New-York tribune., 1909-01-20
PAY TRIBUTES TO POE
HONE OF POET.
Exercises IN ShddO1c of Hall of Fame
Which Tscice Refused to
Honor Him.

The memory of Edgar Allan Poe signally
honored yesterday, the huudredth ami
versary of his birth, in the shadow of the New
York University Hall of Fame, on whose tab
lets the committee of admission twice refused
to inscribe his name. The whole bitter discus
sion was recalled when Chancellor MacCracken
read a telegram from the University OF Virginia,
where q Poe celebration also icing held.
The telegram was signed by Professor Kent.
head of the department OF literature, and said:
The University of Virginia greets New York
University, with the hope that the Hall of Fame
may some day be hospitable to genius as Is
your university to-day.
To this Chancellor MacCracken read his tact
full reply:
New York University reciprocates the greet
ing Of the University of Virginia, and VIII gladiy
fellowship with her in communicating 10 the
one hundred electors of the Hall of Fame, rep
resenting all the forty-fve states of our Union
important facts and enduring sentiments re-
speCting famous Americans.
BY way of explanation, Hamilton Wright
Mabe. III the principal address Of the afternoon
said that the university was simply the Gus
todian of the Hall OF Fame. but without voice
in the selection of names inscribed upon It's
walls, and. was, therefore. free from all respon-
sibiIity in that connection
BUST OF POE UNVEILED.
Fordham Heights. when a bronze bust by Ed
mond T. Quinn was unveiled by Arthur A.
stoughton chairman of the Poe memorial COM
mittee Of the Bronx Society OF Arts and Sciences,
and presented by him to the city
AS the Stars and Stripes fell from the bust
and were hoisted TO the top OF iagpole. the
national salute Of twenty-one guns was fired by
the 2d Battery Field Artillery. OF the National
Guard of New York, and Poe's bust, lifelike,
stood facing the little house across the way TO
which he brought his beloved child-bride, Nir-
ginia, in 1S49 and in which she died the year
after.
Joseph !. Berry. Commissioner or Parks for
The Bronx. accepted the bust for the city in
short speech in which he described Poe's home
and it's surroundings as Mr.. Berry knew them as
a hoy Then he told of POes favOrite spring on
the banks of the Harlem, close by the Hall Of
Fame Poes favorite walk, he said. was along
the highway from Kingshridge 10 West Farms
He recalled the apple trees and the cherry bios
SONS and the old-fashoned garden that sur
rounded the little Dutch shingled cottage in
which Poe spent four unhappy years. from 1914
to 1919.
While FIVE hundred persons stood on the cold
snow with uncovered heads Wilton Lackaye.
the actor, read John Henry Boner's poem.
'Poe's Cottage at FoTdham."
At the memorial meeting in the chapel of
New York University Chancellor MacCracken,
president of the Bronx Society of Arts and Sci
ences. introduced Professor George E. Wood
berry. Of Cornell University, as the chairman OF
the meeting.
TRIBUTE TO TRUE VALUES.
Professor Woodberry said:
Though Poe was a child of the South, he had
national range by reason of his sympathy. He
set a standard with his first work. He never
was anything but a of letters He never
earned any money except by his pen have
no manner OF doubt he was sincere in saying
that in thus adhering to his profession he cheer
fully bore poverty. His profession pauperized
him Is II not startling 10 think that we are
gathered here in a city which is the shrine and
throne of gold to do honor to a man who was
a beggar all his days? 1t IS striking tribute
to true values. Poe not only lived meagrely, at
times he starved. and yet out of that starved.
meagre life we have to-day that imagry that
fades not away.
Edwin Markham read an original poem. Of
which these are the four last stanzas:
poet the ., tra@pIins , street t5,.,
And SO you followed Reauty's flying feet
the dim AMI old
these stones have memories Of The tears shed.
Forgive the serpent tongue; the dying dart
Forgive us from the dead
You sans your songs; We gave you soorn 4 for pay
For beauys bread we n6Gen SsFT o s'f the w a9o yet
Remember to forget.
sing ISRAELI. YOU have your star at last.
Your morning star: but We've still must I've.
So now all is all is past.
Forget forget-forgve
ADDRESS BY HAMILTON W. MABIE.
Speaking on Poe at the End of a Century"
Hamilton Wright Nabie said:
At the end of hundred years how stands the
account with Poe. and what place does he hold
in o1I literature? Poets, critics story writers of
high rank abroad have given him the first place:
at home there has been great confusion of
rnea stIred condemnation, unmeasured laudation.
In the Hall of Fame, of which the university
whose guests we are to-day is the custodian but
80 without voice in the selection OF names in
scrihed on its walls and therefore free of all re-
Continued second