Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-14

was at the University OF Virginia, but
while he was at Clark & Burke's School,
In Richmond. Not very long ago thsre
was quite a stir over a poem ascribed to
him, which was said to have been found
within the leaves OF volume in the
library OF the University.
Mr.. Poe's first publication was that
OF "Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane," etc, by
Virginian, which his biographer. Mr.. Eu-
gene Il. Didier. says, in one place, was
In Boston, in 1924. But ne afterwards
says the publication was in Baltimore,
in 1922 by Hatch e Dunning. We are
Informed by other biogrsphers that "Ta-
merlane and Other Poems" by a Bos-
tonian, was first published in Boston, in
1877. by Calvin f. Thomas, a poor young
printer, who never published anything
else. Mr.. Didier says that the Baltimore
edition Of 1923 contains this announce
ment: This poem C9Tamerlane') was
printed for publication in Boston in 1877,
but suppressed through circumstances of
a private nature. That edition said the
author was a Bostonian, whereas the
Baltimore edition said he was a Virgin
ian. DIR. Poe made some queer declara-
tons as TO his age when he wrote the
contents of that small volume
The strongest probability Is that MT.
Poe did not adopt the literary profess
sion until 1892 and thenceforward pro-
secuted II In Baltimore, Richmond, Phila-
delphia, and New York and never I'm any
part OF the old Bay State" though ne
may have drifted in his wanderings TO
Boston. and was once honorably invited
TO that cultured city under the favor OF
ST ch man as ]. Russell Lowell. On or
about the 10th of October 1915, Mr.. Poe,
who had been invited to deliver a poem
before the Boston Lyceum, appeared
upon the platform Of the Odeon and gave
his audience al Aaraaf." which he had
suppressed in Boston in 1877, and had
fallen s.illborn in Baltimore in 1929. A
goodly portion of his hearers withdrew:
to those who remained he recited THE
Raven" There was great disappoint-
ment, and the papers commented very
severely upon his having offered there
such a juvenile production, written and
published so many years ago. Poe re-
turned to New Pork. and In his Broad
way Journal defended himself by insult
ing the people OF his birthplace, who Mr.
Chamberlain thinks are under such last
Ing and unpaid obligations to him for
having been accidentally born there.
Poe declared that he had acted from
malice prepense; that the poem was good
enough iOr lne price, thdt as 10 It's Jufthl-
lily, he had published 1t before the COM
pletion OF his tenth CD year, and II was
not 10 be supposed that he would put
himself to the trouble Of preparing any
thing original for the Bostcnians.
How many feet OF monumental honor
ing does Mr.. Chamberlain opine are due
to such complimentary treatment as the
above?
Mr.. Chamberlain associates Mr.. Poe
with the great benefactor and discoverer,
BENJAMIN Franklin. There Is one grand
Virginian who was not born In Boston.
who, like Franklin, was a self-made sell
enlist and discoverer, a great benefactor
and an admirable writer. Boston IS a
city o. high culture. but she loves COM
merce as well as literature and art, and
many of her merchants are men of Gull
ture and refinement. There was Nir-
ginian who showed the winds and the
currents OF the ocean TO the white-winged
messengers which bore their rich trea-
sures 10 and fro over the deep, and by
increased safety and expedition and re-
duced insurance saved them millions OF
money. So that Boston could afford TO
erect a monument as grand as the one
on Bunker Hill in memory OF Commo-
dore Mathew Fontaine Maury.
BRONIM.