Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-02

The most tragic par. OF Edgar A Poe's life
was enacted in this cottage. ros was de-
scendant Of Cromwell The SON OF an act
ress, born while his parents were members OF
o theatrical company, he early showed a
most extraordinary precocisy. He was
adopted by Mr.. Allan, rich Baltimorean;
he went to school in England as child, and
later entered the University of Virginia, but
he contracted heavy gambling debts, and his
guardian. in consequence of Poe's wiidness,
placed him in his counting room, where, how
ever. Poe did not stay long, preferring to
seek his own fortune. He went to Boston
and started out ON his literary career. Fl
nalIy becoming discouraged, he enlisted In
the army, was lately discharged through the
efforts of his friends, wrote a story which Sc
cured prize of 500 from The Saturday Wis
itor, and became editor Of The Southern
Literary Magazine, where he wrote some OF
his best short stories. In 1885 he married his
cousin, Virginia GLENN, girl IA years old.
In 1887 he went to New York and lived in
straitened circumstances for two years. In
1889 he went to Philadelphia and became as
sociate editor of W. E. Burton's Gentleman's
Magazine, and after that editor of Grahams
Magazine In 1914 Poe returned to New
York with his wife and her mother. He be-
came connected with The Mirror, and it was
in the columns Of this paper chat 1.-THE Ra-
venn first appeared, although Poe's name
was not then attached to it.
1.-THE Raven" established Poe's fame. At
this time his wife was dying of consumption,
the poet himself was In failing health and so
poor that it was only through the assistance
Of friends they managed to exist.
Mrs Gore Nichols, herself an author, thus
writes about the Poe household: II saw her
Virginia, Poe's wife) in her bedchamber.
Everything was SO neat, so purely clean, so
scant and SO poverty stricken. There was no.
clothing on the bed, which was only straw,
but had white counterpane and sheets. The
weather was cold, and the sick lady had the
dreadful chills that accompany the hectic
fever of consumption. She lay on the bed
wrapped in her husbands great coat, with a
large tortoise shell cat in her bosom. The
coat and the cat were the sufferers only
means of warmth"
Mrs Nichols, on her return to New York,
unlisted the sympathies of number Of kind
hearted persons in an effort to relieve the
Poe family. A subscription was raised, and
bedclothing and other articles were sent to
FordhaIn.
A statement Of the poets poverty was pub
lished, and the facts became widely known
Comforts were sent to the cottage, which
aided much in making smooth the last hours
of poor Virginia. She died on Jan. 80, 1Sz7.
There was quiet funeral, and Mrs. Poe was
buried in the family vault of the Valentines
at Fordham, but her remains were subse-
uuently taken to Baltimore and inferred
close by the remains of the poet.
Poe staid north until lS49. During this
time, although poor, he managed to keep
from starving. His mind was filed with the
idea of starting a new magazine, but he
never succeeded in doing so. In lS49 he went
south, visiting Richmond, the scene of his
early childhood, and on his return he stopped
at Baltimore. He disappeared, but was final
ly found by his friends in that city. He died
a few lays later. The manner Of the poets
death will probably always remain in obscur-
ity. Some declare that his death was the
dirert result of debauch, and that he died
in dsIiriun trenlens others deny this. No
one denies, however, that ne was one of
Amaz'ica's greatest poets