St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-27

lnder McAllister, who reached the dying
mans bedside short while afterward.
The doctor found the aged poet in
dying condition, and so informed those
around his bedside. He asked the pa
lient if he suffered any pain, and the
whispered answer was NO"
Twenty minutes before his death he
said to his attendant, wary, shift"
They were the last words uttered by
Mr.. Whitman. His breathing became
fainter and fainter, and at exactly 6;43
D. m. he passed away. At the time of
The good gray poets death his bedside
In the humble little frame cottage
where he passed the last years of his
life was surrounded by little group,
consisting of Thomas B. Harmed, of
this city, close friend; Horace l..
TraubeI, his secretary; DR.. McAllister
and his housekeeper and faithful male
Rttendent.
TenmysOn Notified.
The news of the death was cabled to
Lord Tennyson ana other friends in
England; DR.. Buck, of Ontario, his
biographer, and friends in this country.
The sick man took very little nOurish-
ment during the past three days, an oc-
casional sip of milk punch being all
that he could be induced to swallow
This morning he declined nOuriShment
of any kind, saying to his houSekeeper:
''LeaYe me alone. Mary; L cannot eat"
He had at intervals since the illness, be-
ginning Dec. II last, which rendered
him belfast, expressed WEAKNESS Of
life and a Willingness to die, and 1T is
believed that he knew death was near
and rejOiced accordingly.
No arrangements have yet been made
for the funeral. Tomorrow plaster
east of the dead mans features will be
made Whitman left carefully drawn
will. but its contents will not be made
public until after the funeral ceremony.
The remains of the deceased will be
placed i'll the recently constructed tomb
in Harleigh cemetery in the outskirts of
the city of Camden, spot selected by
MI. Whitman when he was ENJOYING his
usual health, and where he visited many
times during the construction of the
tomb. The plan of the tomb was his
own, and none of his friends could dis
Euade him.
Loved the Busting Leaves.
He selected his lot in part of the
cemetery known as Woodlawn, and the
Id is built in the side of the hill in a
grove. When asked why he selected
such a spot, he replied: II would
rather 90 in the woods" The tomb is
substantial structure, built of massive
rough granite blocks, some of them
weighing over seven tons. The door is
of granite, six inches thick. No rods,
bolts or other fasteningS are used Ill the
structure, the four corners being held
together by interlOcklng or mortlclng
the blocks of granite. The only metal
used is in the heavy hinges Oh which
the door swings, and the massive brass
lock that secures it.
The tomb contains receptacles for
eight caSketS or collins, arranged in two
tiers. They are constructed OF marble,
and will be sealed with polished marble
slabs. The roof is also of granite, the
top piece containing simply the name,
'Walt Whitman" The poets wish was
that the remains of his mother, which
are buried in Evergreen cemetery, and
those of his father, buried in Brooklyn,
shall be eXhumed and deposited in the
tomb. This wish will be complied with
DIV those to whom he entrusted his re-
quest.
Printer to Poet.
There were few Americans who had
greater right to be proud of their
Americanism than Whitman; for his
family on both sides counted back over
nearly 500 years residence in the new
world. His father came of English
stock and his mother of Dutch, her
maiden name having been Van Velsor.
He was born a farmers son at West
Hills, L. l., May 81, 1919, and received a
common school education, partly at his
birthplace and partly III Brooklyn. Sub
sequently he entered job office in the
latter city and learned the trade of
printer, to which he chung with more OF
less regularity for some years.
Incidentally, however, he interspersed
his typesetting with school teaching and
literary work. He edited several Brook
1vn papers for short periods, among
others the Freeman and Eagle. But
his restless disposition did not content
Itself with any regular pursuit, and in
IS4S, accompanied by his brother, he
made trip to New Orleans, travelling
by easy stages, sometimes walking,
sometimes driving, and when conven-
lent proceeding by steamboat. For a
year he came to anchor in New Orleans,
ioing editorial work on the Crescent