The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-01-19
HIS PORTRAIT FINISHED
Miss Tempe Hill, Daughter of Theo.
Hill. Painted the Author.
PICTURE TO HANG IN THE STATE LIBRARY
Two Of His Later Posms, ''Poe's Cottage a.
Fordham" and Remembrance" Brief
Sketch Of The Life of !his'Light
in Cardinals Constellation,

John HI. Boner, the well known author
of Whispering Pines" in conversation
with a News and Observer man just be-
fore he started for Washington yester-
day, spoke of how he loved Raleigh and
its people and hoped to spend his last
days here. He said he would rather
live in our city than in any other place
or earth For some time past the pont
has been living on Hillsboro street.
Mr.. Boner is not well, far from it; ia
fact, 1t is on account of his health very
largely that he has accepted position
in the Government Printing Office where
he once spent sixteen years OF his life.
from 1871 to 1887. That was lust be-
fore he went to New York city, where he
was engaged for some years in work upon
the Century and Standard Dictionaries
and several of the leading encyciopaedias.
as we'll as being Literary Editor of the
New York World and the Literary Digest.
Miss Tempe Hill, daughter of our own
poet and author, Theo. Hill, has just
completed portrait of Mr.. Boner, which
his friends intend shall hang in the State
Library before many days. From the
standpoint of artistic workmanship the
portrait is an excellent piece of work
but some of those most familiar with
the poet say it does not do him Justice as
a likeness. However that may be, it
is line picture and is going to hang
where 1T belongs, next to that OF his GEAR
friend, Theo. Hill.
A brief sketch of Mr.. Boner's life will
be of interest
John Henry Boner was born in Salem,
N. c., January 31st, 1916. After ansacad-
emic education be learned the printers
trade. In 1870 he married Miss Lottie
Smith, OF Raleigh. He was editor of
several papers in Salem and Asheville,
and acted as reading clerk of the North
Carolina Constitutional Convention in
1868, and chief clerk in the North Caro-
lima House of Representatives at the
session of 1869-'70. From 1871 to 1887,
he was in civil service at Washington,
connected with the Government Printing
Office. He removed to New York in
1857, and became a member of the edi-
tcrial stats of the Century and Diction-
any, Library of American Literature, and
Standard Dictionary. He was literary
editor of the New York World and the
Literary Digest, and also on the staff
of Appleton's Cyclopedia.
The following are two of Mr.. Boner's
recent poems. selected from the pamphlet
entitled 'Some New Poems by John H.
Boner,' published in Washington, 1901.
The poems in this pamphlet are taken
from writings published Chiefly in the
Century Magazine) since the appearance
o. the authors first volume, Whispering
Pines" published in 1883:
POES COTTAGE AT FORDHAM
Here lived the soul enchanted
BY melody of song;
Eere dwelt the spirit haunted
BY demoniac throng;
Here sang The lips elated;
Here grief and death were stated,
Here loved and here minated
Was he. SO frail, SO strong.
Here wintry winds and cherries
The dying freight blew
While he whose song was peerless
Dreamed the drear midnight through,
And from dull embers chilling
C1ept shadows darkly filling
The silent place, and thrilling
His fancy as they grew.
Here. with brow barred to heaven,
Ir starry night he Stood
With the lost star of seven
Feeling sad brotherhood.
Here in the sobbng showers
OF dark autumnal hours
He heard suspected lowers
Shrek through the stormy wood.
From visions of Apollo
And of Astartes bliss,
He gazed into The hollow
And hopeless vale of Dis;
And though earth were surrounded
By heaven, it still was mounded
With graves. His soul had sounded
The dOlorous abyss.
Proud, mad, but not defiant,
He touched at heaven and hell,