The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1917-06-08
Facts ABOUT COL.
Will T. Hampton
EXTRACTS FROM COMMENT OF
NEW YORK NEWSPAPERS
AND FRIENDS.
The New York Tlmes says:

The New York Times says:
Colonel William James Hampton,
Journalist, who once described himself
as the plain poet OF the people" died
yesterday al the French Y NJ. c. a.,
100 West Fifty-fourth Street, where he
made his home while in this city. Coi-
onel hampton had apparently been in
good health on Tuesday night though
he had complained of feeling i'll before
he retired He was best known in this
city as a contributor OF satirical verse
on current topics TO the daily newspa-
pers, though many of his articles and
verse appeared in the monthly maga-
zines.
Colonel hampton made hundreds Of
friends in this city, as it was his GUS
tom to make the acquaintance of lonely
persons, shopkeeperS. in the neighbor-
hood OF his bachelor quarters who We're
not fortunate in their business dealings
as well as those who We're, for the pur-
pose Of Frightening their spirits with
his pleasantries, self-imposed task, it
lis related, which rarely met with ill-suc
cess, His poetry as well bore the i'm
print OF his disposition, his satire be-
ing written in humorous vein on topics
OF the day. ..
Colonel hampton was born in Law
renee co. Ohio, fifty-e eight years ago,
the son OF William ii. and Elinor Fair
fax Miller hampton, both Of whom We're
natives of Kentucky. He was educated
at academies in Kentucky and later
attended Ohio Wesleyan University
and Marietta College in ohio From
the latter institution he received an
honorary degree of A, NJ. in 1891.
His Newspaper Career.
His newspaper career commenced
when he edited his own newspaper, a
small weekly In Ashland, KY, from
1877 TO 1878. Later he became a re-
porter on The Cincinnati Times and a
lparagrapher for the Steuoenyille (Ohio)
Herald. He was a staff writer on The
Critic and Evening Star of Washington
and The Louisville Courier Journal and
editor OF The Cincinnati Merchant
Traveller, He afterward Joined the staff
OF Tie Detroit Free Press.
In 1915 Colonel Hampton put forward
his claim as the father of the "yawp,
or vers libre, as eighteen years before
this peculiar form of verse acquired
such vogue. The New York sun ed
AtVAAd1N IllllOuuCtu llldl ' AOlOnel
hampton was the father of the new
school OF poetry. He asserted that he
commenced writing verse in the style
Of the "yawp" in 1890, while a member
of the staff OF The Washington Star
The american Eagle Speaks" notably
was written when the United States
conducted diplomatic correspondence
with Italy as the result of the killing OF
Chief Of Police Hennessey of New Or
leans by the Malta.
IL wrote what j thought the Ameri-
can Eagle would say on such an oc.
casion. and particularly how. 1t would
scream said Colonel hampton. INC
ordinary conventional form of verst
had the scream measure and choss
my own means OF effecting this result
in print. When / showed my scream
verse, extremely free verse it was, too
10 tAe editor of The Star he fairly
gasped, and then slowly shook his lsead
and said that, while had the correct
sentiment, he could not jmperil the
literary reputation of the paper by
printing any crazy quilt poetry likt
that
American Eagle" Spreads.
The scream went into my desk, in
stead of into the paper, because de-
clinee to edit any matter submitted by
the American Eagle. The verse lay IL
my drawer for several days. until it &C
CURED &c me that Charles a. Dana was
the man wro did not wait on conven-
tons, literary or otherwise. and | hur-
ried over to him without introduction,
p had never written anything for The
Sun. and had grave doubts about max
ing a first attempt with such violence,
but it was thar or nothing, and Sun
ward 1t went. Mr.. Dana let 1t 20
straight, without any editing. and that
settled the business. The Tribue cop
led IL the next day, and the Washing
ton papers. excepting The Star, took
it up, and in vary short time il had
spread from Maine to California, some
of the papers even festooning it with
flags and some with eagles"
Colonel hampton was the author OF
several volumes, including "Yawps and
Other Things" Confessions OF Hus-
band" "The Trolley Car and the Lady"
Mrs. Browns Opinions" Judge Wax
ems, Pocket Book of Politics." and
Tame Animals | Have Known"
II was said that Colonel Hampton
was cousin Of Samuel Clemens Mark
Twain) on his mothers side, it being
understood that Clemens's mother and
Colonel Lamptons grandmother were
first or second cousins.
Tribute or An Old Friend.
Grosvenor Clarkson, Secretary Of the
Council OF National Defense, said today
of william j, hampton. who was an old
friend:
"Will hampton was more himself
than any human being ] have ever
known. Affectation was stranger to
him, and utter almost childlike, ma
was his unconscious creed.
He knew practically all of the great
people of his day in this country, but
he was quite as informal and engag-
ing with Cabinet officer as with
waiter. He simply did not know how
to know-tow. a KentuclSian OF Ken
tuckinns. hampton was at once a cit
lzen OF the world and bohemian In
the sense not OF cheapness, but OF COM
nlete freedom OF spirit