The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-27
WALT WHITMAN.


ant. News of the death was cabled to
Lord Tennyson and other friends IN Eng
land, DR.. Buck, of Ontario, his biog-
rapher, and friends in this country.
Tomorrow plaster cast of the dead mans
features will be made. Whitman left a
carefully drawn will, but its contents are
not to be made public until after the fune-
raj ceremony.
The remains of the deceased will be
placed in the recently completed tomb in
Haveleigh cemetery. in Camden, a spot
selected by Mr.. Whitman when he was en-
joying his usual health, and which he
visited many times during the construc-
ton of the tomb. No arrangements have
been perfected for the funeral.
WALT Whitman was born in West Hills,
Long Island, n Y, May 81, 1919, within
sound of the heaving ocean. He was educa ed
in the public schools of Brooklyn and New York
city, and learned printing, working at that
trade in summer and teaching in winter, con-
tributing occasionally to the newspapers and
magazines. Subsequently he also acquired
skill as a carpenter. For brief periods he edited
newspapers in New Orleans and in Huntington,
L. I. in lSi7-4S he made long pedestrian tours
through the United States, generally following
the courses of the great Western rivers, and also
extended his journey through Canada Then he
went into business in New York. But in 1855
he abandoned what looked like profitable
business career to devote his energies 10
literature and make "epics fit for the
New World" His first book, "Ieaves of Grass"
was published about thirty Gears ago, and much
OF it was put into type with his own hands. The
writing of the poems was the work of between
six and seven years, and the poets aim was to
give expression to nature as We actually find IL
in American lie In the war Whitmsn's brother
was wounded on the battle field, and the poet at
once FASTENED to join him in the camp, where
he afterward remained as q volunteer army
nurse at Washington CITY and in Virginia IN
1925 1t is said that from first to last as
many as 100000 wounded soldie.s were
under his supervision. His fatigue and
night watching in 1854 brought on
a serious illness, from which he never
recovered. From 1865 TIL 1874 he held govern
ment clerkship in Washington City. In Feb
ruary, 1873, the lingering effects of his nursing
fatigues and illness during the war eliminated
in q severe paralytic attack. He left Washing
ton City for Camden, y. j., and was recovering
when, in May of the same year, his neither died
suddenly in his presence. This shock caused .
relapse. Walt Whitman's admirers, especially
in England have been extrsvegant in their
praise, comparing him with the best of classic
writers. Ralph Waldo Emerson said on the
appearance of "Lesves OF Grass" 81 find it
the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom
that America has yet produced. i find incom-
parable things incomparably said" Several
collections OF his poems have been published in
England and America Recently he issued
little volume, "Good-by, My Fancy" which he
called "the concluding annex to Leaves of
Grass" For several years he had been con-
fined TO his house in Camden, plain little cot
tags, with housekeeper and O cook to look
after his bodily needs few years ago he was
described as "tall, cree. and stout. and moving
about with the aid OF large cane. His white
hair thrown straight back from his brow, and
full white beard give him patriarchaI appear
ance. His checks are fresh and ruddy, his fore
head is deeply furrowed with horizontal lines,
his bright eyes blue, but not large; his I've
senses are exceptionally acute; his voice
clear and firm. In dress be is very simple,
but always scrupuloGsly neat and clean"
Writing about his new book to Lfppincotts Nag
dzfne recently he said: "The theory of my
Leaves of Grass q composition Of verses has
been from first to last (if l an TO give i'm
promptu a hint of the spinal marrow of the
business, and sign 1t with my name,l to thor
oughly possess the mind, memory. coga!zaacs
OF the author himself, with everything before
hand-a full armory of concrete aetualities, OBJ
ssrva:ions, humanity past poems, ballads. facts,
technique, war and pesce, politics, North and
South, East and West, nothing too large or too
small. the sciences far As possible-and
above all America and the present-after
and out of which the subject of the posn,,
long or Short has been invariably turned
over to his Emotionality, even Personality, to
be shaped thence; and emergcs strictly there
from, with all its merits and dement's on its
head. Every page OF my poetic or attempt st
poetic utterance, therefore, smAcks of the living
physical identity, date. environment, individu-
ality, probably beyond anything known, and in
style often offensive to the conventions This
new cluster. Goodbye, my Fancy follows
suit, and vet with q difference. The clef is
here changed TO its lowest and the little book Is
lot of tremolos about old age, death, and faith.
The physical Just fingers, bu. almost ysnishes
The book Is garruious, irascibe dixie old Learn,
and has various breaks and even tricks TO avoid
monotony. It viii have TO be ciphersd and
eiphered out long-Rnd is probably in some re-
spects the mos, curious par. of its authors bafi-
ing works" Unique among men IL IL appropriate
that Walt Whitman should rest in a tomb that
has no counterpart. Sueh e one has been built
for him in Harleigh cemetery, on the oufskirt. OF
Camden, and was prssentei to him by his close,
intimate friends, at hi. recent birthday II was
not q surprise to M Whitman. On the con-
usry, he had supervised every detail OF the
plans for its construction, and while il was
being built be visited it often and gave sugges-
tons to the vorkmeu. In short, he took a
deeper interest in this dwelling house
for the dead than he ever bestowed on
one 70. the living The last time be
vas able 70 Leave his house for driTe Ia zsnt