Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-04-01
aaiseel1aaep,1s geading,
WILLIAM WASHINGTON EAST.
A Sad Story Of a Former Editor Of Tho
Yorkxiile Enouirer.

WILLIAM "AS1IN1 SN 6ASI'
A Sad Story Of Former Editor Of Tho
YorkviiIe Enquirer.
college Poems BY Willie. Philadel-
.phia, VIM. 8. Young, Printer, No. 62
North Sixth Street, 1852"
This is the legend to be found on the
title page of q small volume Of poems
in the Philomathean Library. Written
on that page In the handwriting that
is familiar to scores and hundreds OF
young men who have come under the
influence Of Erskine college, late presi-
dent, are these words. explanatory OF
the authors pen-name: William Wash
ington East. Born in Laurens county,
| 8. c., 1886. Graduated at Due West
with first honor in 1858. Died 1862 from
wound received at Seven Pines"
The dedication is: ITO the Philo-
mathean Society Of Erskine college this
volume Is dedicated as a slight tribute
Of love and gratitude by her devoted
member, Willie"
+ In the course OF his preface the
youthful writer says: with many
misgivings this little volume is now
presented, not so much to the public as
to the friends who have prevailed on
me to publish it. Written hurriediy
amidst the exacting duties Of college
life, It can scarcely be free from faults
and imperfections. Poetry has been to
me more a love than a study"
The quality Of the work Of this young
poet-such an amount Of It as he ac-
complished- was such to indicate that
in the death of the young soldier-poet
the state and the country at large lost
a voice which, II it had been spared to
maturity, would have been heard from
one end of the land to the other. Such
productions as this
wild DER the sea
The fierce wind dashed the waves on
high, and dark
The swift-winged clouds obscured the
moon;
And soon the forked lightning smote
the deep
And thunder shook high heaven. The
mystic bark
Drove on, careering through the whirl-
ing storm.
Night like despair on a ruined soul.
Sat on the waters, and beneatn her
wings
oustpread collected all their hollow
moans.-
show a phrasal power which was little
less than remarkable in one who was
under q years Of age at the time OF Its
writing. And the music Of the first
stanza of "Eukalle's Lament OF her
Dead Lover" while apparently an imi-
tation Of the style used by Poe In his
famous Raven" is such a good imi-
tation that 1t could be not done by any
one less than a skillful artisan In poet
ical music making:
I'm the sombre-hued pavilion
OF a hundred thousand million
Fitting shadows, with billion
Silken rays Of silver light
Mixed and mingling, sits maiden,
Near her window-lattice, laden
with a sorrow; and her finger
Pressed upon her brow doth linger
AS she looks out into the night.
The life-story of William Washing
ton East-little known-is sad ana
strange, like the temperament, ne
seems to have had, Judging from por-
tions Of his diary which have read
In the original. Born on the farm near
the little station Of Goldville, in Laur-
ems county, with parents who were
firm believers in the theory that boy
should participate in the exercise and
experience of farm life, he lived thor
oughly typical boys life on a South
Carolina farm. His first education was
by means of the scant school advan-
taees that were at that time-in the
40's-furnished to the children In the
rural districts of South Carolina. La
ter he was sent to the old WadsWorth
school, not very far from the town OF
Ninety-Six, which school was at that
time locally famous as high school.
At the age Of IS, he was sent to Ers-
kline college, where he showed speclal
fondness for the classics. upon which
so much emphasis was laid In the COL
leges before the advent OF technical
education. In the Philomathean socie-
ty. TO which he dedicated his little
volume. he was one Of the most care
full. deliberate and earnest Of speak
ers, his deliverance and diction show
ing the influence Of the masters he had
studied in the classical training and
reading Of which he was fond. He was
compelled on account Of the financial
condition of his father, to drop out OF
college for one year. during which time
he taught In the Wadsworth schooi.
He returned later, however, and after
he had been graduated with the first
honor of the class Of 1858, was chosen
as the classical instructor in the Wads-
worth school. His talents lay In the
line Of literature. however, and ne
sought a vocation In which he might
exercise and cultivate this tendency.
He was given the editorship of THE
YoRKv1LLE ENQUIRER, after he had
taught one year at this school, and ne
remained in charge Of this paper until
the call for volunteers In 1861. he
at once offered his services to the Con-
federacy. Here again he was given an
opportunity to exercise his literary
talents, as he was appointed regimen
tai historian, and during his service
at the front he conducted editorial cor
respondence for THE ENQUIRER. Many
other contributions were written dur
ing the service, which bore the sigma
ture of "Our Corporal"
But another phase Of his life, which
proved to be one Of the most important
ones, as indeed it does In every hre'
had begun to gather interest, from the
aA a IoI- ,ronno GIRL In his