Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-06
EARLY LIFE OF POE.
In Old SChOOlmat0 Writes About Genius
and Peculiar Traits.
NOT QUITE CENTURY OLD.
Peter Morgan Lived to he oS-Active
PeopIe in Old ige-Took Captain
xyi.o,s Advice and Escaped--Uenfh
Sentence for Stealing Meat.

Edgar Allan Poe, poet, critic, ana TO-
mancsi, has, perhaps, been more anu
yariously discussed than any other man
ever reared in Richmond. His faults, hs
foiblss. his weaknesses. and his want OF
moral courage as man have mao equaI
advertisement. and been put before the
public as foil Of his transcendant apilts
as veIse-maker and concoctor oi
weird and fascinating fiction. lie had
mastery command of the Kings English
md OF its roots and derivatives; less can
not be said in truth. for he was faVollte
scholar OF the great university when hau
Thomas jefferson as It's founder, Whsre
his natural endowments of high order
had been fostered and encouraged by the
most skilful instructors. He could clothe
the most commonplace subject In rare
earb Of poetry and romance His talent
with the pen, early shown. was backed
by a genius rare In Its range OF gifts
but his grand mistake and enc thdl
tInctured his whole after-life with NOR
bidity was his injudcious and unseemly
kick against the second marriage OF his
adopted father and benefactor. Scotch
Jack Allan. He should have patted the
old man on the back and encouraged him
An his matrimonial efforts. Allan had done
everything for him that the most devoted
father could have done. Poes ingratitudo
naturally resulted In his being set adritt,
without cent one may readily imagine
what would ensue when the spender OF
unearned thousands was suddenly forced
10 find. as best he might. the few dollars
necessary for hare subsistence he
should have cursed himself. instead OF
Mr. Allan. Poe's literary career may
have been brilliant. In some respects 1t
was: but his life as a man Of probity
and good demeanor came far short Of
what was expected Of him.
1t Is pleasing TO turn from this sonbre
view OF comparatively wasted life to
the bright excellence OF budding and
promising youth. On July co. 1883. one
Of Poe's Richmond schoolmates (sinee
passed away. dictated the following 70
the Hon ID. Crockett Richardson. Of this
city. He said:
AT my age. when more than three
score years have passed over me, II is
hardly presumable that incidents of my
boyhood and youth can be remembered
with accuracy. l shall. therefore, relate
some few "reminiscences that my memory
brings before me. AMI upon which 1t often
loves 10 linger:
"My first recollection OF Edgar A. Poe
was when. as schoolboys. about 1913, we
went TO school in Richmond to u Mr..
Stack, who taught upstairs at the north
east corner OF Broad and Sixth streets.
near the market There was q market
there then. but II was n small building.
and we boys had our Fairgrounds near
and around 1t. Mr.. Stack was by birth
an lrishman. whom, II was said. Mr.
Jefferson induced TO come TO this coun-
Try. and who taught first al the Char
louisville and afterwards in Richmond.
lie was great, classical scholar. and
possessed or remarkable tale Mt to teach
what he knew His Incorporate habits
impaired his usefulness. but never sulied
that high sense OF honor that he pos
sessed and which he tried TO instl,l
into his pupils. At that time Poe was
kind and amisble In his disposition,
but found as he grew older no became
more easily excited. He was very &C.
centric. and that often exhibited itself In
his erratic ideas and unsteadiness Of pur-
pose.
.At the university. about 1923 we en-
tered a. classmates. when his classical