Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-09-08
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER
The Good Old Poet Passes
Peacefully Away.
HE DIED YESTERDAY MORNING
Sketch of His Useful and
Honorable Career.
Born Of Quaker Parents, He Ever Re
nitined Faithful To the Prcccpts and
Principles of That Sect--His Literary
and Editorial Carser--rhc Most Popular
of American FueLs.
Associated Press Dtspatoa by Special w'-os.


Associated Press Dispatcn by special wircs.
HAMPTON FALLS, N, H., Sept, =
John Greenleaf Whittier died. here at
4.30 o'clock this morning.
Ills last hours were painless and he
passed peacefully away.
SKETCH ut Ills LIFE.
| John Grceneaf Whittier, poet, was born
| in llavcrhill, Mass, un December 18th,
| isl'2. Ills parents were inrinbcrs OF the
Society " FrlendS, and to the principles
| and practices ut this sect he always re-
manned faithful, conforming even 10 its
| peclilarties Of speech and garb IN COM
| munty where such observance, by being
| singular, must often have been trying to \
| temperament ST. shy and sensitive hs his.
| Ills first American ancestor CRnie TO Mass
aehlsetts in 1858, and the conversion 10
| Qnakerlsm took place il tho second gencr.
alton Of the family, after the settlement of
| the bay COLONY, at q time when that sect
| was sttrnly prosecuted. There may there
| fore be something Of herodity in the I'M
swrrvins consistency Of Whittier to tinp0p
tilar opinion.
AZ the date of his birth lIaverhill was
| still Il farming village. Born On Il farm.
| Winters uceupation We're those of u
farmers boy, driving the kline to and from
lihNlulf, IlillDS 10 llllli, ltlNlltllp III NbDh
| ior the undyinS kitchen tire and helping
| III the lighter labors of haying and harvest.
| lie was thus early brought into that COM
| munion with Mother Earth and with ma
| turG which comes not by mere obsei walton
and which gives such charm Of pictures
| que truth Ia 50 many of his poems. How
much he thus learned and to how good
| profit he put it are visible in many Of his
! poems, but especially in his "Snuw-bound''
| which "a nlIiIinn Ia its al ha,p f,1pritA has
now almost historical value us q vivid
picture Of mode Of life even then obsoles-
cent and now almost so far away rs those
pictured by Homer.
A farm hand taught him shoemalting, a
common occupation during winter, and
by this meaus he earned enough to war
rant his attending 1Iaverhill Academy
during six months uG lS27 lie taught in
the district school of West Amesbury dur
ing the following winter. This supplied
the means for another six months ~ the
academy
The literary impulse in him must have
been strong, for while yet in his 18th year
he contributed anonymous verse to the
poets corner of the Free Press, a journal
edited by w. L. Garrison, in Newburyport,
and enjoyed the future bliss of print.
Whittier enlisted after this in the anti
slavery crusade which began with the es-
tablishment of the Liberdtor, in 1881, and
afterward caught SO much of its inspira-
ton from his fervid lyrics. The ambition
to become poet was awakened in him
appropriately enough by copy of Robert
Burns poems, which fell into his hands
in his 14th year.
His father dying, he carried on the farm
for the next five years, and in 1885 was
sent to the general court from Hayerhill
He contributed during all these years
poems 10 John Meals "Yankee,m and "a
the New England Magazine, whore the
"Autocratn began his admirable discourses
In 1923 he became editor Of the American
Manufacturer in Boston, and in 1880 sue
ceeded George d. Prentice as editor of this
"Haverhill Gazette" during the first sil
months of the year, and then of the New
England Weekly Review in Hartford
Conn, He resigned in 1882 OH account o.
failing health.
, In 1886 he became secretary Of the Anti.
Slavery Society and removed to Philadel
phia, where for year (ls3Sl9l he editee
the pennsylvania Freeman This he die
with such sincerity that its printing Office
was sacked and burned bya mob, Whittiel
faced many brutal and lawless mob witt
untlinehing composure In 1910 he tool
up his abode in Amesbury, quiet villag,
near his birthplace, and there with tn,
exception OF six months spent at Lowell
as editor of the "Middlese1 standard y il
tne simple ulBnltN oI lTUBhl lnuepeh
dence, the fruit Of his own literary labors
he has lived until the hour of his death
, known and loved wherever our tongue il
spoken. From 1877 to 1859 he contributed
eiitorially to the National Era" all anti
slavery paper published at Washington. il
which "Uncle Toms Cabin" was frs
printed.
Never mingling in politics (unless film
the office of Presidential elector may bl
called 500 he probably did more than any
; body in preparing the material out o.
which the Republican party WAS made
When the civil war was pending he woult
have eyaded it if possible hy any conces
, sion short of surrender, as his Ward TO
the Hour" shows.
of all American poets, with the singh
exception of Longfellow, Whittier ha
been the most popular. This has been du
in part to the noble, simple character o
the man, His themes have been mainl,
chosen from his own time and country
from his own neighberhood eyen-he deal
with simple motives and with experience
common to all, and, accordingly, hi
scenery whittier of the outward or in
Z ward eyel is domesticaily welcome to al
his countrymeu, One quality above al
others in Whittier--his innate and un
studied Amercanism-has rendered hin
alike acceptable to his countrymeu and &
his kindred beyond the sea,