The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-11-23
POE'S LIFE AT COLLEGE.
Ills Faults at the University OF Virgin
In No Greater Than Was the Ruie.

A little more than 70 years ago, . mere
STRIPPING, Edgar Allen Poe. entered tins
University o. Virginia. The session be-
gan then In February and ran until
about Christmas, without holiday, even
ON the Fourth Of July. He WAS then
just entering his 18th year. but 20 coed
hsd teen his opportunities that be was
much further advanced than most Of the
mstrioulates of tire new university. Five
years Of his life had been spent by che
athletic and Intelligent youngster ct .
school In Stoke Nswington. then Q suburb
Of great London town, though It has long
been swallowed up by the vast metropo
lis. Here he had learned Latin and
Fronoh and made long excursions into
the field Of general literature. He had
the soul of the stern old psdago que who
had him in charge BY getting into all
manner Of mischief. This the old gentle
man charged to the over -libsrality Of the
pupils adopted father. John Allan, then
. resident Of London who gave the boy
too much pocket money. In consequence
of his excellent training young Poe had
little difnoulty in holding bis own in the
university. He made good record and
even won public commsndation for Ger.
tain exercises prsparsd in the course Of
bis class work. His lectures began in the
morning at 7.3o ard ended at $50 and
the rest Of tie day was his to uss as he
saw ut so long as his duties as collegian
were not neglected.
He spent much Of his time In long
ram bles In the Ragged mountains that
rugged and interesting region lying south
west tf the university and In that local
ity he lad the scenes Of one OF t1e most
weird OF his grotssque stories. That he
drst occupied a room on the lawn Jointly
with Richmon d,r named deorge is
pretty we'll estabhs had ard It seems
90 ually well established that they partsd
amicably after a hsticuh which was not
amicabls. 1t was then that the future
author went to Yves. Range and occupied
room No. Is which Ia now one Of the
literary Asccas NJ this country. IL 10
quite probable that he prepared hsrs some
OF the poems ard tales which are inolud-
ed In his published works and some that
v ere destroyed In a pet as was the story
which gave him the nickname Of
sc affeJ from u parsonage of one OF
or declaimed occasionally TO q select
group Of young men some Of the strange
things be hsd written and no doubt held
them spello0und by the influence OF his
strange genius. This was "Tamerlane"
and was published In Boston. Some Of
its contents were written In his 18th year,
according to his own testimony and most
likely the little volume was largely
shaped here In No. 10.
The late william Wsrtenbsker who was
student during the session of 1896 and
knew Pee personally bears testimony OF
the young man while at tbs university.
Poe was never dismissfd or even suspend
ed. At q time when the faculty meetings
were like a police court occasionally on
account of the turbulent character of ths
collegian OF that day Poe escaped being
summoned before the professors more
than once and thai was ~ "a witness " hsn
IL was discovered that he knew nohing of
the sui ject In which he was expected to
testify. No doubt Poe did drink but GER
tainly he was not the brawlsr aud mid.
night debauoEee that Griswold and his
class Of detractors have declared him TO
be. No doubt he played cards for money.
as did Hawthorne ut college but that was
time when vice was the rule aud Poe
was not peculiar. In short he sinrtd as
other men have sinned and ars SHINING
who have nevsr been treated as moral
lspers. No apology need he made fer him
and In some Instances none can be for
he lives in the minds ard hearts Of the
cultivated men and women Of our tims
not a. the weak man whose vices did
much to wreck his lifo but as the man
OF genius whose works have added more
luster to American letters than those Of
any other writer.