Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-09-08
POE AND THE RAVEN
INTERESTING TALK WITH I'm,
SHEA.

ShbA.
How Poe Used 10 Read His Pam.
POem--GiadstOne and GrctI.v..,
Not Defeat which Killed IN. g.
the Tribune.
Mr.. Carson had a very interestino...
in the Boston Globe of last Sunday S ,r,l
was written out after recent yiSi, 'u.1
Judge George Shea in his VILLAGE 'N
Shea showed his visitor letter wri,,,-s
Edgar Allen Poe to the Judges fabo. y
which Poe asked the elder Shea's .5..
about changes in a stanza of his tn
poem, "The Raven" Judge Shea ..s
by way of explanation, that his f,%
John Augustus Shea, who was from C'.l
and himself man of literary distjn@i.I
numbering many famous men amons
friends, came to this country in 1S2- I,Is
ing first clerkship in the commisss,r Ivy ~
partment at West Point. Here bo W
tinued his literary work, contributin, !,
the leading newspapers and maqazins' "
the time. Later he went to Wasbin.,1
and reported the Senate debates for ~
National Intelligencer, and afterwarl =
came a member of the staff of the ".
York Tribune.
While at West Point, Judge Shea ,,a
his father and Poe, who was then A c,5..
were close associates, and it was Al m,
time, very likely under Mr.. Shea's enca-.
agement, that Poe began writing ye,-
Poe left West Point before his pradp,f..
and his first volume of poems was MI
lished soon after. "The Raven vFS
made its first appearance in the Febn,-
number of the American Review in lg
was published anonymously under the pon
de plume of "Quarels." 1t was al ds
time that Poe's letter to Judge Sba,
father was written and left at his hop,A /,
his absence. The judge naturally esteem,
it one of his chief treasures, and keeps Il,
his safe deposit box with his stocks ,ri
bonds.
Mr.. Carson continues: Judge Sa
himself knew Poe personally, and in n.
forties was often in his company. Hest
the other day: "Poe was one of the he
elocutionists l have ever heard. Il va
my good fortune to be present when Pa .
and my father read and recited to a5
other. l remember distinctly Poe, ,sr.
dering of Florence Vane and Annals
Lee, and more than once his own 'Rsy.r
His reading of the Raven left upon N.
mind very different impression from ,br
which it inspires in print 1t was v.y
rapturous invocation as to an actual p,-.
ence. Poe was among the first Of h.
authors that took to reading and ectrn,
as professional occupation.
g do not recall Poe at West Point but
do recall another poet who visited a, MI
fathers house there, and who was he
author of verses that are familiar whe,y7y
the English tongue is spoken. | reie, %
Woodwork, the author of the 'Old Oak.'
Bucket He left my fathers house at Id
Point to take the boat for New York. A.
that time there was no wharf ana the snail
boats reached the larger steamers 10 hd
stream by means of line. In this way
met with an accident to one of his leg, an
was brought back to our house in an iru-
chair. The accident caused a shonen1s
of the limb, and he ever afterward limp4l.
| saw him often later going in or on,
Bonfanti's store in Broadway in which hl
son was interested.
Tell you of some of the famous mel
have met? / am afraid it would take ID
long. | met Gladstone in lS72. ! Vi
presented to him by Lord Wolyerton Nj
Gladstone was then premier. In som
way he knew l was intimate with HGao
Greeley. NJ. Greeley was then one Of ID
candidates for the presidency. and thea
bama tribunal was in session at GelsTl
We both were seated on single sofa, b
only furniture the room contained lh
interview took place in the goyenm51
building. There are reasons why calll
tell you what was said in that cOnyeI2tol
''But let me add that l think Glad,iol
took his famous fad of chOpping trees in1
Greeley, who was always doing the san
thing at his country home.
81 returned from Europe in SeptembG
1872. saw Mr.. Greeley at the home Of
physician in Fifth Avenue almost at ono
He was in an exhausted condition.
said: L wish could sleep unit ID
thing is over. Gov. Randolph wishes
to make a series of addresses thrOuglo1
the country, and am opposed to it,
saw that he was, as far as he aloa
was concerned, utterly indifferent as ton
result of the presidential election. Heu
also of the opinion that he could moi
elected. But he was vitality concerns
about his wife, who was then slowly Own.
and about the Tribune, that had serious
ternal troubles. / did all | could to ?
duce him TO make the addresses, for
that his mind must be led in another dina
ton or he would break down. He ala
ward accepted the invitation and sIar'
on a tour. He made, am convince
series of the most able, tactful and 0nllA-
addresses that were ever made in this con
try. l do not think that the speeches
Gladstone in any of his Midlothian cal
paigns surpass those made by 6Tr9
Those addresses alone are worthy moD'
ment to him.
- i saw him on his return TO New lg1|
The trip had improved his health
was then going to his summer eOala
home TO bring his wife to New lork aLl
went with him. You may say paInly. 10
in my judgment his defeat for the pTe'aa
ey had nothing to do with his breaEag'
and death. There were many things y
Mr.. Greeley felt keenly but that was D
one of them.
g After Mr.. Greeley's death it fell Z.
lot to ask my old friend, President Ola.
to attend Mr.. Greeley's funeral. " co-
| do not say that induced him 70 a.,,.
the funeral. simply know that p'''
him and that he accepted.