The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-08
SOMETHING ABOUT LLEw LLwYrO.

Editor of The Tribune
Sir; Harold Frederic's London letter
IN the Sunday New York Times saws:
Every person of Welsh blood in America
has heard of Llew Llwyfo. who began he
ing figure in eisteddfodau fifty wears
ago. Several times during the last dozen
years these dispatches have chronicled his
final disappearance from public view
once. think, he was supposed to be dead 4.
later II was said that he was a. poor old
wreck, existing somehow in great obscur-
ity. THIS week he burst forth at the eis-
teddfod in I.lanelly, to everybody's sur
PRISE, In hrst-rate form, and walked off
win the prize for an epic poem amid roars
OF applause. He Is now over 10, but he
talks jauntily of the career s,ill before
him."
Llew Lllwyfo is well known to the Welsh
people of Scranton. He came TO tbIs
country In 1865 and conducted an eistedd-
fod at old Washington hall IN 1869. He re-
mained in this country until the summer
or lSI 1t was his intention to make
America his home and had taken out his,
nrst papers with that purpose in view.
In those days he was not only the lead
ing Iierateur of his people, but he was
also the leading baritone of his musical
Iiatloh. Since he was young man Of Is
ne has been the most prominent figure of
MS countrymen as an orator, a musician.
vocalist, poet and essayist He won the
chef laurels of the eisteddfod as far bac,,
as 1850 He has had A brilliant career
and has probably ended his long siege of
remarkable victories in contests of poetry
ana song with the crowning effort of his
lie at the l.lanelly national eisteddfod.
which was held last week, by winning one
or the chief poetical prizes of the eistedd-
fod-an epic poem of two thousand lines.
lie has been from time to time editor of
he leading papers of Wales. and in 1872.
in conjunction with John c. Morris. of this
city and II. T. Daniels. of Pittsburg, con-
quoted Welsh paper of great literary
merits in that city. He stumped the west
ern part of this state in the interest Of
General Grant against Greeley, and for
the late Governor Hartranft against Buck
alew for the gOvernorship Of the state.
He was powerful speaker, eloquent and
convincing. He is a present the crowned
bard of Wales, having won this great dis
tinction Of his country as far back as
thrity-tiVe years ago. He Is an anti-Roy-
alist and has always been very pro-
nounced In his condemnation of that form
of government
His pronounced views in this direction
brought him face to face with the English
authorities years ago. He was delivering
one of his anti-Royalist lectures at Ches-
ter, England. Chester is practically a
Welsh city, although located in an English
country. The language of the inhabit-
ants of the city to the present day Is
Welsh, and the lecturer spoke in Welsh
Fenianism was in its glory in those days
and Stevens Uhe Fenian leader) was the
reigning power of the order. He had
many sympath.Zers In Wales and among
the warmest of them was Llew Llwyfo
During his lecture he made use of the
following expresson "Were | an Irish
man would fight for the liberation of my
countrymen. No English shackles for
me-" 1t was reported to the police and
from the lecture platform the great poet
was taken to prison cell. He was tried.
but was acquitted after severe repri-
mand. He soon afterward emigrated to
this country and would have ended his
days here had it not been for the great
advantages that had been rendered by an
English musical institution to his son-in-
law, with whom he was living at Pittsburg
at the time. His son-in-law Is James
Savage, musical preceptOr of Vassar col
lege, and one Of the greatest baritones of
the age.
He was an American by instinct and
loved her government and institutions.
He is probably the greatest eisteddfodwr
of the age, and one of little Gwal.a's most
talented sons. He received a paralytic
stroke in 1888 which incapacitated him
for some years to do any literary work.
1t also affected his mind and It was feared
that ii had ended his work in this direc-
ton, but we are proud to learn that the
good old Welsh genius IS himself again
and that he covered himself with the
greatest glory at the chief e;steddfod of
his nation last week. Llew Llwyfo Is G6
years of age and receives monthly PEN
sion from his countrymen. Yours truly,
"Welshman."