Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-02-12
STRUGGLING DAYS, HERE
His First Poem Published Outside
Of Dayton Appeared in the
Old Independent.

Paul Laurence Dunbar, negro poet
and writer, is dead at his home in
Dayton, and members of his race and
literary people all over the country
are in mourning for the man.
Dunbar, in his struggling days, be-
fore the world of letters had set upon
his work its stamp of approval was
well known in Richmond, and as a
young, poverty stricken colored boy,
was brought here by people who were !.
interested in his efforts and who
wished to have him make name for
himself. Much of the credit for his
fame can be laid to those Richmond
people who looked beyond the color
and into the keen mind of the Day
ton elevator boy.
Born in Dayton, in the early seven
ties, Dunbar commenced life as the
son of poverty stricken colored peo-
pie who had been slaves in Kentucky,
and who trace their ancestors back to
African origin. This was one of the
things in which Dunbar always took
pride and was happy i'll the thought
not only that he was negro, but
with as pure African blood as lowed.
During his early lifeshe was taught
to read by his mother, who knew
more of books than most slaves, and
when he entered the Dayton high
school, he had already written sever
el poems, although none had pet been
published. After graduating, he took
position as elevator boy in hotel,
and studying at nights, acquired
vocabulary of excellent words which
he could frame into the best of Eng
lish, or into the genuine southern dia-
lect, at will. 1t was while he was
working at this hotel that he first
came to be known in Richmond.
A man who had learned to like the
young colored boy came here and told
Mrs. Mary Frame Selby that there
was an elevator boy in Dayton who
had more than ordinary intellect and
talent. Mrs. Selby wrote to him and
in short time received one Of his
early poems. The name has been for
gotten, but it was published in the
old Richmond Independent, and is
thought by some to have been the
first of his poems that ever appeared
in print.
After that, he was brought to Rich
mond to recite before the congrega-
ton Of a colored church. He received
much applause and his works were
published with greater frequency.
After time, he gave his first public
appearance, in which he got the bene-
fit of the receipts. The entertainment
was held in the old Phillips House,
but it was not well advertised, and
from the size of the audience it was
seen that there would not be enough
money to cover expenses. Without
word to the young boy who was SO
badly in need of the money, Judge L.
c. Abbott went about over the city
and finally succeeded in raising en-
OdgH W IOSEI lIt cApcHSCS dnd tHc
receipts, about SIS, went to young
| Dunbar.
He had never had so much money
before and his appreciation Of the
efforts of Richmond people to help
him was shown in the number of po-
ems he later wrote and dedicated to
the city. Later, when he was in bet
ter circumstances, he learned that
Judge Abbott had been instrumental
in making his first public appearance
success, and in return he dedicated
two short poems to the Judge.
Isaac Jenkinson, then editor of
tThe Palladium was interested in
! the boy, and published many of his
/ poems, thus winping for Dunbar the
admiration Of hundreds Of readers all
over Fasfe9- Indiana.