St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-04-09
Author of Ben Bolt Dead.
He Did Not Like the song that Made
Him Famous.


Him Famous.
Dr. Thomas Dunn English, famous as
the author Of ben Bolt" died in New
ark, N. J., April I, aged So years. he
was born in Philadelphia, and became a
physician and later a lawyer, but pre-
ferred literary work and devoted most OF
his life to it. He was a contemporary OF
Edgar Allen Poe and N. P. Willis ana
his famous song was written torthe New
York Mirror, which the latter published
Willis asked the author to write a sea
sono He did so, but did not like it, then
he wrote what is now ben Bolt" to
which he appended the last four lines OF
his sea song. He was so displeased with
r. that he sent it to Willis without a
title. and told him if he didn't like 1t ne
could tear it up. Willis was delighted
with the verses and published them
September %, 1913. The original poem
is as follows:
BBN BOLT.
Don't you remember sweet Alice, Ben Bolt'
Sweet Alice, whose hair was so brown,
Who wept W 18th delight when you gave her
smile
In the old churchyard in the valley, Ben Bolt,
In a corner obscure and alone,
Tbpv have fitted slab of the granite so
And sweet Alice lies under the stone.
Under the hickory tree, Ben Bolt
Which stood at the foot OF the hill
Together we've lain in the MONDAY shade
And listened to Appleton's mill.
The mill wheel has fallen TO pieces, Ben Bolt
The alters have tumbled in,
And a quiet that crawls round the walls as
you gaze
Has followed the oldeu din.
Do YOU mind of the cabin of logs, Ben Bolt,
At the edge of the painless wood,
And the buttonball tree with its motley
limbs,
Which nigh by the doorstep stood
The cabin TO ruin has gone, Ben Bolt,
The trees YOU would seek for in vain;
And where once the lords of the forest waved
Are grass and the golden grain.
And don't you remember the school, Ben
Bolt
With the master so cruel and grim,
And the shaded nook in the running brook
Where the children went to swim
Grass grows on the masters grave, Ben Bolt;
The spring of the brook is dry,
And of all the boys who were schoolmates
then
There are only you and I,
There is change in the things I loved, Ben
Bolt;
They have changed from the old to the
But feel in the depth of my spirit the truth
There never was change in you,
Twevemonths twenty have passed, Ben
Since first we were friends-yet hail
Your presence blessing, your friendship a
truth
Ben Bolt of the salt sea gale.
The poem was stolen by English pub
fishers and published as an
English production. After it had
become widely popular the author
sought to make song OF it, but severa
musicians refused to set it to music, say
ing that the words were united for it.
English then wrote music tor il himself
but later German named Kueass adapt
ed an old melody Of the fatherland to i
and it became very popular. Subsequent
ly the song dropped from sight but was
revived later when its author was elected
to the SIND aud 53rd congresses from
New Jersey, and again when Du Maurice
incorporated it in "Trilby." At this TIM
it became even more popular than whet
it was first published as a song. AL
though DR.. English has been three time'
famous because Of the production, hi
strongly objected to being known simpl!
as the author of"Ben Bolt" when he haC
written many other things which h
thought more worthy Of fame.