The Topeka state journal., 1900-12-27
ToDAY's SESSION.
superintendent Davidson Lectures on
Edgar Allen Poe.

superintendent Davidson Lectures on
Edgar Allen Poe.
DR.. Arnold Tompkins of Chicago who
it was announced would lecture at the
morning meeting OF the State Teachers
association ON THE Educative- Power oe
Literature cancelled his engagement
about a week ago. Arrangements were
Immediately made to fill his time with
ar address by DR.. A. e. Winship, of
Boston, editor of the New England Jour-
nal OF Education.
Mr. Winship arrived in the city yester-
day and is the guest of superintendent
w NJ Davidson of the city schools This
morning Mr. Davidson received a tele-
phone message that Mr.. Winship had
los- his voice and that it was feared that
his throat was paralyzed.
Dr.GuibOr was Immediately called ard
refused to allow Mr.. Winship to attempt
to speak this evening. It was utterly
impossible for him to fill the time this
morning for the reason that he could
not speak above a whisper.
superintendent Davidson was impor-
tuned to fill the time at the meeting tais
morning.
His paper was well named, "An Hour
with Edgar Allen Poe" as it was not SO
much a biography of Poe as it was a
revealment of him through selections
from his works. The introduction was a
short bi0gra phical sketch telling OF his
birth, his orphanage, his adoption by the
Aliens, his being cast adrift, his expert
ence as a. cadet at West Point, his mar
riage, his struggle for existence, his lit
erary 1abors, and his tragic death.
In discussing the literary side of Poe,
the speaker presented him from the
standpoints of an editorial writer and
critic; a prose writer, and poet Poe,
as an editorial writer, did not always
give his true judgments, being subject
to his employer; but as q critic, in his
own published works, his criticisms Were
his true views and stand the test of
time.
AS a short story prose writer Poe has
no equal In his masterpiece, "sLegeia,
he has produced a prose-pOem- The
the highest poetical genius His most
fantastic poem is THE Haunted
Palace the sweetest is .tAnabel Lee"
the most musical is 1.-The Bells" and
the most typical and allegorical 1.-THE
Raven 'Lenore" is Poes lost inno
cence and the raven is his remorse-
The various extracts read were most
aptly selected and thoroughly revealed
Poe in all his versatile genius. In clos
ing the speaker said:
Critics have said that what Poe
wrote has not been for the uplifting of
the world nor the benefit of mankind
But if to bring the world into the pres
ence of the beautiful as revealed to US
by the genius which the great God ere
ates does not tend to uplift the world,
then beauty has neither mission in our
The committee on resolutions was APP
pointed this morning 1t is composed
of Geo W. Winans, E. E. Smith, r. s.
Russ X f. Kimby, Helen M. Eacker,
Miss Towne and G. S. Starr The COM
mittee met this afternoon at ESQ in the
Office of the state superintendent OF
public instruction, Frank Nelson. and
adopted resolutions which will be pre-
sented for approval at the meeting to
morrow.
After the adjournment of the meeting
this morning the delegates to the con-
vention assembled ON the south steps
tograph was taken.
I.apier Williams, superintendent OF
the kansas state institution for the
blind. spoke three minutes of the work
as carried on in that institution.
The committee to arrange plans for
an educational exhibit at the Kansas
exposition met in the parlor Of the Cope
land hotel at 2 o'clock this afternoon
and made preliminary plans No def
mite action was taken.
4 The election of members to the reading
circle board will take place in the senate
chamber tomorrow at the time of the
meeting of the department of county
superintendents
President L. H Murlin, of Baker uni
versity, Prof. E. M. Wood, Q. @. Mark
ham, A. E. Leach, Miss Lillian Scots
and Miss Eliza Tilford representing the
Baker university. assisted by the dele
gates from the various societies of the
supreme court room at the state house
this afternoon between the hours of
and s.
The State Normal reunion will be held
this evening in the senate chamber iTsi-
nnediately after the meeIing in represen-
tatlye hall is over.
The teachers in the city schools are
keeping open house at the Polk school |
today and tomorrow between the hours
of a. m. and 5 p. m. All the visiting
teachers are requested to call at the |
school house and witness the work of
teachers and ladies of the city in decor |
atiEg the city schools.
The state executive committee of the !
evolutionary association will meet this /
evening in Frank Nelson's office at the |
state house at o'clock
The members of the pedagogical round |
table met in room z at the high school |
this afternoon at 4 o'clock.
The election of officers will be held at /
the general meeting at representative |
hall tomorrow forenoon.
The corridors and stairWays leading to |
and from representative hall were SO |
crowded this morning that it was al |
most impossible for person to make |
their way from one door to another The |
walls of the corridors are lined with the |
exhibits of the various supply book and |
publishing houses.
How to Cure Group.
NJ u