The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-28
CAREER AT
THE UNIVERSITY


ItSn SEtiiIittI.
Ry +. l.. CLpYp. Lemon. n
When work began AZ the I
slty Of Virginia on February
1925. amor tho names entered aa
the registrars record ~As th4t
Edgar Allan Poe. lie vas at ,h.t
time. seventeen years OH. 4nI
<een described hy George T. Woo
berry in his life Of Poe" - some
what short in St4tlre tnish- >.t.
compact, bow-legged, With the ~.
and ierky gait OF an EuglSh ass
his face, clustered about ~ aara.
curly hair. wore usually j graz .ta!
reserved expression, but his featat
would Nindle With lively an!rn3t.a.
when, as frequently happened a.
grew warm III his cause"
His time VAS spent in the class
room. ROUND the punch-boWl, ~ tEt
card-table. or in athletic sports.
which ne was very loleient, bra<
a sllilful boxer and an xpe swim
mer. He included among his studies
Latin. Greek. French, Spanish. aai
Italian. He was a quick and bril-
liant pupil. although not. aIwa>+
steady or accurate IN scholarship
| With his classmates he was %ponnitI.
but their unanimous testimony W.
that no one knew him. 1t list
he roomed with Miles George, -
Richmond, but later moved to No. ID
West Range, and here his compah
ions would gather around him 10 en-
JOY a bowl of punch or 70 engdg" II
q game Of cards.
Although Poe Wa. very susceptible
to strong drink and. on ctoun =
his recklessneSs in card-playiug, be
camee unpopular with some of his
former cor"Danions he seems not to
have come under the notice of thu
faculty. which nevertheless. ii is said.
was st that time unusually watch
full and strict The popular notion
tina Poe was expelled from the
university is a total error.
DESPITE the many temptations and
designations Of college life. Poe found
time to develop his own gift. and he
frequently gathered his companions
about him and entertained them with
poems which he had composed dur
ing the long walks which he ff~-
quently took.
LAS WAS to be expected from mas
4 excitable temperament. he was i'll
adapted for gaming. or else luck ran
strong against him. since he ended
the year with heavy debts Of honor.
Visiting him at Charlottesville, Mr.
Allan found out the condition Of Poe,5
financial affairs and paid all the debts
he thought Just: but he refused to
pay those amounts which Poe had
lost in gaming.
Notwithstanding his many short
comings. the poet won honors n
Latin and French that year. and
when he reached hone on Christmas
eve. 1925, 'he was as welcome ~
ever in the house. at least 10 tho
ladies' and as much beloved"
At the beginning Of the neu year.
instead Of sending Edgar back to the
University. Mr.. Allan placed him n
his own counting room. This WORK
proved very distasteful to Poe. and
he soon ran away to Boston. Here
he secured the publication of MS
first volume. 'Tamerlane and Other
POEMS. After the publication OF
this work Poe enlisted in the army
under the name Of K. a. Perry
While in the service Poe made a very
honorable record.
: In January. 1929. Mr.. Allan se-
cured his sons release from the army
and obtained an appointment for hin
, at West Point. While waiting for
this appointment Poe published his
). second volume OF poems in Rich
moRd.
Poe's record at West POINT was
! very unsatisfactory and he was dis
e missed in January. 1881. From his
time forward he depended upon edi-
torial work and other literary zen
lures tor his support. The history Of
! his life from this time until his
, death IN 1919, is one continual strug.
gle against fate.