The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-03-05
PAY TRIBUTE TO POE
ENGLISH WRITER'S EXTOL GOOD
QUALITIES OF AUTHOR.
Belated But Nevertheless Beautiful
Recognition of the Genius, Whose
Talents Were Not Appreciated
Fully Until Long After He Had
Passed Away; the London Event.
Especial to The Free Press.1

Especial to The Free Press.1
London, March Debated, but
none the les enthusiastic, was the
memorial meeting held in London this
afternoon in honor of the centenary
of Edgar Allan Poe, which will close
this evening with dinner at the Au-
thOr's club where the American poets
praises will be sounded by many dis
tinguished English writer's, including
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Gar
vice and others. In addition to this,
most of the prominent English news
papers and literary magazines are
publishing fattering accounts of Poe's
life and work, several of them allud-
ing to him as Americas greatest lit
erary genius England has never be-
fore, perhaps, paid such honor to any
American writer. OF course, this will
not be the first occasion on which an
American writer has been cordially
recognized by England as Washington
Irving, Hawthorne, Emerson and Oil
yer Wendell Holmes have come in for
their need of praise, but it is doubt
full if ever before any single American
writer has been so universally con
coded to represent the American liter
airy genius-as distinguished from
writers of mere talent-as has Poe.
How the Plan Originated.
The idea of publicly honoring Poe in
London originated with the recently
reconstructed Authors club, which is
a wide development of the one founded
by Sir Walter Besant seventeen years
ago. The principal moving spirit in
the Poe celebration is Charles Car
vice, whose work is so well known in
cutive committee at the Authors club
and it is mainly through his efforts
that the revived club has been put on
a successful footing. The club occu-
pies splendid rooms overlooking the
river, and here writer's may meet on
the most con9enial terms, surrounded
by every luxury which may be enjoyed
at very moderate outlay.
Exterted a Remarkable Influence.
Edgar Poe, in my opinion" says
MIR. Garvice, "eXerted very remark
able formative influence on modern
English letters, and we are celebrating
his centenary i'll this country because
we feel, in Il measure, that, as mas
ter of the English language, he be
longs to us. 1t is to Poe that we owe
the short story which has been most
successful in these days-the deduc-
tive, analytical tale, with the following
up OF motives to climax. Some of
our most successful writer's, conscious
ly or uncOnsciOusly, are vastly indebt-
ed to him. In fact, Poe founded a
school distinctly his own. His Gold
Bug Murders in the Rue Morgue' and
other tales have long been initiated,
but never surpassed, if equalled
His Genius Recognized.
"In England, Foe's genius has been
fully recognize. In fact, | think we
were quick to assign him his proper
place in letters as the Americans. 1t
was, | think, Mrs. Elizabeth Barrett
Browning who first heralded The
Raven as the work of an undoubted
genius; and since her time there has
not been a dissentent voice to I'M
stinted praise of Foe, both as story
writer and poet.
Poe SO strongly appeals to the
members of the Authors club because
of the bond of sympathy which both
America and England hold in him.
Writers on both sides of the Atlantic
united in recognizing him as belong
ing to the two nations, and the cele-
bration of his centenary in England
will do much toward closer affil-
alton of the writer's of the two coun-
tries"
Alb bearing on Mr.. Garvice's last re-
marks, it will be remembered that Poe
received part of his early education in
London. After his adoption by the
Allan family, his foster parents came
to England, bringing Poe with them.
He was then in his seventh wear