The record-union., 1892-03-28
WALT WHITMAN.
THE VENERABLE POET JOINS THE
SILENT MAJORITY.
he Passed Away Calmly and Peace
fully, Like Child Asleep, at His
Home in Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA, March 27.-Calmly and
peacefully, like child falling asleep,
Walt Whitman passed away last evening.
lie had been weaker than usual for some
days past, and had sinking spell Friday
night, but recovered somewhat. Again
at half-past o'clock in the afternoon he
began to sink. DIR. Alex. McAllister
reached the dying mans bedside shortly
after. The doctor found the aged poet in
dying condition. Ee asked the patient
if he suffered any pain, and he whispered
the answer no" Three minutes before
death he said to an attendant, Weary,
shift" They were the last words uttered
by Mr.. Whitman. His breathing came
fainter and fainter, and at exactly CAB P.
NJ he passed away. At the time of the
good, gray poet's'' death his bedside in
the little frame cottage was surrounded
by little group comprising Thomas b.
Harmed, his close friend; Horace l.. Trab-
bet, his Secretary; DIR. McAllister, and
his housekeeper and a faithful male at
tendant.
FUNERAL ON WEDNESDAY.
CAMDEN IN. ~, March 27.-The funeral
Of Walt Whitman will take place
Wednesday. At the autopsy held to-day
the organs of the poet were found in a
SLdlC Vi ulSOdSO IilGt SHOULD DN All laws OF
medicine, have killed him years ago.
ENsHRoUDED IN GLOOM.
PHILADELPHIA, March 27.-The Quaint
little home of the good gray poet" at }2S
Meckle street, Camden, was enshrouded
in the deepest gloom to-day. AT $50 p.
| NJ. Drs. Alexander, McAllister and Dan
lei Longacre and two other physicians
met at the poets house to perform the
autopsy. They were met by Lawyer
Horned, who stated to them the objec-
lions of George Whitman to q post
mortem. The physicians thoroughly dis
cussed the matter.
Their purpose was not satisfaction of
professional curiosity. They said they
believed that the autopsy of Whitman
would be of great value to science He
suffered from bronchial pneumonia, aud
had survived for months when his con-
ditlon at one time indicated that be
could survive but five hours. He suf-
fered from mysterious pain in the left
side for years, which had been diagnosed
as a cancer. 1t was desirable to know
whether this was true or not
1t was also desirable to know whether
there were any evidences in his brain of
the strokes of paralysis from which he
suffered year ago, and other facts. The
importance in the interests OF medical
science might be shown. The physicians
stated that they had discussed the subject
OF a post mortem examination with Whit
man last December, and he had assenedt
to it.
Walt Whitman was born of an English
father and Il Dutch mother at Hunting
ton, Long Island, \. Y, on the 3lst of
May, 1919. At different times he was a
lawyers clerk a doctors clerk. tyne
setter, teacher, reporter, an editor, a
farmer and house builder. In pursu-
ing such avocations he travelled all over
this country, seeing every large noun
tain and river and lake, and getting a
good general idea of the principal COM
munities. In 1862 he went to the front
with the army, and his ministration
among the wounded made his name al
most famous as an humanitarian. a fter
the war he had several small Government
positions.
In 1854 he began to write his compo-
sItlons, which were SO original that no
one understood or appreciated them. In
1900 he published twelve compositions
under the title of Leaves of Grass. -
He himself helped set the type. The
| book attracted no notice. but Whitman
was in no wise discouraged He added
new pieces whenever the inspiration
came. and year after year issued new
editions of the Leaves of Grass gain
! ing auditors with every issue. until it be-
came volume of 293 poems.
in an appreciative sketch of Mr.. Whit
man, II. Buxton Forman saws: ''rhe
term poet does not fully describe Walt
Whitman;the prophet would come nearer
OF all optimisis he is the most absolute:
his faith in the ultimate perfection of the
scheme of things never wayers; he sees
promises of eventual good in ali that is
evil-nay, he even discovers a present
good in what is evil; he will hear of no
humiliation of the individual and no ul,i-
| mate loss or failure of any human
creature, and it is the endeavor OF his
writings 70 inspire every man and woman
with sense of his or her personal dig
| nifty. Nothing OF the nature of COM
paint has ever proceeded from him.