Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-10
SAYS IDEA OF LoNGFELLoW
AS PLAGIARIsT is RIDICULOUS

LOS ANGELES, Feb. S.-[Editoi
Herald: But for the indefatigable yea
and perspicacity of the La Crosse
Wis. correspondent of the Los An
geles Times in rescuing from oblivion
in the obscure pages of the Yeoman
Shield. a worthy but small sheet oil
Des Moines, this far-reaching discoV-
cry of a fact of such astounding inn
port would have been lost to the un-
illumined literary world probably for
all time.
The charges are based on deep re-
searches made by the learped editor OF
the Yeoman's Shield, which resulted
in the discovery of an ancient epic
poem of Finland, cons older than
Homer's writings, handed down orally
from century to century, WHICH ne
claims is the indisputable original from
which our foremost and once revered
poet lifted his American version, de-
claring that they are one and the same;
of the same measure and meter, poth
dealing alike with Indians, with magic,
with RENDERS and with singers VINO
relate traditions. The poem is called
"The Kalevala,' extracts from which
resemble so clearly the American coun-
terfeit that the Times frankly admits
their undeniable similarity and is even
forced to characterizing, with becoming
delicacy and moderation, the claims
made by the Iowa editor as unpleasant
ly convincing. -,
"Unpleasantly convincing" they Will
doubtless appear to many hundreds or
the Times readers who daily kneel at
its high altar of wisdom and light to
receive the blessed matutinal benedic-
ton of it's golden gospel. Unpleasantly
convincing 1t seems, but more so as IT
concerns proof of another fact which
involves the enterprising journal:
The profound literary knowledge OF
the average correspondent it would
perhaps seem ungracious to question,
but upon this point it may be said with
due Recommendation disagree.
Sincere admiration of the valiant
temerity in so boldly transferring from
the unpretentions columns of the little
Iowa Hampden to its own globe-cir-
cling pages, this staggering disclosure
under Wanting headlines without once
pausing to consider its virtue as cur
rent news item, should not blind one
to the possible incompetency of the
worthy editor of the sturdy Yeoman's
Shield as a dependable authority in the
matter Paucity of zorro boration seems,
however compensated by the reckless
hardihood of assertion launched forth
to a waiting world Closing its telling
arraignment of the hoary-headed, old
poets memory with consistent blind in
sistence of its own infallible authority,
it says: zone could keep up the deadly
parallel page after page"
Yes, II its learned correspondent had
but taken the trouble to turn a few
more pages in the right direction in
early youth or of late to continue
the deep research" a little further he
might have found under date of Tune
5. 1854, the poets own acknowledgment
in his diary of the source of his in
spiration. Under that date he had
noted the fact of having read with
great delight the Finnish epic 'Kale-
vala" with open admission of its
charms and frank confession of the
impression made upon him.
Or, had the learned correspondent
desired to secure further evidence to
supplement the deadly parallel he
might have obtained interesting infor-
nation If he had turned to the intro
duction of any reputable 25-cent edi-
lions of "Hiawatha," which contain on
an average of from a dozen to a score
of pages devoted to comprehensive
comparison of the two poems. The
publication of these date mostly prior
to the war of the Rebellion, and the
latest. to offhand knowledge, published
in the latter part of the last century,
bore the date A. d. 1885, ten years ago.
Or, had the learned correspondent
with taste for literary adventure,
desired an easier way--and he seems
to favor short cuts-he could have
stopped any sixth grade schoolboy on
the street and obtained valuable data
on the origin and history of "Hiawa-
tina" also, and incidentally he might
have learned something to his advan-
tage about the story of Rip Van
Wrinkle. JESSUP SALISBURY.