Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-01-15

somewhat wild and unsettled, and it was in reality a farmhouse of 8 primitive character. The northward march of New York during the past half century has caused Fordham to be included within the city limits of New York and has given the tiny cottage many neigh bors. The cottage is of wood and looks not unlike one of the Shantytown houses built by the numerous squatters on the rocks in upper New York.
 Its roof is covered with shingles, and the walls were once painted white, but the rains and storms of passing years have worn the paint away. Along the front runs a narrow porch, in front of which is a sturdy cherry tree that Poe planted in 1S47 and which still bears a good crop of fruit. On the lower floor are two large rooms and kitchen. The front room was the bedroom of the poet S child wife, Virginia Glenn Poe, and here her gentle spirit took leave of earth. She died of consumption in 1S47, and it is related that tho family was so poor that there was not sufficient bedclothing upon the bed to keep her warm, and that the poets overcoat covered her and a pet CiG neSIleu III HeT UOSOlu
 The other large room on the ground floor was the dining and sitting room where Poe received his visitors. At one end of the room is hugo stone chimney. and there is narrow hall from which steep stairs lead to low attic which the poet utilized as his study. There are tiny-pancd windows, and tho slop- ing sides of the roof are so near the floor that one can barely stand erect in the room. Yet here Poe is said to have writ ten his marvellous musical poem, ''The Bells," the pathetic ''Annabel Lee" and his last notable poem, the weird "Ula- lume." There is some dispute as to where "The Raven" was written, but the poet doubtless composed it at different times and in various places, and not in the quaint attic of the Fordham cottage.
 The cottage is at present owned by Austin E. Ford and is in such an ex- cellent state of preservation that it will stand many years if spared by fire and the real estate speculator. It is open to sightseers, and hundreds of tourists visit it every day. There is a visitors book, and the registration shows that people from all over the world are drawn to the spot.
 Not far from the cottage is St. John E college, which Poe often visited, and there are se~-7al residents of Fordban who knew the poet we'll. They described him as quiet, courteous man who was a gentleman even when pursuing hi: unsteady way along the Kingsbridge road as the result of his intemperance. The rent of the cottage was only $65 ( year, but it was largely unpaid when ht left, owing to his impoverished condi tion, and he was also mourned by hil butcher, grocer and milkman. LiteraturC was an unremunerative field in New York in Poe's day. and 1t is said tha part of the time while Poe occupied tht Fordham cottage his salary on Th' Evening Mirror was only $10 a week.
 Poe is buried in the old graveyard O the Westminster Presbyterian church | Baltimore. There were but two vehicles at the funeral, hearse and a carriage and only four persons followed the deaC poet to his grave, which was unmarked until 1875. when the schoolteachers O Baltimore erected simple marble me morial costing $1,0o0.