Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-05
"On the Road, the Lonely Road"

"On the Road, the Lonely Road"
TO the Editor OF the Dispatch:
I enclose clipping from this weeks In
dependent, which / venture 10 think VIII
be of interest 10 your readers. The IT.
tie poem which II contains Is perfect In
its way. 1t is a pity that the delicate and
felicitous fancy which Is incarnated IN
these brief verses has not been more
fecund. Yours, X. IL. PITT.
We printed in our issue or February
9th a poem beginning
ION the road. the lonely road"
and asked for clues to its authorship. We
have had a large number OF responses.
Professor Allen, of the University Of Mis-
souri,. remembers reading 1t about fifteen
wears ago in the Richmond Dispatch. He
cut II out and put It In his scrap-pooK'
and has been haunted by 1t ever SINCE
ae thinks the version we gave incorrect.
So II proves to be. We gave Ii from
memory. Miss Towne writes US that she
went 10 school with a niece OF the author
I'm Louisville, KY, fifteen years ago, ana
gives us a copy Of the poem as she re-
members 1t. The version differs from
ours. but evidently Is not correct we
have ascertained that the author was
william Wallace Harvey, who was edi-
tor Of the Louisville Democrat, where IL
erst anpeared. Stedman and Hutchinson
..r ,brarv OF American Literature" states
that Mr. Harvey was born In Blooming
ton Ind. in 1884. and gives this poem
under the title THE Stab" with three
49,. nv the same author. Mr.. II. Ia Z.
,vhita Of Nashville, Tenn, writes US as
follows: .oo,
Nashville, Tenn, February %, 1896.
To the Editor Of the Independent;
The poem beginning. ION the road. me
lonely road" an Incorrect version Oh
which appears in the Independent ..
February 9th, with an expression Oh
desire for "a clue TO the authorship. II
the stab" and the author Is VIII war
lace Harvey, VINO was iory yea
80 when this poem first appeared. one
OF the best-known ana most popular VI
sou,hern poets. He was at the time prin-
c,nal OF the High School in Louisville.
IL and afterwards a professor In the
State University, at Lexington. About
IsTo he removed to Florida where ne
80 alsce resided. He Is now the pros
nerous and contented owner Of extensive
grange groves near Orlando. He has
done nothing in literature for many years.
having turned his pen into pruning
hook and having found. no doubt. that
the raising OF oranges is much more re-
r,,Ineratlye than the cultivation of the
muses..
.srhs Stab" along with several other
soacirens Of Harney's verse. may be
Fund in Volume VIII. Of Stedman's Ii
RAY OF American Literature" page 53l).
Ths poem as there given Is printed from
cony furnished by the author for the
burmese. and Is precisely as 1t was first
r',sstan' with the exception OF two verbal
changes. Concerning one or these-the
CONSTITUTION OF weary for heavy" In
,ns fourth verse Of the first stanza--I had
friendly epistolary controversy with
wr Harvey some time ago. the result
~ which. as IL usually the case In such
controversies, was to leave each OF Us
.of his own opinion STILL"
Tn order that the Independent may print
g., absolutely correct form what il un.
n,,.s,tonably one of the strongest and
LEI dramatic short poems In the Ian.
.,,,asa. I transcribe 1.-THE Stab" from ar
autograph copy in my possession which