New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-04
"REMINISCENCES OF WALT WHITMAN.
Az EARLY NOVEL, FROM HIS PEN MENTIONED

BY JOHN 6. SCHUMABER.
81 first knew Walt Whitman" said John IT, Gnu
maker. District Attorney of BROOKLYN away oaoN
I'm the .forties.' lie writing n serial Temperance
novel for weekly paper called the New WORM pun
shed in New-YOrk and edited by the la'c r"'N p0''
iamiu n was no Walt then. The au'hor vi INC
novel was Walter Whitman, printed lie wrote IL
mostly in the reading room Of Tammanv Hall. which
was a sort OF n bohemian resort, and he aiterward
told me that he frequently INDUCED IN GIN cochtis
while writing it. the Pewter Mug aho'hei -
for Bohemians around the corner IN spruoc-S'. ~
sun, Building is on the site of old Tanman nan
Il knew all the whitmans father. mother brothers
and sisters They were all independent thMhe' "ai@-
ing fearless people who minded their own pushics'.
IN all nv long acquaintance with Walter neevr heaio
him make use of a profane or Indecent "0u' Hc
was always tho gentleman 800
g have been hundreds OF times on the top OF the
stage, with him in the evening and any one VINO hae
not Broadway In the evening from s'aec 'op '''
missed something really worth seeing.
"Whitman fond Of seeing all soi'e OF ihe'
have been with him often in the society OF ladies' anu
never knew of any woman. young old but thought
him a most agreeable gentleman Of great culture
HIS father lived mt Babylon. L. L. in a beautiful
home near the Great South Bay. where he owned me
farm that became after his death the property ana
country home of John Champaign Mnturn. OF the nrin
Of Minturn & Grinnell. shipping merchants IL was
I'm his fathers trout pond that farm where Wall
was arrested for nogging Young Ben Carnan Win a
fishing pole because he spot Walt hshine Dy coh'n
ualK rowing around him In Il boat Inc pohn was tne
Joint property of Waits father and young 'ariih ;
father. each having equal rights TO fish in It, but
the Carmans wanted it all to which Walt objected.
Walt used great deal OF diplomacy in getting Benv
a. he called him. near enough TO bit him with the
pole. lie was laughing at Bennys freaks in the boat
but all nj once he caught him within his reach ana
chastised him in a very un-poetc manner. Walt was
arrested tried and acquitted. The foreman "a u ne
Jury John Edwards. an English farmer. biOuGht III
The verdict, which aferward was published tOuth'ut
the world. that e did not EN- ara eho atxd Tho
Brooklyn Eagle and other Brooklyn papers never
knew him 10 have personal enemy NO one WIZ
knew him personally can speak III OF MN. ne gave
but a prominent LADY schooleacher borrowed IL anu
WHEN Wait was in Washington and ! was in
Congress / saw "A great deal Of him lie had got 10
be a Republican and in the Attorney General ;
ofFce secretary Harand had discharged him from
the place given him in the Department OF inc ilerlo
after he was told that he had written "ho Le"'eS VI
One day in summer were riding in ne hor.e,
car, about Washington and General Garfield came
in the ear Garfield sauted me very cordially, pnt
did 10, seem to know Whitman. VAT, Siiid !. uwn
u Won know General Garfield p NO. he replied,
Xga,enpon Carried exclaimed. WHY IS this Walt
Whitman p lie over TO our SIDE oi me car ana
talked with him until he rcaged ms p he had not
met the General before. lie Hinu' noa " Sp' No. -
him. 70 be made 5.srs GnficId opon% I
Xa~ - n.
10 Whitman about not doing something he h;d bcel
Lied IN do The moment Garfield came over 10 our
sidc Of the car / gave him my eat and TOOK ms
They talked i'm an undertonc. but lizard enough "a
datisfv me- that there was something TO be explained
bv the General 10 Whjlpan. ! never ASKED Wi"'' u
was but when Garfield shot and Iad dled. "'G'S :,
W. Chiids. OF The Philadelphia Ledscr' ofrrcd n
| dozen poets Wistman among the r''D ca'h FiV
10 write some verses Garfield. whitman "A' "''I
why he had not accepted the offer lie sihu ne ~
moi do IT, He wrote the most admired verse, on N.
| death OF Lincoln. but he could not gel MS muse "
| work Of anything for poor Garfield. ,
After tie death Of LincOlu-l think met MN ,h'
very day at the Fulton Ferry, New York. was COMMIT
| IN New York and he was going % Brooklyn ! can s'
| him now all excitement, with his >louch black ha'
| ON fllc back of his head. He had on short bh'
| tailor ackct-no vest wide turnover collar " SIC
shirt. broad sailor black pants. lie said IL IS q
| fype of the Rebellion. They tried 10 kll the Na
| lion but could not. Now they have Killed the head
| 81 IT, answered that the whole south should not ne
| blamed for t,e act Of one villain lie shrugged h
shoulders and repeated II Is type Of their WI %
| conduct He went to his home } aitcrWard learned
| and wrote the poem on the death Of Lincoln