The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-07

fishing the signatures of their contribu-
tors, and the poem appeared anonymously
1t caught the popular favor, and has be
come one OF the best known poems of
American authorship, being included in
various collections, such Is school readers
and books OF recitations 1t is hard to tell
just why it became popular, for it is not,
from a literary standpoint, entitled to great
praise, but something in its simple direct
ness made it a success.
After time several persons claimed to
have written it. and for time there was
great doubt as to who the real author was
but it was at length acknowledged gener-
ally that Mr.. Watson was entitled to the
credit. William Cullen Bryant included
the poem il MS famous collection and
asC-ibeI It's authorship to Watson, and the
question Inay be fairly considered settled.
In addition to Mr.. Bryant's authority
Horace Greeley lent the force of his name to
the assertion tult Watson was the real au-
thor, and tGe Harpers declared positively
that he had written the poem. The elder
Harpers, it may be mentioned, were warm
friends of Mr.. Watson as long as they
lived.
[ see that in a recent issue of The New
York World Col William Allen Silloway
claims that his name was given as the
author of the poem in Bryant's book, but
this is not true. Col Silloway, who is
a printer by occupation, and lives in West
Washington place, says that he wrote the
poem in 1880 and sent it to Mrs. Lydia H.
Sigourney, and that it was first published
IN 1854 in Maria Louise Hankins' paper.
A portrait painter named NcMasters, of
New York, Elizabeth Akers, Dora Thorne,
Henry W. Faxon and others are among
the claimants to authorship of the verses.
Mr.. Watson was born in New York city
IN 1922. His father, Mr.. Alexander Wat
Bon, was an Englishman by birth, and was
at one time prosperous merchant. Before
his son reached manhood, however, re-
verses came, and the boy was obliged TO
look out for himself He had a natural
aptitude for the cngraver's art, and learned
it, only to leave it afterwsrd for the less
reliable but more fascinating art of au-
thorship.
He began work as a journalist on The
New York Herald on*he day that James
Gordon Bennett the younger was born,
which was just about fifty years ago. Con-
Gnuing for some time to work in The
Herald Office, he gradually became known
as a graceful versifier and story writer,
and up to the time of his last illness he
was frequent contributor to a great num-
Der Of publications. At one time, for some
twelve or fourteen years, he was under
contract to write four continued stories a
year for Saturday Night each story TO be
over sixty columns in length. For this he
received an income of ZOO q year and
lived comfortably. The work, however,
was not oongeni2l TO him, and after the
time mentioned he felt unable to continue
under the strain. He therefore resigned
his place, ard from that time onward sup
ported himself all Boo poorly by the sale of
occasional contributions TO any and all OF
the periodicals which he could reach.
In this way his name became known to
the readers of nearly all the American lit
erary papers and magazines of the last
half century, and his work appeared in
moi a few newspapers. He was 1T one time
an editorial writer on The New York
Times, but in his later years was crowd y !
out OF the race by younger men, and wrote
an infinite deal of trash fcP the cheaper
publications.
During his long career he was, like many
other writers, beset with a constant desire
TO get into sOme other pursuit, caring little
for any form Of composition excepting
poetry, He had considerable mechanical