Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-10-28
POE In THE CAPITAL.
WHEN THE POET OF WOE SOUGHT
A GOVERNMENT POSITION.

ANA iiis Futile Chase of In. pul,1t,
Service wiIi-o'-tLc-Wisp.
Edgar Allan Poe the master singer
81 sorrow, the world famous author of
me Raven. not only lived in Wash.
mSton number of weeks. but cana
he''r incoming Il government clerk and
residing in the national capital pcrIna.
hcnt!y, says Elizabeth Ellicott Poe I'm
the Washington Post
Destiny prevented Poe from obtain.
Ing government post. however. Burns
So' INT" The excise. Charles Lamb had
Il desk In the Indian house. writing hin
mastery essays after hours" Huw.
tNornc enjoyed Il snug berth in the con.
sular service, hut there was no easy
government billet for Edgar Allan Poe
Inc suggestion that there might bu
came from Frederick William Thomas,
literary friend of the poet, himself
an otiiccholdrr under President TYLER.
ANA deeply Impressed with the light
duties of government service.
The year WAS 1871. and i'm the Poo
w
Zoe dream child, II Poe magazine. was
near birlll. The idea itself was born
without ways and means To protect it
from the world or keep il in the world
lii" personal cXchcuurr was low and
editors dilatory with payments. Where
was the money to come from for even
the initial number: The prospect of
steady, light remuneration came mt the
psychological moment The bubble of
hope grow, beautiful with rainbow
iiticS. lived moment. then, like other
Poe bubbles. hurst and Disappeared.
Tie story Of its brief hour can lie
best told in extracts from the CORE
Spondcncc between Poe and Thomas.
On March I, 1871 Thomas wrote Il
chatty note to Poe on Washington af.
fairs generally and his own literary
ambitions particularly and spoke of Il
book he was working on.
How would YOU like" he asked. "tu
be an OllicchOidcr here ut $50 monthly
payable by Uncle Sam. who. slick ms
he may bc to his general creditors, pays
his oiliceholders with due punctuality:
How would YOU like IT." Then Thomas
touched up the picture with n humor.
GUS description of the snecure post n
government clerk held in those days.
THE work is by no means hard. You
stroll to the office Il little after o, take
yorr own leisure through the day and
then stroll home after to dinner and
do not return that day. If after din
her Won have anything to do. it is an
agreeable relaxation from the mon
strouS laZincsS of the day. You haya
everything In the writing line OH Your
desk. AMI If YOU choose to lubrlcatc IN
the literary way, why. you can. You
can follow literature as well here as
where you are. and think OF the money
10 he made by il"
Poe. In his miserable dcStitution. seiz.
cd OIL this straw OF hope with avidity.
TO be released from pccuIiiary care, to
serve his beloved art I'm pcncc-what n
haven II promised. Besides Thomas
pcrsuasions there were other reasons
why the scheme seemed possible AsaD
adopted son of Virginia, n personal &c.
quaintancc of President Tyler and the
literary protcgc of Postmaster General
John L. Kennedy his chances appeared
great. In addition to these he was n
descendant of men who had fought In
the Revolution and again in the war
OF ISL, and his own grandfather, Gen.
oral David Poe, gave his entire fortune
to the cause OF liberty, and surely that
should have given the genuine grand.
son claim to the favors of the state.
Eagerly lie penned his reply. Very
characteristic 1t was, too, OF the man.
Pathetic in the betrayal OF the present
suffcrinss. of which pride would not al.
low full revelation-how the pertinent,
earnest words hold power 70 dim the
eyes that read them today!
Would to Cod" he writes, ~ could
do as you have done. DO you seriously
think an application to Tyler would
have good result? My claims, to be
sure, are very few. I am Virginian-
mt least call myself onc-for have
resided all the years OF my life except
the last few in Richmond. MY political
principles have always been rs nearly
MS may be with the existing admins.
tration. and battled with right good
will for Harrison when opportunity of.
fered. With Mr.. Tyler have personal
acquaintance. although this lie may
have forgotten. For the rest, | am a
literary man, and see disposition In
the government to cherish letters. Have
| ! any chance!"
The earncstness OF this reply evil
IDENTITY frightened Thomas. To him
without doubt 1t was an idle sugges.
ton, inspired somewhat by sympathy
for Poe and gratitude for literary aid
given him. The next letter shows the
change of tenor. 1t is cautious and
noncommittal, diplomatic and intangi-
bic. In this pretty phrase lie begins:
81 trust, my dear friend. Won can oh