The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-15
The Poetic Literature of
the Old North State.
Continued from Page Nine.)

Seba Smith (the Major Jack Downing OF
literature.) and a literary star of the
northern galaxy, spent her last years
in this State and she rests near THE
Anchorage" her adopted home at Holly
wood. Nixon p. Chngman wrote numer-
GUS poems of high order: IN fact, Mr..
Joseph E. Robinson's sketch in "A Poet
and his Song, which contains fifty of
Mr.. Clingmanfs poems calls him the
Robert Burns of North Carolina
Not TO swing further around the circle
we may stop for brief biological and
literary mention in alphabetical order
the half dozen poets who have thus far
written most and best within our Dor
ders-are greater poets upon whom our
present poetic reputation stands.
John Henry Boner was born III Salem
Jan. 81, 1915. He received a good AGA
demc education. learned the printers
trade, and later became editor in his
home town and In Asheville. He was
reading clerk of the State Constitutional
Convention in 1868 and chief clerk in the
House of Representatives the tollowiCg
year. At thirty-fve he married Miss
Lottie Smith of Raleigh. In 1871 he
moved to Washington city where he spent
sixteen years in the Government Printing
Cnice. In 1887 he moved to New York
where he did literary work as member
of the editorial STATS on the Century
Dictionary, Appletons Cyclopedia, Library
of American Literature, and Standard
Dictionary; he was also literary editor
Of the New York World, and later of
the Literary Digest. Owing to failing
health he abandoned his New York car.
Ger, returned for a time to his native
state and again drifted to his former
post in the national capital where he
died March 6, 1903. Mr.. Boner was Il
genuine poet and was recognized as such
at home and abroad. His first work,
Whispering Pines published in 1888.
was cordially received by the critics and
the public. 1.-THE Song of the Old Mill
Wheel" Bells of Christmas" and We
Walked Among the Whispering Pines, arc
some of the poems in The volume which
we will cherish many a day after reading
them In 1901 Mr.. Boner published a
pamphlet of his verse under the title Of
Some New Poems; this embodied, |
understand, most of his work in tho
Century and few pieces from the maya
zines. And just before his death he COM
pleted collection OF verse Which has
since appeared under the title of "Boner's
Lyrics, it embodes in the authors view
the best of all the work he did and GER
tanly entities him to an abiding place in
our state literature.
Mary Bayard Clarke, daughter of
Thomas P. Devereux, was born i'll RAJ
eigh, May II, 1929. She took at home
under a goyerness the same course pur-
sued by her brother at Princeton and
was therefore highly educated. In 1913
she was married by her uncle Bishop
Leonidas Polk at his home near New
Orleans to Capt. William ]. Clarke,
graduate of our State University, Con-
tederate officer. later judge and litera
tus in North Carolina. She and her hus
band were close friends of Gen. and Mrs.
Robert E. Lee. Her culture was en-
riched by travel, particularly wntering in
Cuba and six or seven years in Texas.
Her later life was spent in New Bern
where she died March 81, 1886, just two
months after the death of her husband.
AT sixteen she wrote her first poem
Memo Semper Felix EST. which her son
'(who left a typewriter sketch of her
lfe) considered rarely equaled by later
ard more studied composition. She her
self considered Under the Law her
best poem; it is truly fine piece of work
is it's equal, many would say superior
In 1916 Mrs. Clarke made the first COM
pilation of State verse-"Wood Notes;
or Carolina Carols: 4 Collection of North
Carolina Poetry" 1t appeared N two
volumes and contained one hundred and
eighty-two poems by sixty writer's,
"Tenela'' herself in eight poems furnish
ing the best work in the volumes. Her
cacopd WORK apDoarpd in 1885 contained
sixty poems, and was entitled Moses
From a Rolling Stone; or Idle Moments
of Busy Woman" The last of her
works was a long poem of sixty-five
pages entitled "Clytie and Zenobia, or,
The Lily and the Palm 1t was pub
lished in 1871 Though other women have
written, some of them well. yet no other
has yet approached Mrs. Clarke in either
quality or volume of work. beyond ques-
ton ''Tenella' still remains the queen
poetess among Carolina bards.
Edwin Wiley Fuller was native of
Louisburg where he was born Nov. 80,
1871 THE Village on the Tar was his
first published poem and it evinces the
talent later shown He entered our State
University in 1864 and spent two years.
In 1867 he went to the University of Vir-
GINA to spend year. While there he
contributed to the University Magazine
THE Angel in the Cloud. then covering
only few pages. 1t is said to have won
high praise from such men as DR.. Schele
De We're, Dr. Gildersleeve, Prof. Holmes
and others. 1t is interesting to note
that he once contemplated entering the
ministry but his fathers failing health
bound him to business and thus he con-
tinued merchandising the remainder of
his days. In 1871 he revised and pub
lished Angel in the Cloud poetic and
philosophic statement and refutation of
t-questionings. His preface requests
a complete reading if any at all and then
in the btllrush ark OF self-confidence,
pitched with faith he commits his FIRST
born to the nile of public opinion; whether
to perish by crocodile critics or bask in the
the palace OF favor the future alone must
determine. Pharaohs daughter find it,"
And SO 1T came to pass; his work is re-
garded as the most original long poem
ever produced IN the State and he is es
teemed our philosopher No other
work has passed through four editions il
ten years as was the case with "AngeI