The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-03-01
SAVED BY RARE LUCK
STRANGE ADVENTURES AND ESCAPES
OF A MANUSCRIPT.

The 0hecksred History of Page Of
Pos's "The Murders Of the Rue
| MorEus" Now Carefully Preserved
In the DFexel Institute.
| In a covered glass case in the library
room Of the Drexel institute in Philadel-
phla are number of rare literary treas
lures. In the north end of the case, writ
ten in a small hand, but so firm and legi-
bic as to look almost like copperplate, is
a manuscript that attracts general atten-
ton. 1t is page from Edgar Allan Poe's
weird story Of 1.-THE Murders Of the Ruo
Norgue," a story which caused sensa-
ton when 1t was first published, half o
century or more ago, and which was not,
as many uninformed readers believe, q
product of Poe's wonderfully active iinag-
nation, but founded in Its main incident
upon the mysterious murder Of Marie
Roget, the Now York cigarette girl, which
puzzled tho best police talent of the coun-
try and furnished problem In the solu-
ton Of which Poe's marvellous faculty Of
deductive analysis evolved the queer story
that has thrilled and chilled tens Of thou
sands of readers through the succeeding
ysars.
Tho manuscript Of the strangely thrill
ing tale, "The Murders of the Rue
Morgue," was for many years the prop
erty of the late j. NJ. Johnston, q well
known newspaper man Of Lancaster, Pa,
who died about ten years ago. He dis
posed Of the precious pages of Poe some
years previous. The manuscript came into
his possession about the spring Of 1S42.
At that time he was an apprentice in the
office of Barrett g. Thrasher, afterward
Barrett g. Jones, printers, at So Cnrter's
alley, Philadelphia Mr.. Johnston believed
that it was in the pages of Graham's Mag
azine, printed by the firm named that the
story OF 1.-The Murders of the Rue Morgue'
first appeared, while the revised proof was
read in The Saturday Evening Post office,
which was then located on Chestnut street,
above Third He had himself stuck the
type for part Of the since famous story.
After the proof had been read the manu-
script found Its way into the waste bas-
ket, along with bunch Of other appar-
emily unimportant copy. But the young
printer boy, who had developed high ad-
miration for the literary genius Of the
author, respect which he maintained
throughout the succeeding years of his
lifc, picked the copy out Of the receptacle
into which it had been ignominiously cast
and asked and obtained leave to keep it,
He took it to his home where it was put
away so carefully that the owner lost
sight of 1t for many years.
In 1886 Mr.. Johnston's father, DIR. Will
liam Johnston, removed TO York county,
subsequently to Maryland and thence into
Virginia, carrying with him on these va
rious pilgrimages the pages Of Poe. Noi-
ther the elder Johnston nor his son knew
that the manuscript was snugly slowed
between the leaves Of q large book in the
library-in fact, it had been neglected so
long that it was actually forgotten alto
gether. Determining, after residence of
some years in the south, to return to
Pennsylvania, DR.. Johnston made sale
Of his personal effects, and among lot of
books offered at the auction was found
this much Travelled Poe manuscript 1t
was at once recognized, rescued from OBJ
livion and forwarded to Mr. Johnston,
who had continued his residence in Phila-
delphia until 1847, removing hence to
Lancaster, where he regained possession Of
the long neglected pages, none the worse
for their peregrinations.
Mr. Johnston started business as q
daguerreotypist at Lancaster, being the
first man to permanently establish the &C.
cupation Of picture taking" in that an
Gent town. Twice his gallery took fire,
and on ono Of these visitations of the de-
stroying element March 8, 1850 almost
all Of his books, papers, pictures, appa-
ratus. ETC., were consumed but the Poe
manuscript, folded within the leaves Of an
old music book, escaped the wreck
About 1867 a grocery store occupying
the first floor Of the building In which the
photograph rooms were located took fire
and burned furiously. The flames did not
reach the gallery, but the smoke did, and
the 1remen drenched everything with
water, destroying books, papers and other
but by rare good fortune this
Poe manuscript again escaped injury be-
yond a slight discoloration.
When the civil war broke out, Mr.. John
ston enlisted and led company Of Penn
sylvania volunteers through the arduous
On his return to the pursuits
of peace ho found the Poe manuscript safe
within the pages of tho music book where
he had left it.
In 1865 Mr.. Johnston became the pro-
prietor of the Swan hotel, one Of the VEN
cradle and historic hostelrics Of Lancaster,
which years ago disappeared before the adj
vance Of trada, though the ancient build
ing still stands, remodeled to serve the pnr-
pose Of large mercantile establishment.
Retiring from the hotel in 1869 to don the
newspaper harness. in which no passed the
go years Of his life, the ex boni-
face consigned grent quantity of rubbish
TO the ash heap, the old music book, with
It's precious contents again, alas, forgot
Ten, sharing the fate Of number of other
worthless articles.
The book wis seen sticking amid the
.shes by neighbor, the late John R.
who, thinking 1t had been mad
overlooked, picked 1t out of its
lndisnitled and undeserved bed and placed
t in tho owners hands. When tho latter
turned over its leaves, he again disclosed
% his astonishcd gaze the much neglected
md long mislaid manuscript which nearly
30 years before he had carried away in
,ride from the Philadelphia printing Office
Resolved that these really valuable and
historic pages should no longer be exposed
o the risks Of which they had successfully
urvived SO many, he had them bound for
permanent preservation, to which precau-
ion is probably due the fact that thou
ands have the privilege Of beholding the
ctual handwriting Of one who has been
pity described as "the buried genius of
and that, too, in masterpiece
hat will cvar hold q front rank In the
lass Of literature of which it is a shining
Tho late George W. Childs secured the
Zoe manuscript in 1883, the transfer of
he pages being attended by interesting
between the great publish
r and Mr. Johnston. It became one of
ho cherished treasures of Mr.. Childs' H.
rary and was regarded as chef d'oeuvre
that splendid collection of works of the
ind which now graces the Drexel Insti-
ute library. Philadelphia Inquirer.