BonSall. Editor OF The Camden
'oSt' Thomas B. Hsrnerd and Wilbur r. Rose. also Of
sn7den- .sahl- ezss S,.,r -r--.-. a. &c. y Il
Mr.. wbItman's entrance was the first interesting
pisoie He had already dined. and ate nothing while
waiting for tho rest 10 finish, but he evidently
nervous and excited, and every few moments took
DIP sf spolstnar1s from the glass before him.
Though apparently very feeble he soon became ami
mated enough and engaged freely IN the taIh at the
quest table During the speaking, too he reused
frequently the point OF pounding his applause on the
able with an empty aponInai1s bottle. His long
card and his thin hair struggling down over his
houders are white now, instead OF gray. His face,
,cvevet, Is stll ruddy and he has lost nttlC Of
10 Old stalwsrt leonine look: He wore blush frock
oat with broad ruined collar and laced rIns at the
leeveholss instead Of cuffs. His wsIstcoat and
rousers were Of light gray homespup. On the
sck Of his roring-cha,r WA hung his broad
paite Texan hat
Mr. Grey made cleveIy turned
peeeh to introduce the poet, and when
Q arishsd three rousing cheers were given for the
hi0 guest Tue old man did not get up He
exnsd forward In bis chair when tbs cheers had died
way and made his reply in a quiet hating way.
b sAtA
Ny friends Though announced 10 give address,
such intention. Following the impulse OF the
pirft4-fnr an at ksst half Of Quaker stock-I have
esys6 The command and look at you for minute,
nj nov myself face 10 face which is probably the best
cen DO but have felt command 70 make . speech
nd shan not thersfore, attempt any. AL have felt
be frpsrAtive conviction 70 say have already printed
M books Of poems prose, to which refer any who
sAy b suiieas; and bail and farewell Deeply
nosiessing tAis dsp compliment with y best respects
nd ioss 70 you personally. to Camden, 10 New-Jersey
ma % al represented here from any
word further.
There were more cheers whom he sat down. Then
the routine Of the programme takan up and toas4s
ssre nsponoed 10 by Thomas B. HaSnerd, Dir. Glib |
,hrist Francis Howard williams Of PhilaAelphis:
Iohn II. Chaord. Of osmdsn; Jadge Garrison II. L.
scnsAl. Richard Watson Glider, Julian Hawthorne |
nd others
The tttcrs Of regret made an Important feature. /
oan O. Whittier wrote:
have received the kind letter ana the invitation N
he proposed Observance Of Ms. Whtman's seveutish b
NJ. At my eye and ih my state OF health can onIv
seese siight token Of good will with tho wish tb.t
may have occasion 70 thank God for renewed health and
,sny birthdays and for the consolation which mus,
40 om The recollection Of generous seFees rsadaped
md I'm
Washington during the civil
W. d. Howelis's letter was frankly outspoksn on
ir. whitmsn's quality poet. Mr. Howeus
1ess;
am TOO lar away 10 be able 10 dine with you Ia eee
aea Of the SEVENTEEN birthday Of the great poet whom
on share with the whole English speaking world But
n not too far 70 wish him through you health and
rfsf and longer life IL will be long life here in the
s.arsss Of all who know how 70 value siberater In aay
Ind
h&rf Twain sent q longer letter than anybody |
-. and one fp an unusual vein for o bols,eFops |