The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-21
EDGAR A. POEAT SCHOOL
DR. CREED THOMAS TELLS ABOUT
HIS ACQUAINTANCE WITH M1.
says ne Was Unpopular With His SCHOOL,
mstes-Bts Fight with Young Seldom
Roe As an Amateur Actor.

p,rhaps the oldest living resident Of
pichmord whose memory dates back 70
tho DAVIS when he played ball with Edgar
ana, Poe witnessed in high glee the
elaborate parade in honor OF the Mar
aus de La Fayette's visit 10 hlcnnlo"u'
and divided time with lis shareholders
So The primitive editions Of Terence anu
A.e,hvlus over dim tallow candles at the
t-,iversity of Virginia, is Or. Greco
rbop{as .he uncle Of Or. Il. Wythc Da-
Wis. and who was an active pracuuohei
IN Richmond for moro than forty years
pr Thomas Is enc Of the most modest
NJ men. lie shrinks from leNspi Der no
toricty and has been, for years Hihsu-
igrlv retiring I'm manner. Win a t.hu-
inc approciatiOn Of literary merit a 'hoi-
cueh acquaintance with several loicisn
/ languages. and a memory that recalls
u,itb accuracy any number of interesting
i,cidents that took place before there
vore any steam-cars. gas-jets, or any OF
! tho modern cOnVenenccs, DIT Ihonl"7
! could. il he would. furnish many c".,I-
tanning experiences away back III the
twenties. ,.,
He can remember when lichmonn nau
scarcely 10.Op inha bitants' when tHe cry
enjoyed no luxurics such as paVeHneiis'
street lights and the like. and When
/ transportation was confined 70 the flue
| stagc-coach. lie watched with wonder
the introduction of steamboats,, locomo-
! Hvos. the telegraph the telephone. gas
/ the electric light and all the great IN
vonfious which have rovolutionized the
world during the nineteenth century
When a student at the University Of
! virginia Dr. Thomas Ike the olher SUI
dents there. was shareholder I'D 'ue
/ textbooks he studied. Two students
would study for the following day reel
/ tations until II or y o'clock at nlsht'
and then the books were turned over 10
| two others who frequently worked until
/ four iu the morning Tallow candles were
| tho mode Of lighting.
HIS ACQUAINTANCE WITH rOr.
DR. Thomas "reminiscences Of Edgar Al
! Ian Poe if published. would be eagerly
read 10y thousands Of the great poets adj
| mircrs The two boys were schoomales
at Burk's private school I'm 1873, 1874 ana
is95. The school house stood on the pres
ent site Of Ford's Hotel, and was known
as the Smithgate's Building. There were
some seventy scholars, and Burke's was
! the best institution Of its kind In the
| pills. lie read and scanned the Latin
poets with ease when scarcely thirteen
| years Of age. lie was an apt student ana
! always rccited well. I'm the poets ma
| ture there was a keen spirit Of rivalry.
| he could not bear 10 be cXcolled i'm any
| thing pee undertook. 4 conscious pride
and selhshness stimulated him 20 sur
| pass his fellOw-students whether I'm the
| classroom or on the play-grOunds. He
I d ,.f al ..I. md N
! athletic sports, had few equals an school
ON the Fairgrounds De was a consp.cu-
Gus figure taking the lead ia such games
as "cat," tbandy" and the ike lie was
active. quite strong for one of his deii-
cate constitution. and full OF grit as
the boys used 10 say.
"Poe's great desire 10 excel was Illus
| trdted i'm the r9ther strange undertaking
10 swim TO Warwick Park from the land
ing i'm Rockets" said DR.. Thomas, when
/ referred TO the incident.
ole had read of Byron's swim across
the HclesBont, and determined 10 per-
form "a similar feat Accordingly a boat
was secured and The young athlete was
accompanied ly Bob Campbell Robert G..
stauard, and David Bridges. AT that time
Poe was about fifteen years Of age. There
was "a question as to whether the youth
could succeed. re aid. however and with
apparent ease. Tho party returned In the
boat. Years afterwards the poet came 10
! Richmond and asked me Tor AN affidavit
certifying to the incident which I gave
him.
A1IGHT WITH SELDOM.
Despite Poc's retiring disposition he
was never lacking I'm courage. There was
not "a pluckier boy al school Tie never
provoked a quarrel but always stood up
| for his rights. ! remember ON one Oc-
casion q difficulty arose between him and
William Seldom. who was about the
same age as Poe. but much larger Sci
don told some one that Poe was liar, or
a rascal. The embryo poet heard Of IT,
and soon the boys were engaged In a
fight seldom was heavier than Poe.
whom ne pommcled vigorously for some
time. THE delicate boy appeared TO SUBJ
NIT with little resistance. Finally. Poe
turned the tables ON Seldom, and much 90
| the surprise of the spectators admins
tered "a sound whipping. When asked why
! ne permitted Seldom TO pOmmel his head
so long, Poe replied that he was waiting
for the enemy TO get out of breath be-
fore showing him some few things in the
art OF fighting.
"Poe was o. quiet peaceable youngster.
and seldom got into difficulty with lis
| schO0lmatcs. lie was as plucky as any
boy at school. however. and never per-
mittei himself 10 be imposed upon.
! When it came TO question of looking
after his individual rights the young
classic asserted himself He was not at
all popular with his schOOmates. being
too retired I'm his disposition. and singu-
larly uns0ciable IN manner The only
two boys with whom he was intimate
were Monroe StanarG. who afterwards
became Judge Stai ard, and Robert G.
| Cabcll. Tie was quite fond Of both OF
them. and the thee boys We're continu-
| ally i'm each others company. IL was a
noticeable fact that he never asked any
Of his schoolmates TO go home with
him after school. Other boys would fire.
Quenty spend the night or take dinner
with each other at their homes, but Poe
was seldom known 10 enter into this So
cial intercourse. After he left the play
grounds at school that was the end of
his sociability until the next day.
An AMATEUR ACTOR.
Or. Thomas related In an entertaining
manner the fondness of Poe for the
stage and how young. classic Ben Ander-
son. William u. Richie and others held
amateur thcatricals INA the old wooden
building which. stood on tho northwest
corner Of Sixth and Marshall streets.
Mr. Allen was opposed 10 Poe having
! anything 20 do with these thcaticals.
but the youth would frequently steal
off and 80. Poe was quite an embryo
actor and had some dramatic talent for
one Of his years. lie executed his parts
well and threw great deal OF spirit and
dash into the roles. His ambition ana
| nod l.sf-. e.. ax.aI stimulated him