Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-25


72 years, the prolonged weakness is sure to
end fatally soon. Surprise is expressed by
the attendants over the fact that death has
not already claimed the aged sufferer.
Sketch Of whitman's Life.
Walt Whitman was born in West Hills,
Long Island, n. Y, on May 81, 1919, and
was educated in the public schools of Brook.
lyn and New York, where, during his early
years, he worked at the printing trade in
summer and taught school in the winter.
Subsequently he edited papers in New
Orleans and in Huntington, L. l., and in
1S47-S he made long pedestrian tours
through the States, generally following the
courses of the great Western rivers. Little
of his youth that is known is authentic, but
at one time it Is said he followed the en-
ployment of carpenter, and in little
book POLITICALLY termed '"The Two Riyu-
lets" we find diary of camp life from 1862
to 1865, and also his experiences as hos
pital nurse.
At the close of the Civil War he received
clerkship from the Government. In this
Office we remained until 1873, when stroke
of paralysis disabled him from further
work. He then left Washington and
moved to Camden. In the later years of
his life he was familiar figure In that vi
cinity. He had but one luxurious pleasure
driving, and on sunshiny days he was to
be seen with broad white hat we'll drawn
down over his forehead. In conversation
he was entertaining and cheerful; in man
ner, gentle and courteous, kind 10 even the
humblest aud as a host, hosp liable to de-
gree that exceeded his means
What Brought Him Fame.
His chief work, "Leaves of Grass" pub
lished in 1855, is series of poems dealing
with moral, social and political problems,
and more especially with the interests in
volved in the American life and progress of
the nineteenth century. In it he made q
new and abrupt departure as to FORM cast
ing his thoughts in mould, the style of
which is something between rythmical
verse and prose, altogether discard
more tn an 30 years he corrected and added
to this work, and only in his later days did
he look upon it as complete. In 1870 he
published volume of pure essays, called
democratic Vistas," in which he used the
word democrat in its widest sense as syn
onymous with the American form of Gov
ernment. Among his other books were
Passage to India" CATER ALL" Gas
Strong as Bird on Pipions Free" "'eTwo
Rivulets" and "Sands at Seventy" But
none of these were equal to sTeaves of
Grass" Many of the Gray Poets poems
relates to the secession war, the most i'm
pressive and pathetic of which is an elegy
on the untimely death of Abraham Lincoln.
Every word in this mournfnl rhyme wrung
the heart of its conceiver, as Lincoln to him
was dear and honored friend. Thus is it
his chef d'euvre. His feelings were
wrought to their highest pitch, and his soul
breathes forth in every line.
Of his Leaves of Grass'' Ralph Waldo
Emmerson wrote: 81 am not blind to the
worth of The Leaves of Grass find it
is the most extraordinary piece of wit and
wisdom that America has contributed. 1 !
am very happy in reading it, as am always
making what seems the sterile, stinyy ma
ture, as If too much handiwork or too much
lymph in temperament were making our
Western wits fat and mean. I give you ioy |
IN your free and brave thoughts 1 have |
great JOY in it. I find Incompatible things
'aid incomparably we'll, as they must be- 1 |
ind the courage of treatment which so de |
lights us, and which large conception only
'an inspire. I greet you at the beginning
If great career, which must have had a
ong foreground somewhere for such start:
rubbed my eyes little to see if this sun
,eam was no illusion, but the solid sense of |
he book is sober certainty
Distinguished Correspondents.
The old poet celebrated his I'D birthday
asst May, when distinguished gathering of
iterateurs paid homage to his unique
'enius. Since then he has led aretired life.
nut has not been neglected by the lterati
f this country and Europe. His latest
distinguished visitor was Sir Edwin Arnold,
rho pald high tribute to the good gray
.oet's genius. His correspondence embraces
he leading literateurs of the world, and his
asst letter, written just before his illness,
'as in response to a complimentary letter
rom Colonel Ingersoll, acknowledging the
eceipt of copy of Leaves of Grass"
lie has Just prepared complete edition of
Frics, including the poems from ''Good-byc,
Iy Fancy" the little melange of prose and
oetry published this year.
Among the many correspondents of Mr..
Whitman were Z. C. Stedman, r. w. Gil
er, j. A. Symonds, the poet critic who is
wing in Switzerland; Julius Chambers,
Olonel Cocker1ll, Sylvester Baxter, Sloane
.ennedy, Hamlin Garland, Alfred Tenny-
IN, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Talcott Will
inns, Frank b. Sanborn and Gabriel
arrazin.
Sure Signs OF Dissolution.
MTDNIGHT-Late tonight Mr. Whitman
'ok decided change for the worse. Shortly
ter 10 o'clock re was seized with chill
hich lasted nearly an hour and left him in
much more enfeebled condition. The
,ctor says his patients body is covered
lth the perspiration that presages death,
ID that he has only few hours to live. He
IS refused to take medicine, and the only
bstance that has passed his lips to-day is ]
,ter, of which he has taken two glasses.
le aged poet is said to be impatient for
ath to come. He has said frequently
ring the last few days: II am tired of