Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-24
ALCOHOL AND GENIUS

ct felt bit of a clutch at the throat the
other day when L heard that, for his own
good, Leo Wheat had been put away in the
insane asylum" said middle-aged Wash
ingtenian II hate to think OF just how
many years I've known Leo around Wash
ington, because I've come TO that crossway
when / dislike to remind myself of how
rapidly I'm getting on. But I've certainly
been 'howdy' terms with Leo ever since
Alec Shepherd was doing his marvels for
the Identification of Washington. and that
lent any inconsiderabie stretch of years.
1T isn't. though. solely because I've
known Wheat all these years that I'm
sorry, keenly sorry, that at last they've had
to put him away for his own protection.
It's more because it's sore thing with me.
no doubt 1t must be to other men who
think 1t over, to see an actual child OF
genius maize so nourafuf a finish. Nobody
around Washington, or. in fact. Virginia
or Maryland needs to be told what a great
natural musician Leo Wheat was in MS
better day. He a wonderful organisf.
/ seem to remember that he played the
great organ at the centennial exposition IN
Philadelphia when that affair was opened,
and | know that he has offieiated to use SO
cold d word for his marvellous playing. on
other great occasions. He was an inspired
pianist / don't mean to class him with
PaderewsSi or any of the great technicians
who use the piano as their medium but L
do mean to say that he could produce tones
OF such absolute beauty and warmth ana
color and tenderness from that instrument
to melt the hearts of even cold and cal
loused men.
Moreover, Leo Wheat. in that good day
of which l speak was a man of fine all
around culture, man who knew ms
classics as | know my daybook, a poet, a
scholar in many abstruse lines of investi-
cation and, more than all, a gentleman al
every moment of his life when he was any
thing like himself. He came from very
yipia for, md
and the results of his early training remain
ed with him through all of the lapses OF
his later years.
The wine-cup held out its amber fasci-
nation for him a very early stage or MS
life That cup was never meant for a man
of Wheats artistic temperament IL was
rot remarkable that he came to be In tinle
one of those Magma bly, irresponsible oip-
scmaniacs. Wien the sudden desire Tor the
mental exhiiaration of the fagon swept
Wheat ii was all off with him. he Wouiu
plunge into the tempeStuous stream anu
stem that hopeless tide of chance blind 10
all former experiences. ignoring the physicai
and mental brokenness that he well knew
would be his portion when the dregs hau
been reached. suppose l have met MIN
around Washington, and In other cities, aS
often as thousand times during sucn pas,
sa ses of his as these. | have even nearo
him perform the most inspired music o.
sl,ci, times when it seemed absolutely GER
tain that he was evolving the music soieiS
from what might be called his sub-consclous
state for it would be quite OBVIOUS .ha a.,
he would not know what he was doing III
so far as his normal senses We're CON
~cerned.
1T would be hard for me to name any
man who had more friends gather arouho
him at different times. especially IN we
earlier days of his decline, with oHers y.
help and advice, than Leo wheat Unless
go back to the mention OF George n but-
Ter the famous writing nephew or zen.
Butler. who also landed in the insane esy
lum across the Eastern branch after all OF
the efforts of his friends proved una'aluns.
BUT moor Wheat had overStepped tifat fu-
bcon that demarks tempted man ISL. ,o
mined rise or his igno5le fall, and there
never was any chance that he might listen
to his friends words of warning
And so the poor oil chap went on
through the changing years. rising coca
s,onaIly only to stumble again. all he time
putting the phlegm of pity in the throdts
of those who had ,o-ed and esteemed nm
in his earlier manhood, and always, MN
self, expressing the wistful nope, which
had no chance of fulhlmcut, tnat ne q ccH-
uuer himself some old day or another
Alike in the quality OF his inspiration
and in the utter hopeiessness or ms course
Leo Wheat was sort of Edgar Allan roo:
He always reminded me of that greatest OF
all the American poets In these things. lie
had, after beginning, as little chance 10
conform to the standard or sobflety set py
| the workaday world as Poe Allied 10 the
| temperament of the artist he had q clt OF
| the wild Berserker in bin that drove him
! on and on over the craggy road Those OF
| us who had been on terms OF intimacy
! with Wheat in those better FEARS of his
have known for long, long time that his
mentality was gradually giving way under
the strain to which he put II, and soma or
us even foresaw the inevitable end.
alcohol and genius-I am puzzed to
know why those two so often go tandem.
Let me whisper: I have never eeen IN the
habit of overstepping the mark to any
great extent In the matter Of drinking. but
l affirm that the mere sight Of Leo Wheat
has often during all these long years caus-
ed me to become a 'eetotal9r for long
| stretches at a time. l never credited myself
| with possessing any genius to be preyed
| upon and finally ruined by the thing that
| ruined Wheat eventually, but the mere
| spectacle of Leo proving around III his
| sad hopelessness, with so much ruin pla-
| carded all over him. With so many endow-
| ments OF heart and mlni mean: for the
| good of the world wholly destroyed within
! him-well, 1 used to experience a little
| chill of fear, I am free to confess, when
| I'd meet Wheat at these times, and then
| I'd let the other fellows go in Cor the tocdy
| for many months a-runni1g.
| ''Tush, this moraiiz ny! But, leaving out
| the reading of homilies. I'm sore at heart
| to see this man. the best and brightest OF
! the whole push of us IN those days of
| young manhood that we knew together go
| the route that he has gone-1 sure am.