The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-05

THE POET REPEATS HIS STRAIN.
But They Are Innpugned by a
Jersey City Girl--A Butcher
Boys Letter.

Although ever-chasing reporters of
THE JERSEY Cry NEWS did not find
Freeholder Smith yesterday, that ex-
ponent of the alnatory department OF
Lyric School No. /, of Hudson county,
evidently foresaw the deep yearning
that would engulf the girls of the
county for some kind of anplification
and explanation of his versical ex-
preston of Judgment on the Hudson
county kiss.
He wrote letter, detailed in its
statements and delightful in its ex-
plicitness, and sent it to THE JERSEY
CITY NEWS.
From this letter will be seen that the
poet is not at all averse to being under
stood as having thorough experience
and direct personal acquaintance
with the peculiarities of the several
kinds OF girls in Hudson county in the
labial expression of their overburdened
hearts.
At the same time Mr.. Smith sug
gests diInly that Judge Paxton used to
live near Seacaucus, and was enthusi-
astic in his praises of that locality.
He implies, too, that DIR. De Graft is
his guide through the mysteries, if
there be any mysteries of the joys of
the Union Hill kiss.
WHAT THE POET SAYS.
Here is Freeholder Smiths letter:
Editor Of the Jersey city Neacs::
Egotism has been prominent char
aeteristic in poets of this century, from
Byron to Browning, and / frankly
confess that pride, which is inherent
in all men of talent was in me both
pleased and augmented by the fiatter-
ing notice and distinguished considera-
ton that you gave to the lines from
my pen, which were first published in
the last issue of the Jersey City
Herald.
In your commentary last Monday
you express surprise that one engaged
In commercial pursuits should WOO the
muse divine. This was needless. Was
not Rogers note shaver, and at the
same time one Of the brightest literary
lights of England? Look at Prosper
Wetmore in this country half cen
tury ago, and still later William Cullen
Bryantl and, at the present day,
Edmund Clarence Stedman. Each of
these gems ses was engaged in bust
ness pursuits and riding Pegasus.
Therefore my case is no analogy.
Another thing. So little of the me-
chanical is admitted by poets to enter
into the composition OF poetry that
most of them Have professed to be, as
1t were, only semi-voluntary agents in
the matter. Thompson could only
write in Spring. Pope used to keep a
serv MT up all night, to be ready with
pen, ink and paper and a light, that
the 'safflatusn might not be lost; and l
believe the present Laureate Of Eng
land bargained that he was only to
write court odes when he would
meaning when he could. From my
personal experience / have learned
that this wayward faculty remains,
when less complex, but more deeply
rooted, propensities of the mind are
found to be more impracticable.
When overburdened with eflnati it is
my custom to visit Humbrock's Wind
mill, which is to the literati of the
Heights what the old Tabard Inn was
John E. Dunno, Alderman Prigge, Tax
Collector Fred MersheiIner, Hon.
James Moylan, the second chief warb-
leS OF the Nightingale Club; and DIR.
Emil Roede poet who writes under
the nom de plume of "AbrowanlS. y
The great favor with which the anna
tory verses of s'Abrowankn has been
received stirred my ambition to dis
cover whether had also tasted of the
Pierian Spring, and the result is
already manifest.
AS 1 read your article, however, it
seems to dilate principally on the
theme of my verses But you will
readily perceive the reason when |
tell you that / have been the first
lieutenant OF the Hillside Boat Club
for several years, and that the princi-
pal requisite for membership in that
club Is the candidates osculatory
ability.
But kissing is delicate subject, and
must be handled accordingly. Kisses
are of various kinds. There is the
kiss infantile and the kiss parental,
the kiss amatory and the conjugal
kiss. exclude from my catalogue the
Judas kiss-a perversion of the nature
of the institute, which can only rank
with that class of crimes, the bare at
tempt to name which palsies the
tongue.
The kiss infantile and the kiss paren-
tai are so well known that / shall not
pass on them, but shall turn to a more
interesting subject-the kiss amatory.
This has as many preliminaries as
there are bailiwicks in this county. In
Jersey City it is first necessary to be
introduced to the young lady, who in
turn introduces the gentleman to her
parents. After calling a few Sunday
evenings, they are permitted to sit in
The parlor without the unbearable in
trusion of third person. An invita-
tion to the theatre or reception ripens
the acquaintance into affection, but
still the kiss is not yet ready. At last,
Dn some unnoticeable Sunday evening,