Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-09-15
POET WHITTIER DEAD.
Peaceful End of the Good Old Quaker
Poet-Mourning in New ENGLAND.

HAMPTON FALLS, ~. LIZ CSpts
G. Whittier passed away peacefully at
4::3O clock this morning. His nearest
relatives and DR.. Douglass were at his
bedside when death came, and he seem
ed to be conscious of his surroundings at
the last moment. The funeral will take
place at Amesbury, Mass, at 2:3O Pm.
Saturday next.
Mr. Whittier was in his 84th year, his
SD birthday having been celebrated
December II, 1891. He was born at
Haverhill, Mass, December II, 1907.
school each year was the only training
he received until he was 20 years OF
age, when with money earned at shoe
making, he took six months course at
the Haverhill Academy. According
TO the standard of his day ne
was sufficiently learned to be him
self teacher, and during the follow
ing winter, that of 1S2S-'29, he was n as
ter of the district school OF West Ames-
bury. With the money received for
his services young Whittier followed up
with second term Of six months in the
Haverhill Academy, this ending his
course at school. His literary instincts
were developed early. He wrote poems
while still lad; during all his years he
has never been idle. He has been the
author of many books besides his poetic
contributions to American literature.
His first real literary production to be
published in book form was The
Legends of New England" in prose and
vers, published in 1881. From that
date down to the compilation of his
products and those of his sister, which
I'LL seven large volumes, issued in 1889,
his works have followed at intervals of
from one to five years. est. Gregory's
Guest and Other Poems" was the last
work of any magnitude aside from the
supervision Of his complete works.
His people were Quakers, and be-
lieved the seventies of life the only
ones fit to follow. The father of the boy
genius of the poet somewhat sternly.
Whittier thus told Of his first published
poem: "My sister, who was two years
older than myself, sent one OF my
poetical attempts to the editor of the
Free Press, which William Lloyd CARR
son had started at Newburyport. My
father took the paper, and some weeks
later the news-carrier came along on
horseback and threw the paper out from
his saddle bags. My uncle and | were
mending fences. | took up the sheet
and was surprised and overloyed to see
my lines in the Poets Corner | stood
gazing at them in wonder, and my uncle
had to call me several times to my work
before | could recover myself. Soon
after Garrison came to our farm house
and | was called in from hoeing in the
cornteld to see HIM. He encouraged
me and urged my father to send me to
school. Ilonged for education, but the
means to procure it were wanting"
That first published poem was "The
Deity"
AS he grew to manhood the young
poet became familiar with the then be-
ginning battle against slavery, which,
like many another great battle, was be-
gun in Massachusetts. AS Quaker he
learned to cali it, rs did all the kindly
hearted Friends, that "hated institu-
ton" Every where the Society of
Friends faced it as mortal foe. They
spirited away It's victims persistently
and kindly, day after day and week
after week, hurrying them along the
underground railway" to freedom IN
Canada. It was while engaged in this
underground railway" enterprise that
W hitter was assaulted publicly and pri-
vateiy in the most heartless manner.
He wrote q poem that was famous fifty
wears ago, that was addressed to Gov.
McDuffie in reply to the prediction that
the patriarchal institution would yet
find it's way into New England, as it had
into New York in a surTeptitious man
ner. The author withdrew it from the
collected edition of his works. The
first stanza has most vengeful air when
contrasted with Whittier's habitual gen.
tleness:
King of Carolina! Hail!
Last champion of OppreSsiOn's battle;
Lord OF rice fierce and cotton bale,
OF sugar box and human cattle!
When some of the preachers in Bos-
ton quoted st. Paul in defense of the
institution to discomfit the eloquent
anti-slavery women that the cause
brought to the front, Whittier hurled
this at them:
Your fathers dealt not as ye deal
With mon protesting, " frantic teachers
They bored the tongue with red hot steel,
And flayed the backs of female preachers.
The anti-slavery cause was exceed
ingly unpopular in those days and as an
active participant Whittier escaped
with his life. In few lines he wrote a
few years ago of his own career he
said: 81 was mobbed in Concord, N.
H., in company with George Thompson,
:,fterward member of the British Par
lament, and narrowly escaped from
great danger" AS q matter of fact, he
and Thompson were very nearly killed.
Whittier saw Boston on her day of
shame, when Garrison WAS led through
the streets by mob, with rope about
his neck. 1t was with great difficulty
that the poet and his friends rescued
the great anti-slavery orator and work
er from death that day. a few months
later Whittier was again mobbed in
Philadelphia, where he had become
editor of the Pennsylvania Freeman,
an organ of the anti-slavery society.
The mob took possession of the office
and completely sacked and burned ev-
cry article necessary in the publication
of the paper, but Whittier continued to
edit and publish it until his health
failed again.
Whittier's birthday anniversaries
have up to within two or three years al
ways been spent at the home at Oak
Knoll, Danvers, and have Of late years