Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-10

raul Lawrence LUMBAR.
| reading and writing. and debating was a
recreation he INDUCED and exceled in a
mere child. His mother said that the
strength of his feeling a debatable ques-
ton, his mastery of his subject and his vigor
in upholding his side In debate when he was
a little fellow of dozen years surprised
almost alarmed her.
Worked as Elevator Boy.
While working an elevator boy in
business house in Dayton Dunbar took some
poems he had written to publishing house
to have them printed in book form The
| head of the firm refused to touch them
without an advance payment Of $1O0 for ex-
penses incurred. The manager of the es-
Enlistment, however, possibly discovering
more in either the boy or his poems than
his principal. said: Say nothing about it.
but leave your poems with me. will print
your book and you can pay me after YOU
have sold it, The boy left his matter and
returned to his elevator where one day a
boX OF books was delivered to him, and
tnere on the elevator they STAYED for a.
time ana he sold them to those who came
and went. He shortly exhausted his first
edition, paying for the printing out of the
proceeds, and second edition was issued
A copy of this book, Oak and Ivy"
found Its way to DIR. ii. a. Tobey super
lntendent OF the State Asylum for the In
sane at Toledo. He sent for a number of
the DOCKS which he gave to friends. Dr.
Tobey sent for young Dunbar, who went
to Toledo and met the man whom he re-
garded as his greatest benefactor He read
TO Or. Tobey and some OF his friends from
his poems on this OCCASION and received a
second invitation some time later to be
present at reception in his own honor
and to read again from his poems. but TO
an asSemblage of many hundreds of guests
TIE meeting and the reading We're sue
cess.
Book Made Him Famous.
He wrote book of short stories of negro
life, entitled Majors and Minors after
which he went to New York. and for two
years wrote for various journals While in
New York he wrote Lyrics Of Lowry LIE
which contains many of his early poems,
with an Introduction by William Dean
Howeils, which brought the author 1nme-
date recognition. Then he wrote his book
OF short stories, entitled Folks from
Dixie
While Dunbar was in New York a long
looked-for opportunity came to visit Eng
land. lie went over and stayed for sew
eral months. On various occasions he read
from his works, and created something OF
a furore in the British m atropoIs He was
Londons literary lion for time and was
the honored guest of various of its famous
clubs, his books receiving the distinction of
republication in the fine British editions
While in London he wrote The UncalIed 3"
his first long story. On his return to the
United States Dunbar received an appont-
ment in the National Library. He was in
cildi &c VI lie WOTKS mathematics and
medicine in the book department. On his
return TO the United States also there ECng
no slight romance, for 1T was upon his ar
rival in New York that he met for the first
time the woman who became his wife, and
the story of the wooing was altogether
worthy the poet.
Married New Orleans Woman.
The young woman was Miss Alice Ruth
Moore of New Orleans, who was herse.r
something of poet. Some of her verses
appearing in a Boston journal so impressed
Dunbar that he wrote to the author. She
responded, and from this beginning a reg
ular correspondence ensued. In 1897 Miss
Moore became teacher in a public school
in Brooklyn, which gave Mr. Dunbar con-
venient opportunity OF calling upon ter
when he reached New York on his return
from England. An engagement soon fol-
lowed, and shortly afterward they were
quietly, indeed, secretly, married In Br ook-
lyn The reason for secrecy was that Mrs
Dunbar'S school year was nearly ended
and she considered it her duty to complete
the term MIR. Dunbar after the wedding
went to Washington to await the coming
of his wife. But the waiting was too much
for his patience, and about a month after
the marriage he went over to BROOKLYN
and carried the young woman away, to the
confusion of the school authorities