The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-21
POE'S PATRON DYING.
John Sartain, the Father of American
Engraving, Passing Away.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 2O-John Sar-
tain, artist, litterateur, patron and bene-
factor of Edgar Allen Poe, and one of the
little group of Philadelphias grand old men,
is dying in the room where Edwin Forrest
breathed his last. At Broad and Masters
streets stands the School of Design for
Women, of which Miss Emily Sartain is
principal. The house was formerly the old
Forrest mansion, and although altered and
enlarged to suit it's present purposes, many
Of the original rooms remain intact. In ore
of these lies the venerable scholar, sur
rounded by his artistic and photographic
treasures, trophies of a career rich in Incl
dent and notable in achievement. Two
weeks ago Mr.. Sartain was thrown from a
street car and the shock was so great that
he has not been able to recover.
For over two years John Sartain has been
working on his memoirs. He is practically
the father of American engraving, and he
also did much to develop the literature of
his earlier days. Although born in London,
he came TO America when twenty-five years
old and brought with him knowledge Of
the engraver's art which made him promi-
nent at once. When a lad he was appren-
ticed to John Swain, London engraver,
and showed such aptitude for his work
lected by Henry Othey, afterward Sir Henry
Othey, to engrave the Illustrations for a
work entitled THE Florentine School of
Art" now a very rare and valuable book.
He is regarded as the founder in America
of that style of engraving in steel known
as the mezzotint. In addition to his engrav-
ing. by which he is best known, Sartain
has been painter. lecturer, architect. teach
obi
adelphia was the literary center of the
country, Sartain's Magazine stood foremost
among the periodicals of the day, and 1t
was in its pages that Foes famous poem,
The Bells, was first printed.
Poe for a time was associated with Mr..
Sartain in editing the magazine and many
of his grewsome tales found their way into
it's pages. But the liquor habit, which was
strong in the erratic poet, forced Mr.. Sar-
tain TO dismiss him. Their personal rela-
tons, however, remained friendly, and a
few days previous to Poe'S death ne was en-
tertained by Mr.. Sartain in the old house
in SAMSON street where the engrayer con-
tinued to live long after the neighborhood
had been given over to business purposes.
Indeed, it was only within the last five
years that Mr.. Sartain could be induced to
leave the quarters about which chung so
many fond memories and join his daughter
in the Forrest mansion in Broad street.
Mr.. Sartain has a letter from Bayard
Taylor, written at the age of seventeen,
in which the embryo poet and diplomat
begged Mr.. Sartain to receive him as an
apprentice. zoe 8 letters he regards WIN
great affection. OF Poe's last visit he re-
Gently said: 1T was on Monday in 1S49.
Poe had been locked up in Moyamensing
prison over Sunday for intoxication and
was completely unstrung He thought there
was a conspiracy TO kill him, and asked TO
be hidden. Mr.. Sartain humored the fren-
zied poets Authorization, and for two days
he remained in concealment in the Sansom-
street house. He even went so far as to
cut off Poe's muStache at the latters re-
quest, in order that his fancied enemies
might not recognize him." Poe wrote 1.-THE
Bells" for Sartains Magazine. The first
draft consisted of only two stanzas, and
for these he was paid 49, A couple of days
later he appeared with another verse and
before the poem was published he had add
$40 for the poem, and had not the day of
publication been near at hand he would
probably have kept on adding to IL in the
hope of receiving additional remuneration.
Until his recent accident Mr.. Sartain has
led a wonderfully active life for a man of
his years For twenty-five years he has
been a director in the Academy of Fine
Arts in Philadelphia, and has been its most
enthusiastic worker. He has been the re-
cipient of many honors and decorations
from time TO time, one of the most impor-
tant being conferred by King Humbert of
Italy, who, in 1878, created him an officer
in the Equestrian Order of the Crown of
Italy, with the title of cavaliere His last
chief of the art department of the American
exhibition in London. Mr.. Sartain has
gained worldwide fame among scientists
artists and men of letters and many of his
degrees have been conferred by the leading
scientific societies of both continents.