The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-02-05

VINO Is tnpre 'na' mas nO' sung
or read or heard "Ihe Old Oaken
Bucket p Many musical c0mpo.
sltlons have been SET to lis lines,
and it has been translated into
many languages lit has gone the
rounds Of The civilized world for
more than lwO generations. Had
WOodw0rlh never written another
line, this poem alone would have
immorialized his name. In con.
neclion with the celebrated poem,
AS published here. Il short sketch OF
The author and the circumstances
under which The poem was written
is in place.
Samuel Woodwork was born in
Sclluaie, Plymouth County, Mass
achusel,s. January 18Th, 1855. lie
came Of good old Puritan stock,
one Of his early ancestors, Waller
Woodworth, having been cne of
III" founders of Sclluate in 1888.
Samuel's father was soldier of The
Revolution. Samuel was the
youngest Of four children. He
was ii bright sturdy youth, with a
Ionduess for books and study, and
often wrote poetry, taking his
themes from the simple surround.
ines Of his life. He was encour.
aged by his teacher and friends,
and the minister OF the parish,
who discovered in these early ef
forts suggestions o. genius of a
high order, worthy Of cultivation.
The opportunities for education al
that day were meaere, and all that
The boy received aside from what
the common country school then
offered was given him by Rev,
Nehemiah Thomas, unCer whose
care he was placed at the age Of
fourteen. In the family Of this
excellent gentleman he remained |
one year. lie was naturally II
bright scholar and made more than
ordinary progress in the study OF
the classics The financial circum-
stances Of his family were such
that he was compelled early in lille
to seek some occupation aud make
his way in the world. He came 10
Boston and chose the profession OF
a printer, binding himself TO Ben.
jamin Russell, then editor of The
Columbian Sentinel, with whom he
remained until 1906; and while
serving his apprenticeship he cou
tributed poetry to different period,
lcaIs then published in Boston, un
der The signature of "Seline." lie
used this nom de plume for most
Of his writings in afterl!e, and
among his intimate friends was
commonly addressed by this name,
which he gave to his oldest son.
In 1907, Woodwork published in
New Haven n weekly sheet, called
The Bellies Lettre Repository. The
following year he spent in Bali.
more, and during the year he con-
tribuled many of his best poems
to the papers of that city. In the
spring of1S09 he went to New
York, where in 1910 he was to be
In 1924, during The
war with Great Britain, he con.
Quoted a weekly paper in New
York, entitled The War, in which
Dur victories by land and sea were
graphically chroniclel. AT the
same time he conducted a period.
cal called The New Jeru ,alem
N visionary and Intellectual Reposito.
~, devoted to the promulgali Of
he doctrines of Swedenborg, oil
whom he was a devoled follower.
During This period many OF his
political tributes tn American val
Dr. and patriotism were written. In
1916, he wrote The champions OF
Freedom a novel IN Two volumes,
and at later date the "Coniess
ons ola Sensitive Man," a series
)f papers in prose. About this
line also he conducted successive.
" The Casket, The Tarthenon and
The Literary Gazette. He was as
,ociated with the late George p.
Morris in he establishment of lie
New York Mirror in 1923. He
wIole many plays at this period Of