The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-15

Written for The Tribune.
"When in the dawn sink my head,
Sleep. Deaths twin-brother. times my
breath,
Sleep. Deaths twin-brother, knows not
Death,
Nor can l dream Of thee as dead"
Years Of platonic friendship during
which our lives have been intermingled
closer than the lives of brothers. gave me
an opportunity to observe and study the
character, life and disposition Of the late
Professor w. George Powell possibly bet
ter than any one living outside Of his i'm
mediate family. Together we have en-
joyed the pleasures of life and shared its
disappointments. He the teacher and
the pupil have read the reasonings Of the
old philosophers and the sublime thoughts
Of the poets, have studied the wonderful
drama of nature and gone over the we'll
trodden paths Of fancy and fiction; so
that II in this, my humble tribute to one
to whom was bound by ties stronger than
those OF friendship. I appear to the reader
to extoll too highly his virtues, or place
too high an estimate upon his genius and
ability. trust that he will consider that
1t comes from one from whom death has
taken one that was almost part of the
writer's life.
Whatever way my days decline,
felt and feel, tho left alone,
His being working in my own,
The footsteps of his life In mine.''
Professor Powell was born with a poetic
nature and his whole life has been in keep
ing with the heritage which he received
at his birth. His love for books. among
which he spent the greater part of his
leisure hours. made him appear to many
to be Of a cold and unsympathetic nature.
but to those who knew him best no
warmer friend or more congenial compan-
ion ever lived. His knowledge Of liter
ature and literary character made him
at all times an interesting person to con-
verse with and his conception Of what
true poetry really consisted Of proved him
to be a critic Of the highest order. He
detested at all times affectation and self
praise and would starve before he would
lower the standard Of true poetry by
writing doggerel. He made II q rule to
read a certain amount every day and there
has not been day in ten years up to the
time Of his illness that he has not lived
up to that rule. The amount Of ground
that he covered by his reading Is beyond
by no means confined to literary subjects,
for he was equally as we'll versed in
science and art. Geology was a favorite
study and his articles on the geological
formation of Pennsylvania published some
eight years ago, when he was barely of
age, have been considered by those in a
position to know to be among the best ever
written. His power Of application was
something extraordinary and he devoted
almost all Of his leisure moments to add
ing to his store Of knowledge.
To those friends with whom he daily
came in contact his death will be keenly
felt, for 1t leaves an opening in the circle
Of friendship that 1t will be hard to fill.
To me, individually, II takes a friend and
teacher that can never be replaced, one
with whom I had anticipated spending
many happy hours in the future and
hoped to see occupying that high place
In the literary world that would surely
have been his had not death claimed him
for its own.
Il leave thy praises unexpressed
And by the measure Of my grief
leave thy greatnes to be guess'd."
z. E. Robathan.