The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-09-08
THE QUAKER POET.
HisDeath Causes Cc"vr,l sadness-sketeh
OF His LIfe.


OF His LIfe.
AMEsBURY, Mass, Sep. 9--Amesbury
is saddened town to-day. The news
of the death of John G. Whittier, poet,
friend and citizen, has brought grief to
every heart The last few days were full
of anxiety, but the hope has ever held
sway with the people here that they
might once again see the beloved form on
the streets of Amesbury; but that has
passed, and the tolling bells echo the
grief in many a heart. The Quaker Poet
died ut Hampton Falls, N. H., yesterday
morning
His body has been brought to his home
In Amesbury and the funeral will be held
at 2:30 p. m. on Saturday afternoon from
his late residence on Friend street, the
house in which many of his best poems
were written, and the shrine of every Wis
itor to Amesbury.
The body will rest in the Friends Gem
etery, connected with Union Cemetery,
in the family plot where rest his parents,
uncle, aunt, sister and brother.
All business will be suspended in Ames-
bury on Saturday during the funeral.
John Greeuleaf Whittier was born in
Haverhill, Mass, Dec. II, 1907. His
Friends, and the poet himself always con
formed to the customs and usages Of that
sect, even to its peculiarities of speech and
dress.
1t was thus that he was early brought
into touch with nature, his intimate ac-
quantance and knowledge of whose
charms gives such picturesque beauty
to many Of his poems. They reflect the
country scenery of New England with a
fidelity that has never been equalled
His early schooling was of the scantiest
kind, for it was only in the winter
months that he had the opportunity of at
tending the neighboring district sch ool
Later on he learned the shoemaker's trade,
and by this means he earned enough to
enable him to attend the Haverhill Acad-
emy during six months in 1927.
He was then able to teach school him
self, thus obtaining the means of continu-
ing his cou,se at the academy another
year. During all this time he was a regular
contributor to the Poets Corner" in the
Free Press, a paper edited by William
Lloyd Garrison, at Newburyport. Mass.
for his literary tastes had begun TO de-
velop when he was still boy.
Garrison saw signs of promise in the
young man. and their association at this
existed between them and brought them
closely together in the anti-slavery cru
sade, which began in 1881 with the
establishment of the Liberator, to which
Whittier was a regular contributor and
which caught much of its inspiration
from his fervid lyrics.
After his fathers death Whittier car
ried on the farm for five years until 1885,
during which he was an industrious
writer and contributed verses to many
periodicals. He was also in turn editor
of the american Manufacturer, " of Bos-
ton, the Haverhil Gazette" and the
New England Weekly Review" of Hart
ford, Conn.
In 1886 he became the secretary of the
American Anti Slavery Society, and re-
moved to Philadelphia, where he edited
the Pennsylvania Freeman" until the
Office of that paper was sacked aud
burned by mob, In 1910 he returned
to New England and took up his abode
in Amesbury, where he lived a quiet anC
simple life.
During his seclusion Whittier has neve
been idle. From lS47 to 1859 he contrib
uted ediCorially to the National Era, the
Washington anti-slayery paper, and helped
provide the material for the groundwork
of the Republican party.
No American poet, with the exception
perhaps, of Longfellow, has been more
popular than Whittier. This is ascribe.
to the noble simplicity of his character
which was reflected in all his writings
whether in verse or prose.
His first volume in prose and verse
Legends Of New England" was pub
lished in 1881, and since that time collec
tions of his writings have appeared almos
every year. The last edition of his poet
ical and prose works was published il
1889 in seven volumes.