The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-04-02

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 re6nements 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.
Up to 1855 he had been known, SO far as
he was known, simply as q carpenter print
er Of no especial steadiness. In 1855, how
ever, appeared his first aud most famous
book, Leaves Of Grass a 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 a great amount Of praise and a
a still greater amount Of blame. No sub
ject was too small for Whitman; nothing,
however secret conventionalism made it,
but was revealed. Those who did not OBJ
ject 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 to the front TO nurse him, He re-
mained with the army until the close Of the
war, afterward giving his experiences in
two volumes, "Drum Taps" 1865 and
Memoranda During the War Is60. 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 a
| clerkship 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 clerk
ship in the attorney generals Office, how
ever, which he kept until 1874. In Febru-
ary, 1873, he had a stroke Of paralysis, re-
sulting from the exposure OF his army life,
and came here.
Before this, while in Washington, he pub
/ lished Passage to India" uS7Ol, after All,
/ Not to Create Only QS7l), LAS Strong
| Bird on Pinions Free QsT9, and volume
I Of prose essays, Democratic Nistasn Qs70,
republished in 1873 and 1883. In 1881 a new
edition of Leaves of Grass was published
in Boston, to the sale of which the Massa-
chusetts authorities objected ON the ground
Of immortality. In 1888 Whitman published
specimen Days and Collect in 1855 mo
vember Boughs, and in 1883 Sands at Sew
entyn
In the latter year he had another stroke
Of paralysis It crippled him almost en-
I tirely and on his seventieth birthday his
friends gave to him pony carriage and
pony, and the good, gray poet drove him
self about Camden enjoying the outdoor life
he had always loved. he did not enjoy his
carriage long, however, for his increasing
infrmity made it unsuitable to him, and for
two years he took his outdoor exercise in a
wheeled chair.
His infrmity was physical not mental,
however, and within few months he has
published farewell volume Of poems,
/ ''Good By, My Fancy" wherein he men
toned with pathetic bitterness that maya
zine writers had refused his poems and
confessed that his life was hard-almost his
only admission Of poverty.
a Poet, Indeed.
OF late years the bitter attacks on Whit
man have ceased and he has been admitted
to be indeed poet. Emerson in 1855 found
I beauties in Leaves Of Grass, even though
he disapproved Of the book, and since then,
especially from England, came commenda-
ton. William Rossetti published q selec-
ton Of the poems in 1865 and Walter Scott
has published two further selections, while
Edward Dowden has made still a fourth
selection, Tennyson and George Eliot have
ranked Whitman high among American
poets, and the poet has spoken gratefully Of
the friendly mouth'd, just opportune Eng
lish action which comforted him in his
troubles,
Whitman was dependent entirely on the
sale of his books, and while never rich, OF
late years he has been absolutely poor He
steadily refused TO accept charity, however.
he never was married. 1t was said that a
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