The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-10-30
IHE APIY
VIXEN Tt4lE soEf OF WOE soOatiT
4 RrtalgET eosiTloes

a GOVERNMENT POSITION
me PathoB nnd E5nrneatneHrs OF HiN
Queat, HIS SIisern6le DeNtIturtlon
ana III. ErutEEe chase % tle Public
service JFIu-o'-the-yvisp
Edgar Allan Poe, the mister singer
OF sorrow. the world famous author Of
.-Tne Baven.' not only lived Ia Wash
insfon a number Of weeks, but came
near becoming a government clerk and
residing In the nationHl capital Reru1a-
nentIy. says Elizabeth Ellicott Poe iq
the Washington Post
Destiny prevented Poe from obtain
ing a government post, however. Burns
got into the excise. Charles Lamb had
a desk in tie Indian house, writing his
mastery essnys -'aftcr hours 5nw-
tllorne enjoyed a snug berth In the con-
su1ar service, but there was no easy
government billet for Edgar Allan Poe.
The suggestion that there might be
came from Frederick William Thomas,
a literary friend OF the poet, himself
nm odiceholder under President Tyler.
and deeply impressed with the light
duties OF government service.
The year was 1871, and in the Poe
calendar this was the year when the
Poe dream child, Poe magazine. was
near BIRTH The idea Itself was born
ways and means TO protect ir
from the world or keep 1t in the world.
The personal exchequer was low and
editors dllatoEy with payments. Where
was the money to come from Tor even
the Initial number? The prospect OF
of
moment. The bubble OF
hope grew, beautiful with rainbow
hues, lived n moment. then, like other
Poe bubbles, burst and disappeared
The story of its brief hour can be
best told In extracts from the CORE
sponGIence between Poe and Thomas.
On March 8, 1871, Thomas wrote
chatty note to Poe on Washington at
fairs Ecnerally and his own literary
ambitions particularly and spoke of
book he was working on.
.'FIow would you like" he asked, ito
be an officeholGIer here at $50 monthly.
payable by Uncle Sam, who, slack as
ne may be 10 his general creditors. pays
his olEicellolders with due punctualtty?
How would you like it2' Then Thomas
ouched lip the picture with humor-
,us description of the sinecure post
clerk held in those days.
The work Is by no means hard You
troll TO the office little after .. take
our own leisure through the day and
hen stroll home after . to dinner and
10 not return that day. IL after din
Ter you have anything to do, it is an
ISreeabIc rrIaxntion from the mon
.trous Inzine<s of the day. You have
In the writing line on your
a ID, tn 1ubFsifanffa
lie literary way. why. you can. You
an follow literature as well here as
where you arc. and think of the money
o be made by it,
Poe, in his miserable destitution. seiz-
d on this straw of hope with avidity
20 he released from pecuniary care, to |
ervc his beloved art in pcacc-what II |
aven 1t Promised! Besides Thomas
there IHcrc other reasons |
Thy the scheme seemed possible. As an t
doptrd son of Virginia, a personal ac-
uaiutnncc of President Tyler and the
terary protese of Postmaster General
ohm T. Kennedy his chances appeared
reat III ndduion 10 these he was
of men who had fought in
he Revolution and again in the war
+ 1872. aul his own grandfather. Gen
RAJ David Poe, gave his entire fortune
} the cause OF liberty, and surely tliat
lould have given tile genuine grand
Oh u claim to the fnvors of the state.
Isagrriy he penncd his reply. Very
it was, too Of the man
athletic in the betrayal of the preset.
offerings. Of which pride would not al
wv fun reveal tion-how the pertinent.
lrncst words hold 81 power to dim the
yes that read them today!
would 20 Cod he writes, Il could
D as yo', have done. DO you seriously
link ~ application to Tyler would
ave a good result: My claims, to be
ire, are very few. am n YIrgninn-
least l call myself one-for 1 have
.sIded all the years OF my life except
10 last few in Richmond. My politica'
-inciplcs have always been as nearly
may he with the existing adminis-
alton, and battled with right good
Ill for Harrison when opportunity Of Il
red. With Mr.. Tyler 1 have personal
although this he may
I'VE forgotten. For the rest. am a
.erary man. and see disposition in
e government to cherish letters. Have ID
any chHnce|
The enrnestmcss of this reply evil
emily frightened Thomas. TO him