The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-09-06
new POE CONTROVERSY.
Assertion That the Poet Was Born
In Norfolk,
HIS PARENTS STRANDED THERE

HIS PARENTS STRANDED THERE.
Yirginian-Pilot.
Yesterdays Washington Post says:
cit is gratifying to know that
through the persistent efforts OF ad-
mirers of Edgar Allen Poe, the cot
tage at Fordham which he occupied
during the time of his literary engage
ments in New York city has been pre-
served. Fordham, nov suburb OF
New York, has come within the scope
of municipal government, and the
cottage stood directly in the proposed
direction Of an avenue, but other plans
we're adopted in order to ayoid re-
moval."
I recently visited Fordham, where
the quaint old cottage stands with its
gable end to the street, and on which
has heen placed an ornamental metal
lie plate bearing the inscription, "Poe
Cottage" and the figure of a raven,
beneath which are 1S44-49, the term
Of Poe's residence in New York and
occupation Of the cottage. Handsome
dwellings haye been erected In the lo-
cality, which are known as Poe villas,
and are owned and rented by people of
wealth and culture. The scheme of
preserving the cottage, beautifying its
surroundings and attaching Poe's name
to the charming are a is indeed touch
Ing memorial to the poet.
STORY OF AN UNPUBLISHED POEM.
1t may not be generally known that
Poe wrote a poem OF keenest satire, the
publication OF which for some reason
now unknown, he suppressed. To
substantiate this assertion I will state
the following facts: In the early six
ties I formed the acquaintance ct a
gentleman whose mother adopted Pce's
sister at the time that Mr.. Allan, CT
Richmond, adopted Edgar. TIE Tor
mer gentleman and Poe were intimate
ly associated from childhood up to the
time ct the poets death. On certain
occasion he remarked to me that the
4o1est poem Poe ever wrote had never
been published and recited it to me
then, and several times afterward. Il
was a merclless satire, of perhaps
twelve or fourteen stanzas, Concerning
a rival in love affair who was dry
goods clerk in Richmond. / am
strongly OF the opinion that my friend
told me that the original manuscript
of the poem had been preserved by his
family. 1t might, by proper effort, be
secured and given to the world.
There is another matter which sug-
gests itself In connection with the poet
matter which do not refer to ex-
capt after long consideration, and one
which; has received the attention and
careful investigation of certain men
prominent in the literary world. This
is concerning the birthplace OF the
poet.
BIRTHPLACE OF POE.
OF course it has ever been recognized
as fact beyond question that Poe was
born in Boston. But there ere men of
conservative judgment, widely known
by reason of their high rank in litera-
ture, who, after having made exhaus-
tive Investigation, claim that the poet
was born in Norfolk, Va. The follow
ing facts have led to this conclusion ::
Poe's parents were members of the
theatrical profession, and short while
before the date of the poets birth a
company by which the father was en-
gagged became stranded in the above
city. The Poes remained in Norfolk
for several weeks after the company
disbanded, and during this period a
child was born to them in the old home.
stead of my family, where they had
been invited to reside during their stay
in Norfolk. It is claimed that the
child was the first of the two children
born to the parents; that Edgar was
older than his ssister: and, therefore, tina t
it was he who was born at the above
place and time.
The little family went on to Boston
shortly afterward, and it is plausi bly,
stated that it might have been with a
view to eliminating all association Of
their stralt tened pecuniary condition at
the time with the event of the birth OF
their child that Boston, where they
we're soon happily situated, was
claimed by the parents to be the birth
place of the infant.
The above theory has been main
tained for many years by men whose
Judgment cannot be lightly regarded F.,
but this is, perhaps, the first time that
1t has been presented for public consid.
Grafton. CHARLES E. FORREST
The wolf in the table put on Sleeps
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