The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-15
John Henry Boner.

Death is not q ruthless conqueror when
he comes as he came last night to John
Henry Boner Mr.. Boner, with a gentle
Christian resignation had welcomed him.
As | looked this morning on the palld
face of my friend-North Cardinals most
representative poet-he seemed only in a
peaceful slumber, presently to arouse to
the stern duties of mortal life. He had
not aged-he was always wan in face, for
the animation that lighted his eye and
inspired his countenancc. God had taken
him from wife and friends and clothed
his immortal spirit with a nobler radi-
ance-that was all.
John Henry Boner, of Salem, was a
type of the Mcravian community, in the
midst of which he was reared and grew
to mans estate. He was sturdy in his
nature, calm in mood, intelligent without
eXtravagent sentimentalism, essentially
religious, devout in some phases of his
personal and poetical being, and if not
what is STAMPED by the approval of a
rigid criticism genius of a high order,
he had nevertheless the finest qualities
of manhood united with undoubtedly
splendid talents. 1t has always been my
belief that had he enjoyed in youth the
benefits of a University education, had
he then not been compelled to struggle
for bread in an uncongenial occupation,
but had had the advantages of travel and
culture, he would have risen to a much
higher work in American letters. AS it
was he attained distinction and before
he had passed middle life had been known
both at home and abroad as a true singer
and a man of fine promise.
Leipsic publisher, some twenty odd
years since, included in single volume
1 anthology of English and American
writer's, containing not over two or three
hundred selections, three or four of VI.
Boner's poems. This was an honor which
he duly appreciated. 1t was in his early
Washington life, before he had lived in
the charmed literary circle of the great
metropolis
| The largest collection of his poetry
was the volume entitled "The Whisper
ing Pines" issued by Brentnes. 1t con-
tanned the best of his boyhood verse,
some of it remodelled, and very much of
his later poetry.
/ remember having been touched with
somc lines which, as they first appeared
in the North Carolina papers, bore the
caption, Under the Snow" Theseawords,
the refrain of the piece adequately de-
seribed the writer's pathetic feeling at
the time of composition. In the same
volume there were a number of Southern
nature -pioces, which show his poeticaI
and sectional affinity with Timrod and
Hayne and SAVER. So far as North Car
/ Gina poets are concerned, I would COM
/ pare him with his friend T. H. Hill and
my friend. Edwin w. Fuller.
None of Mr.. Boner's longer pieces is,
/ perhaps. so ornate a piece of work as
/ Fuller's Angel in the Cloud" But Ger
/ tainly not one of that admirable poets
shorter poems reach the full excellence
of several of Boner's best short pieces.
/ l was always delighted with that trick
/ of the Salem poet which led him to use
/ in the most natural manner obscure lit
! tie words for rhymng.
/ have not the special gift and this is
/ not the time for close examination into
/ the merits of Mr.. Boner's poetical la
! bdfs At some other time some one more
! competent will write con amore on the
/ subject
Mr.. stockards recent appreciation was