The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-09
WALTER MALONE DAY
From the Memphis News-Scimitar pn HE high school at Caplevllle, in S

From the Memphis News-Scimitar
 pF1t HE high school at Caplevllle, in Shel-
 by county, hard by where he was
 born, originated the idea of appro-
 priately observing February 10 as Walter
 Malone day, the fiftieth anniversary of his
 birth. Some of his poems will be read,
 and perhaps some that have been set to
 music sung. His favorite hymns will be given by the young ladies Of the neighbor-
 hood, and addresses will be made by sev-
 eral gentlemen who have been selected for
 that purpose.
 Taking the hint from the Capleville
 High school, the Walter Malone associa-
 tion has requested the authorities of the city and county school. of Shelby county
 to observe the same occasion, and make
 at least beginning for celebrating Wal
 ter Malone day, and in this way antici- pate posterity by establishing a custom which is sure to live and grow indefinite ly and extend far beyond the limits of the Tennessee The governor of Mississippi was requested to issue proclamation or some sort of a publication suggesting or recommending that the anniversary of Mississippis most illustrious native son be observed, but Governor Bilbo, while admitting that Walter N>aIone was one of the greatest poets of the south and {. man of rare literary attainments, has con- cluded that proclamations of this sort do little or no good at all'' which is un- questionably frank and an amazing ad- mission for the governor of Mississippi to make. The friends of Governor Rilbo thought differently. No doubt many of the schools and literary societies of Mis- sssippi will act on their own accord, and without suggestion or recommenda- ton from their chief executive.
 Many of the literary societies of Shelby county will observe this notable anni- versary, and it would not be amiss for our civic and commercial bodies to pause for few moments on that day to pay honor to the dead poet. Walter Malone was in a class by himself, and while an intensely southern man, ~us the greatest literary asset of this country or of this continent. His fame is perhaps the most permanent and valuable material asset which this city can boast because it will be here in undimnished Splendor, when material things that are now so firmly es- tablished, and which are of such great
 material consequence. shall have passed into oblivion. Memphis should honor Wal ter Malone for selfish if not for sentimen- tai and reverential reasons.
 It has long been said that seven cities claimed the honor of being the birth place of the blind Homer, who had to beg his bread from door to door when he was alive. As matter of fact 19 places claim that honor, and none of them thought anything about him when he did live, and there is no certain way of prov 1 ing now whether he ever lived or not. Other cities and other nations take pride
 in honoring their great men, because in So
 doing they honor themselves. Others do 1 it for purpose of thrift and profit The rumor was started many years ago that the body of Hamlet was buried in the | little town of Elsinore. and every tourist
 demanded to be shown the. spot where sleeps the melancholy Dane" An ac-
 commodating hotel keeper selected little