Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-05-10
Edgar A. Poe gnd His Sister.

On page = OF this issue we
print some "reminiscences of
Edgar A. Poe, by the late Joseph
FL. Clarke. of Baltimore, at whose
school in this city, where he once
resided, it appears that Poe was
a pupil when about 10 years of
age. How loar Poe continued to
attend the school OF Mr.. Clarke
we are not informed, out We
know that Mr.. Clarke's was not
the only or the chief school which
Poe attended IN Richmond. DR.
Greed Thomas. Of this city, WIS
a schoolmate OF Poe'S at Bur3Se's
school here. and we believe that
they were together there several
years. DR.. Thomas usually speaks
Of Burke as Poe's schoolmaster.
II Mr. Burke was q fine classical
scholar. Few better ones ever
lived here. He was of the opinion
that critics generally had not
tdone justice TO Lucan's Pilar-
salia, and he translated It into
English, but. SO far as we know,
his work was never published.
Mr.. Burke,s s:hool-house was
situated near where Ford's Hotel
now is, and some Of Richmond's
brightest youths we're by him
prepared for%he university. But
though q successful teacher, Nj.
Burke did not prosper financially,
and he abandoned the profession
OF teaching 10 become doctor of
medicine.
Dr. Clarke speaks of Edgar
Poe's sister by thename Of Mary.
Our own impression is that her
name was Rosa. When Edgar was
adopted by Mr.. John Allen she
was adopted by Mr.. Mckenzie.
who at one time lived on the
square near where the residence
OF the late james Alfred Jones
stands, and at another time (if we
mistake not in the house which
of recent years has been known
as the Pinel Hospital.
Miss Poe seems not to have
had the brightness of mind for
which her brother Edgar was
distinguished. She never mar
ried, so far as we are informed.
She was living in this city in
1868, and, we think, left here to
go to Danville to reside with
friends there. She knew very
little about her brother; as a mat
ter of fact, they were seldom
thrown together. The late John
Z. Thompson was n of her
friends, and after the war he in
terested himself in writing out
some, of he Q recot ections of
her brother and supplemented
them with his own "reminiscences
These were sold for her sole
benefit. One of these produc-
tons was a lampoon, which Poe,
as a boy. had levelled at a .'coun-
ter hopper" in this city, and
which Mr.. Thompson rewrote
from memory-his own, not Miss
Poe's benefit to-Ienry Rives
Pollard, who was then publish
ing the Southern Opinion in the
old building lately demolished to
make room for new houses at
northeast corner of Main and
Seventh streets.
Very few of Poe's biographers
mention Poe's sister. It is not
likely that he often spoke Of her
to his acquaintance. Indeed,
they were separated early in life,
and Poe was not the man to Law
ish much attention or affection
upon friends or kindred.
Nh. 3. B. Minor, who was al
one time the editor of the Southern
Literary Hagazi1e, also contrib
utes some "reminiscences Of Poe
to this issue of the Dispatch. The
article is particularly valuable,
as showing that it is not true, as
some writer's have stated, thai
Poe never altered aline he wrote
1.-The Raven was first published
in the american Wing ReUier, an6
at the poets request it was re
produced in the North american
Reuie,O, Mr.. Poe meanwhile hav
ing made several changes in the
language of the poem, all fol
| the better, Mr.. Minor thinks
Richmond Dispatch.