Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-16
"SveA lics, Ben Bolt" Also Makes
The Author Weary.
now 1T CAME TO DE WRITTEN.
DR.. Thomas Dunn Enslish Confesses
Hia Celebrated song was a YOUTH
fui EMusion-He Does Not Think
netter Of Du Mauricr's nook.
washing,on Post.)

Bolt,
In a corner obscure and alone,
Tley have fitted n slab OF granite so gray,
And Alice lies under the stone.
"Trilby and Sweet Alice. Ben Bolt are
becoming titles trife wearying to me-"
1t was DIR. Thomas Dunn English who
confessed 10 this double reason for ennui.
] had found him at 2:So O'Clock last Sun
day morning In the lobby at the rear of
the House OF Representatives. He was
stretched fuli-length on a plush sofa, and
regaling himself with thin and mar
rowed view Of an oil-painting OF Henry
Clay. which chung to the lobby wall above.
The Doctor Is now &c years old. His eyes
are so dimmed by many books that. as
he said: IL can no longer recognize my
friends until they speak. can see the
form OF a man. but it's all blur. can't
tell one from another"
DR.. English was a figure familiar about
The halls OF Congress, where. represent
ing the Newark IN. j. District he has
been faithfully in his seat. He Is sour
sharp. apt TO bite with retort: but his
honesty and Kindness OF heart are house
proverbs. Unlike most old men, he is
open-handed as a prince, and gives his
money TO any who ask, smooth or shabby,
good or bad.
Have read "Trilby?' I've looked II
over. And" continued the old doctor,
sitting w and lighting a cigar. Il don
think much OF it. Alice. Ben Bot is
the best thing in IL. and I've never had
much of an opinion OF Alice Ben Bolt.
AT this crisis a confused roar arose from
within the chamber of the House. where
legislation, threatened by the coming Atm
OF March--the next day-was made 10
rage all night
whats that?" demanded the doctor,
flercely. as one voice rose like the bowling
OF high wind above the general huboub'
He got up and stepped to the House
door; the same. by the way, by which
k.lgore gained fame In moment the
doctor returned 10 his sofa, with an AK
of disgust.
ITS only Boutelle." he said. And he
had all the tones of a man who identihcd
some portentious uproar as. AFTER ALL ohiS
the harmless vocalisms OF some partlcu-
lar stentor Of n tomcat.
What Is the story which goes WIN
Sweet Alice Ben Bolt? Wei, went on
the doctor. at isn't much OF story
and in that behalf fair match FOR the
song. i Wrote u WITCH Il was btANN 800
a fact one might have guessed from the
poem. / had started in an idle moment
10 write sea-song. something IKE the
conversation which might occur between
boyhood friends separated for yeaIs-ole
at sea and the other ashore in the oil
village where they both were boys.
wrote the first three stanZas ana then
threw IL down 1t didn't seem 10 so rlsht'
and | didn't like IT, a month or TWO
hn
the old New York Mirror, under 'he
name of the New Mirror. wrote ana
asked me TO do him up some verses. lie
said he had no money, and l must vi. 'e
them for love and fame. / picked up the
unfinished Alice. Ben Bolt ana wrote
two more stanzas | sent it TO Wits. ana
he published II In his magazine. i thousH'
no more Of IL: nor did Wills
..s,Ill." went on the doctor. while /
retroepectiye look dwelt in his lace Ilt
a haze as the men and the scenes or al
most three score years ago came Dach
10 his memory; "still. the verses must
have had the touch of something, SAD OF
natural, too. for they were copied anu
read quite widely.
..The music came about In this way
Wilson Knease a Philadelphia. was a
tenor singer. who. to their notion. had
dlsgraced his family by singing IN the
theatres. His brother. Hon. II. knease
was a great lawyer. Wilson knease was
pennlless: not uncommon dramauc con-
dition even 10 this day. He went TO Por-
ter's Theatre in Pittsburg for something
20 do. He was starving. The manager
who knew Knease could sing, told him
there was nothing about the play then
running-it was The Battle OF Bueha
Vista / believe-that he could DO.
"'But. added the manager, If you had
sing 1t between the acts
IAN Englishman named Hunt suggested
sAllce Ben Bolt to Knease. He looked
over the lines. and. taking an old German
air which they fairly fitted, he began to
mix the words with the music until he had
warmed the whole thing over into sweet
Alice Ben Bolt as you have heard II.
Knease made hit. and the song became
very popular. one time and another in
that day everybody who could sing at all
had a shot at IT, That was the last of
81 until Du Maurler-I think that's his
name-looking about for thread wherein
70 string his glass beads seized on the
song"
What became 81 Knease?" I asked.
"Oh, poor Knease," replied the old doc
Tor, died and is buried ct the little
town Of Chlllicothe. Mo. He was with a
Transforming company which stranded
there. Knease was out of money and
fell sick and died. On his tombstone
which was put up by strangers. is writ
ten under his name:
1.-The author Of Sweet Alice. Der
Dolt
COMES OF QUAKER STOCK.
DR.. English was born In Philadelphia
IN 1919. He is OF English-1rish stock. His
great-great- great-grandfather-a Quaker
came 10 this continent with william
Penn. This ancestors farm. twenty mile:
north OF Philadelphia. has been for -
yeaB. and stlll Is. known as the Engiisi
farm. The Doctor graduated from IN,
University OF Pennsylvania in 1898. Thei
ne studied law. a fellow-student in IN
came law-ofiice being Ben Brewster, az
terward In Garfield's Cabinet. Ii was thei
that DR. English wrote Alice. Ben Bolt.
lie soon discovered taste 10 write
which FAR outran his taste 10 study law
He wrote poems. short stories, dramaH
and the magazines and newspapers Of tina
day saw much of his work. lie was
bright member OF that literary set whic
included Willis Morris. Bryant. Graham
Hurst, and Edgar Allan Poe. These IA
Headquarters In New York and Phiiadel
phia. BY the Doctors own story. neithe
then nor In after years did he see niue
OF Holmes. Emerson. Lowell. Thorcai
the Aicotts, and members OF the strict
New England SET. some fcdsOn lOT III
might lie in the politics which was afr
at the time. Dr. English Is. and Away
was a remorseless Democrat. He wa
not an Abolitionist. and. while Unio
man. had no sympathy with the wa
And. by the way. Or. English is one {
the two men from north OF Mason an
Dixons line on whom that venerable un
yereity, the William and Mary Colieg
has conferred the title Of doctor OF law
Senator George +. Hoar Is the other.
Edgar Allen Poe" said DR.. English.
response TO a query was wen known
me for years. At one time We were clos
friends; or as much so as Poe could
a close friend OF anybody Poe was p
GUITAR makeup. All sense OF moral obi
cation was left out OF Poe. He might DO
row your watch In the blandest way. an
when you got II again you would recei'
n from the pawnbroker, where Poe ma
borrowed all he could get on II. Nor d
fhis abash him. He was as freely In yo'
presence afterward. never Offering to r
nav your loss or explain the phenomena
Of his pawnlng your watch. he appeart
40 regard and relish II is the most naturl
rood. and proper thing TO DO. You eou
sIways tell when Poe had been drinkir
by bis slouchy. unkempt dress. Wh'
.,,ev Poe was a vast Top. great dand
Vie WAS a Hon among women, ana TINS
~.w a great deal OF his dark. melanchoi
sensitiye. but exceedingly weak face wble
va. yelled 20 men. Indeed. II was ifo
..crnen whom Poe, as a rule. did his DO
al