The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-03
POE'S COLLEGE YEAR
Great Writer'S Brief Stay at
Virginia University.
TO OBSERVE HIS CENTENARY
His Alma Mater, Never Indifferent to
His Fame, Plans = Noteworthy Gel
rs = Museum-Trzces of the Poet
Noticeable About Charlottesville.

Poe's name Is nake0 with that Of the
University OF Virginia. where he spent a
memorable year. writes John L. Patton in
the New York Times That institution has
never been Indifferent 70 his fame It's first
librarian. the venerable william Werten-
baker. was one Of the earliest Of his de-
tenders Its Poe Memorial Association.
composed OF professors and students. IN
yelled there on the fitch anniversary OF
MS death the bronze bust by Zolnay, and
Mr. Mabie made on that day an address
or Poe's place IN American literature
which was enriched by some Of the best
judgments IN brief that have been passed .
upon the achievements Of the most orig
inal American genius and prince Of
American poets"
Now his alma mater promises uOte-
worthy celebration OF the poets center
airy, which arrives on January T. On
January Is the room he occupied when
student VIII be opened as q Poe Museum
The sermon the next day IN the chapel.
a rod o. two from the room, VII PROBABLY
strike q note in harmony with TIE eom-
memoration-
On Monday morning the guests Of TIE
university wiz be taken OF pilgrimage
70 the Ragged Mountains. about the only
SPOT made famous BY his stories, since
his genius was Independent OF Iocsifty:
and IN the afternoon the Ravens. an or
ganization whose membership IS made ID
OF students who have Won distinction by
intellectual achievements during their col
Iege careers. VIII celebrate the occasion
with musical and dramatic events with
motifs drawn from Poe's lyrics January
19-the Birthdays. OF course, reserved
for the strongest features OF TIE Pro
gramme Of commemoTation- The NON
ing viii be devoted to En- International
celebration.
No. 13 in 4Royvdy Row.
Poe had tust passed his seventeenth
birthday when he arrived at Chsrfottsz-'
vile 70 enter the university. then fl its
second session. It was nidvinteT. and
the uttle viIIsge clustered about TIE
courthouse could not have been very al
Turing A mile away, through Tickets
and over a rough country rad he
reached the university HIS lore Of
beauty, Y offended By It's still raw, IN
gardened grounds, should have been sat-
isfed by the architectural integrity OF ita
buildings
For & tine Poe shared room On West
Lawn with Miles George. also Of Rich
mond- There was a schooTboy fsticuf.
a handshake IN acknowledgment OF sat
isfacti0u. and Poe went TO West Range.
set Up his household gods snd adorned
a..
the ceiling with q charcoal copy Of q
plate in ByrOn's poems. According 70 the
memory OF men. No. q in the block. then
known as 'ROwdy Row" has been &C
copied as The room he occupied II has
become a shrine Over its door IS
bronze tablet which reads:
EDGAR ALLAN POE.
MDCCCEXTL
D1-uus parV1 -zEui poelze
following the thought OF she epigram on 4
the modest home Of the great Erasmus
ii Rotterdam. Small as was the home IN 4
Hoogestrast. that n West Range was
smaller-one room, about twelve feet
square The date OF the poets entrance
Is not known, but his last night there IS &
fixed pretty definitely by ,the reminis-
cences OF William Wertenbaber, q fellow
student Il vas December .. 1875 that
the Two. returning from a social gather
ing at the home Of q professor spent the
remainder Of the evening in No e Mr.
Wertenbaker believed this was POe-s last
night az the university.
Poe haunted the library as much as tie.
narrow restrictions Of that day permitted.
For the tine Il was an excellent coIIec-
ton. for in spite Of the need OF money
for buildings and equipments, Mr.. Jeffer-
son dealt literally with this branch OF
his infant institution Young Nerten-
baker was in charge and his record
showed that this seventeen-year-Old boy
borrowed Rollins Historic AnCienne.
RobertsOn'S "Aueric-. MarshalTs
Washington" Voltaire's Historic Par
ticuliere," and Dufefs Mature Dis
played" IN addition, he read, with his
friend Tucker. LingaTd and Hume. and
enjoyed a pageantry Of the poets from
Chaucer 70 the singer Of AbbOtsfOrd. tha
latter Just then entering the shadow OF
the financial eclipse Of the publishing
house Of Constable
His First Published story.
His friend Tucker tells OF his efforts
and successes in writing short stories,
which he read in No. Is 10 a favored few OF
his friends. and no doubt the first draft OF
his first published story. the ..Alanuscript
Found in a Bottle, was made there.
More than fifty years after he recalled
these readings in tie little room when
Poe. forgetting everything but the story
10 which he was giving expression,
wrought 50 powerfully on his eager au-
ditors that, il is said, they were afraid %
breathe lest the enchanted spell be broken.
The ROOM with its Enthusiastically pictured
walls lighted dimly by candle. and the
rapt group Of young men, formed a fitting
milieU Tor the hiStTiOnism OF the strange
children OF his fancy. Once only he ven
tgred on q story in which there were hu-
morOus touches. and no gloom OF scar
Octobers or bleak Defenders. and hs
met for the first time fiippant and laugh
ing criticism IN sudden anger he cast the
manuscript into the fire. where his as
tonished guests saw II reduced 10 ashes.
Thereafter they called him Gaffey. after
the hero OF the story
IF the records are silent as 70 much Of
Poe's history at the university. they are
lOQuaci0Us Of the atmosphere in which
ne lived. There IS preserved at the fnsti-i
tuition the first volume OF the minutes OF
the faculty, a long narrow, uuruIed book
which tells a vivid story Of gambling and
and other forbidden practices.
but Poe's name Is set down only once,
and then he appears as a witness who
knows nothing about the case under IN
vestigatiOn.
WOMAN TC 4 UACuTNCT0E