Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-12

gators of the Camden crossing can tell US
whether the boats were all painted white in
a less smoky era?
HNHE Wenonah. and the Beverly were lying
l. in the now unused ferry slip at the foot
OF Market street, alongside the great Victor
Talking Machine works. Picking my way
through an empty yard where some carpen-
tering was going on, I found deserted pier
that overlooked the two old vessels and
gave fair prospect on to the river and the
profile of Philadelphia. Sitting there on
pile of pebbles lit a pipe, and watched the
busy panorama of the river. ] made no
EFFORT to disturb the normal and congenial
iassitude that is the highest function of the
human being: no Hindoo philosopher could
have been more pleasantly at ease. Two
elderly colored men were loading gravel on
to cart not far away. l was a little wor-
ried as to what ! could say If they asked
what 1 was doing. In these days casual
loungers along doclsides may be suspected
of depth bombs and high treason The only
truthful reply to any question would have
been that l was thinking about Walt Whit.
man. Such remark, If uttered in Philadel-
phia would undoubtedly<g have been an.
swered by direction to the chocolate fac
tory on Race street. But in Camden every
one knows about Walt, Still, the colored
men said nothing beyond returning my greet
Ing. Their race, wise in simplicity. knows
that loafing needs no explanation and is its
own excuse.
IF WALT could revisit the ferries he loved
L SO we'll, In New York and Philadelphia.
ne would hnd the former strangely altered
IN aspect. The New York skyline wears
very different Silhouette against the sky,
with It's marvellous peaks and SUBMITS draw
ing the eye aioft. But Philadelphia's pro-
ME is imagine) not much changed l do
not know just when the City Hall tower was
finished: Walt speaks Of it as three .ffths
built In 1879. That. of course. is the domi.
hant unit in the view from Camden. Other
wise there are few outstanding elements The
gradual rise In height of the buildings from
Front street gently ascending up to Broad
gives no startling contrast of elevation IN
catch the gaze. The spires of the older
churches stand up like soft blue pencils and
the massive cornces of the Curtis and DrexeI
buildings catch the sunlight. Otherwise the
outline is even and well-massed in a smooth
ascending curve
is curious how man can stamp his per.
L sona!ty upon earthly things. There will
always be pilgrims to whom Camden and the
Delaware ferries full of excitement and
meaning because of Walt Whitman Just a 9
Stratford is Shakespeare, so is Camden
whitman. Some superciious observers
flashing through on the way to Atlantic CITY
may only see town in which there is no
delirious and seizing beauty. Let us remind
them of Waits own words:
A great city is that which has the great
est men and women,
III II be rev ragged huts 1t is still the
greatest city in the whole world
And as I came back across the river and
an airplane hovered over us at great
height. thought how much we need a Whit
| man today, a poet who can catch the heart
and meaning of these grievous bitter years
who can make plain the surging hopes thai
throb In the breasts of men. The world ,ba g
not flung itself into agony without some nm
expressed vision that lights the sacrifice
III Walt Whitman were here he would Ioos
| on this new world of moving pictures and
| gasoline engines and U-boats and tell us
what 1t means. Think how he would have
dramatized Camden's Tnckdhoe! His great
| heart, which with all its garruous f,,mblng
had caught the deep music of human service
and fellowship, would have had true and fna
words for us. And yet he would have found
| II hard world for one of his strollinR meS.
itative observancy. A speeding motortruck
would have run him down long ago
A. left the ferry at Market street 7 saw
"A that the Norwegian steamer Taunton
was unloading bananas at the Ericsson pier.
| Less than a month ago she picked I'm the
| survivors of the schooner Madrn0ada torpe.
| doed by U-boat off Winter Bottom Shoal.
| On the Madru0ddG was young friend of
| mine, a Dutch sailor. who told me Of the
disaster after he was landed In New York.
| To come unexpectedly on the ship that had
| rescued him seemed = great adventure. WhSf
z poem Walt Whitman e6sN havs mA(e
n - u