Evening journal., 1892-03-28

was born at West Hills, Long Island, May
81. 1918. His father whose name he bore,
was a farmer; and the boy, the eldest Of the
family, was brought up with slight knOwl-
edge Of even the few refinements obtainable
in the country sixty years ago. After
short spell in New York and Brooklyn pub
lie schools he became a carpenter for a time
then he learned printing, working at the
case in New York and Brooklyn, and edit
ing papers in New Orleans and in Hunting
ton, Long Island.
whitman's Quaint Career.
2 Up 20 1855 he had been known, so far as
he was known, simply as a carpenter print
er Of no especial steadiness In 1885, how
ever, appeared his first and most famous
book, Leaves Of Grass volume of rhap
sodical poems, always without rhyme, gen
orally without rhymth, dealing especially
with the interests involved in American
life and progress Of the time. The book
called forth great amount OF praise and a
a still greater amount of blame No sub
iect was too small for Whitman; nothing,
however secret conventionalism made H.,
but was revealed. Those who did not OBJ
iect to the nudity of the poems were Of
Tended at the unconventional form in which
they were cast; and some were shocked
honestly at the poems themselves. The
first edition of this book Whitman set up
and printed himself, and for thirty years he
has been revising and adding to the book.
Early in the war his brother George was
wounded at Fredericksburg and the poet
went 20 the front 70 nurse him. He re.
mained with the army until the close Of the
war, afterward giving his experiences in
two volumes, Drum Taps" 1853 and
Memoranda During the War" ls00. His
most conventional poem is in ''Drum Taps
Captain, My Captain"-in memory Of
Lincoln.
Leaves Of Grass" Condemned.
At the close Of the war he obtained q
clerlship in the interior department, from
which he was dismissed when his superior
officer learned that he was the author of
Leaves Of Grass He obtained a clerk
ship in the attorney generals Office, how
ever, which he kept until 1874. In Febru
ary, 1873 he had stroke Of paralysis, re-
sulting from the exposure of his army life,
/ and came here. He was recovering rapidly
when in May his mother died suddenly II
his presence The shock caused a relapsl
and he was incapacitated for any work fo
many months. On his recovery he resigne,
his clerkship and settled here, where he ne
sided the rest Of his life.
Before this, while in Washington, he pub
lished Passage to India QS7Ol, after All
Not to Create Only QS7D, 'As Stronl
Bird on Pinbns Free" qs72l, and a volum
Of prose essays, Democratic Vistasn ls70
republished in 1873 and 1883. In 1881 a new
edition of Leaves Of Grass" was publishe,
in Boston, 70 the sale Of which the Massa
chusetts authorities objected on the groun,
Of immortality In 1883 Whitman published
Specimen Days and Collect, in 1885 mo
vember Boughs," and in 1888 Sands at Sew
enty.n
In the latter year he had another strok
Of paralysis. It crippled him almost en-
tirely, and ON his SEVENTEEN birthday hi
friends gave TO him a pony carriage an
pony, and the good, gray poet" drove him
self about Camden enjoying the outdoor III
he had always loved. He did not enjoy hi
carriage long, however, for his increasin
infrmity made it unsuitable to him, and 70
two years he took his outdoor exercise in
wheeled chair.
His infirmity was physical not menta
however, and within few months he ha
published a farewell volume of pOemi
t "Good By, My Fancy" wherein he mel
toned with pathetic bitterness that mag'
! zine writers had refused his poems an
confessed that his life was hard-almost b
I only admission Of poverty
A Poet, Indeed.
OF late years the bitter attacks on Viii
man have ceased and he has been admitte
: to be indeed poet. Emerson in 1855 foun
beauties in Leaves Of Grass, even thong
: he disapproved of the book, and since thei
especially from England, came commend
5 tion. William Rossetti published "a sele