The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-05
GENIUS IN EMBRYO.
A hoy Poet From the sIums Aston
ishes London.
From the New York journal.


From the New York Journal.
Edmund Curtis, now known all over
England as the boy Poet of Silver
town." was found in a humble habitation
in one Of the most poverty-stricken dis
tricts of East London. The credit of
having discovered this young genius rests
with a weekly newspaper called London.
He is Is years of age. His father de-
scended from a very respectable Irish fam
lily and passed with some distinction
through Trinity College, Dublin. By pro-
fession an architectural draughtsman, he
made an unfortunate investment and lost
heavily. He was left a widower with
five young children, and, quitting Donegal,
went to England, where he obtained en-
ployment at Bury. in Lancashire, but
never regained the position he had lost.
He seems to have sunk from a good po-
sition to the brink of absolute poverty.
SilVertoWn is the name given to a dis
trict Astounding in soap and candle fac
tories and other eVil-smelling industries.
1t is, however, in this squalid suburb
of the metropolis that Edmund Curtis
has been brought up Such scant edu
cation as he had was obtained at the
Board school.
1t was not until NJ. c. H. Gray, the head
of the India Rubber Gutta Percha Tele-
graph Works. where he was employed.
saw the article in London that he knew
there was young poet in the factory. As
soon as he was enlightened, he generously
offered TO provide for his education. But
in this he had already been forestalled.
Soon after the boys verses appeared in
London the daily papers took the case up
and published leading articles in which
the poems of the boy-poet were favorably
commented upon. One paper saw in them
''the promise of fine work and evidence
of great imaginative power" Mr.. Andrew
Lang found the verses full of promise, COM
pairing them with the school verses of Sir
Walter Scott, which, he said ARE really
not so good Edmund Curtis s" The
Westminster Gazette sent a man to inter-
view the YOU has though his head had
not been sufficiently turned by the notice
he had already received in the public press.
The reporter describes him as a bright
faced, intelligent looking lad-still a mere
boy, with frank gray eyes and a smooth,
fair skin. He was much affected by the
kindness which had been showered upon
him, and gave some details of his past
life He was PROUD of the fact that his
family had lived in Donegal for longer than
he could tell and that there must be good
blood in his veins.
1t is to the credit of the editor of London
that he has endeavored to protect the lad
from the well-meant but very harmful
adulation of historical admirers" who
rushed to the office Of the paper with in
vitations' for the dear boy" and the
most foolish offers of advice and assist
ance Happily. one gentleman, whose tact
and ability are to be thoroughly relied on,
LOOK the ldu up. ne at once made ample
provision for his education and with the
ready consent of his father took HIM
straight away into the country, where he
will breathe the pure, health-giving air.
and should rid himself of the morbid SEN
timent which runs through nearly all the
lines which have been published He will
not be asked 10 write any more poetry for
some time 10 concluded. writing any
thing will be discouraged as far as posi-
BILE He is apparently in good hands. and
If the crowd can be kept back he will be
all right, If he does not turn out a poet. he
may at least become a man.
Here is one of the efforts Of Master
Curtis:
THE FACTORY BELL
There comes a sound in the morning
gray,
When few faint CLEANS are heralds of
day:
And it calls the bosoms by cares opprest
Back from the peace-giving country of
rest
Calling them back to the workshops heat
TO the benches long and engines beat
Where the brow Of the worker must ever
In the dew Of his streaming, honest sweat
us the factory BELL the morning he'll
harsh are the notes Of its tuneless kneii
Csshns them back from the dreamlapd