Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-03-28

MY tongue, every atom of my blood
formed from this soil, this air Born here
of parents born here, from parents the
same aud their parents the same" IL hi,
bons, in one Of his compositions. And tn re
are few Americans who had greater right
TO be proud of their Americanism, for hi.
family on both sides counted back ovei
nearly 800 years residence in the New
World. lis father cSmo of English stock.
aud his mother Of Dutch, her maiden
namo having been Van Nelsor. He wa.
Born Farmers Son
1t West Hills, L. l., on May 81, 1919, and
received common school education
partly at his birthplace and partly IN
Brooklyn. subsequently, lac entered jot
Office in the latter city and learned th,
trade of printer TO which he clung with
more or less regularity for some years
incidentally, however, he interspersed
his typesetting with school teaching and
literary work. He edited several Brook
lyn papers for short periods among Others
The Freeman and Eagle But his restless
disposition did not content itself with any
regular pursuit, and in 1913. accompanied
by his brother. he made trip TO New Or.
leans, travelling by easy stages, sometimes
walking, sometimes driving, and when
convenient proceeding by steamboat Foi
year he came TO anchor in New Orleans,
doing editorial work on The Crescent most
of the time. June of1si9 found him back
in Brooklyn, where, oddly enough. he went
10 work rs carpenter. He followed this
business for five years, without, however,
disseminating his whiting entirely.
Early in 1885 he issued the first edition
Of Leaves of Grass" The contents OF
this singular book were neither verse moi
prose, but "A series of CALCULATIONS and
aphorisms presenting
Many Original Ideas,
and appealing TO the common feelings OF
mind in favor of the natural enjoyment OF
life, he exercise of the active powers OF
mind and body and the frank reception OF
wholesome influences.
At first the critics did not notice this
work, either to praise or condemn. They
ignored IL entirely In a few months. how.
ever, n copy fell into the hands Of Ralph
Waldo Emerson. He wrote letter (from
which quotation is made above) 10 Whit
man praising the work in the most un
restrained manner. This letter was pub
lishc shortly after its receipt and at once
attracted the attention Of the reviewers to
the hook which they had entirely over.
looked before On all sides the work was
condemned, and in Boston and other cities
it was declared unfit for circulation In the
public libraries because Of its alleged i'm
moral tone.
But Whitman deiied all his ccnsors, and
between other writings continued TO make
the Leaves of Grass" his special work
In 1866 he published second edition OF
the work, and four years later third,
followed between the yeir,lof 1867 and 1882
by FIVE other editions, and in 1889 by the
last and ninth, with the final authentic
text All of Whitman's readers agree
that on this work his fame will rest.
\ good idea of the poets peculiar style
and the quaint strength OF his lines is
giycn in this, entitled
animals"
Think | could turn and live with animals, they
arc so placid and self contained;
| stand and look at them long and long
The do not sweat and whine about their con-
dition.
They do not lie awake IN tho dark and weep
for their sins,
They do not make mo sick discussing their duty
10 God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented
with the mania Of owning things,
Not one kneels 10 another, nor to his kind that
lived thousands of years ago;
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the
whole earth.
The period of the poets life most pro-
liIic of experience and suggestions for stir
ring verse was certainly that from 1862 To
1865 In the former year he went to the
front as a volunteer nurse, and until hos
tilties ceased between the north and
south he remained at his post. He person
ally attended nearly 100000 wounded SOL
diers of both sides, aud his tender sym.
pathy eased the last days Of many poor
fellow who but for him
Would Have Died rriendIess.
His ceaseless labors in field and hospital
altcrward told on him. producing the dis
ease from which he died. During all his
active life in the war lie managed to do
sufficient writing TO support himself, and
on the occasion Of Lincoln's death he
brought out the famous 80 Captainl My
Captainr' which is probably the best
known Of all his writings.
When the war was over, Whitman was
appointed to a clerkship In the attorney
generals Office in Washington. which
placed him in comparatively easy circum.
stances for the first time In years. Until
1873 he remained at the capital one Of the
principal figures ia the city. Then tho
disease contracted in the army manifested
itself in a dangerous form known as pro
gressivc paraly ysis," and he had TO retire
from all active work. He took ND his
abode in the poor little frame cottage Mt
:2S Nickel street, in Camden, y. j., just
across the the river from Philadelphia.
There he remained uutil death came to
relieve him
It was there, paralyzed and unable to
work. that
lie Almost Starved,
until the English appeal in his behalf
awokc the American people 20 n sense of
his condition, and led to some efforts mt
raising funds for his support. But some
how the benefits and other affairs given
never yielded the results they should, and
a small circle of his intimate friends were
the chief providers. Through their efforts
he was enabled to end his days in the
moderate way that contented him.
On April H. 1857, Mr.. Whitman spoke
for the last time in public. lie lectur.d
az the Madison Square theater, in New
York, on Abraham Lincoln.
To all who visited him at his home be
never expressed n word OF reproach against
the American public, and his
Finai Address to the World
breathes only most fervcnt gratitude. II
was Published just before his last sick
ness, which threatened at the time to
carry him OF on the journey for which he
has long been so well prepared, and which
be viewed with the utmost complacency:
Thanks in old agc--thanks ere ! 20.
For health, the midday sun, the impalpable
air-for lifc, mere life.
For beings. groups, love, deeds, words. books
for rpl,.ra