Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-05-20
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o WAIT WHITMAN CENTENARY. Z

New York. May 20.
On the closing day of this month
the literary world will pay homage
to the memory of Walt Whitman. on
the occasion of the one hundrtdth
anniversary of the birth of The
Good Gray Poet The occasion is to
be marked by anniversary exercises
in the public schools and special meet
ings of literary societies in all parts of
tht country
special feature of the centennial
is to be pilgrimage to the old Whit
man homestead at West Hills, l.. l.,
where the poet first saw the light on
May 81, 1919 The poets father,
grandfather and grandfather
were born in the same house, The
early Whitmans owned a vast estate,
with hundred of slaves, and were
noted for their hospitality and fine
style of living.
But time had dealt hardly with the
Whitmans, and in order to add to the
support of his family, Waits father
had learned the carpenters trade, On
his mothers side of the family, nearly
all the people We're sailors
In Walt Whitmans early life there
were no indications that the boy and
the youth might one day become a
poet. He found it tax TO read Ten
nyson and he was never able to read
Browning.
In fancy he removed with his pa
rents to Brooklyn, where he attended
the common schools until his appren-
ticeship to the Long Island Star at
the age of twelve. In 1886 he founded
a weekly paper IN the town of Hunt
inc / tIbi nh va al q n
for about a year. He subsequently,
taught school in the summer and in
the winter found employment at the
printing trade. For two years he
held position as editor of one of the
Brooklyn newspapers. Then, about
1S4S. he was seized with the wander
lust which in succeeding years was
to take him over a large part of the
United States and Canada. The early
sos found him back again in Brook
lyn, this time as the proprietor of a
small bookstore and print shop, Later
he engaged in cPrpentering and build
ing, but always spending his spare
time in scribbling verses which found
occasional publication
Whitman made his struggle as a
poet with his Leaves of Grass,
which he himself assisted in setting
up and printing and which was pub
| lished in 1855, HIS work received
| favorable criticism from Ralph Waldo
| Emerson and soon the first edition
| was exhausted and others were ruT
| off the press. A wide diversity OF
opinion was Immediately created and
| the poet became an object of ridicult
and of praise, both in Europe and II
America. The so-called Whitman
| 4 ,i.r;,, at la 40
acquired an widening coterie
| Year by year there has been a sradua
change and broadening of view in re-
gard to the Leaves of Grass" thai
! has finally given the author n plane
for high thought and poetic insight OF
life.
During the civil war Walt Whitman
devoted his days and nights to the SIGH
| and dying in the army hospitals. He
! gave his services. and to support him
! self wrote for the New York news.
papers He had only odd hours fol-
! this, hours that were sadly needed fol
rest. When he held a position in the
office of the attorney general II
| Washington, following the close OF the
war, he sent half his salary TO his
! mother, and much of the other hall
| went to old soldiers still sick and UNI
! fortunate While holding this office
! the poet was stricken with paralysis
due to his labors IN the hospitals
and his lack of proper care and rest
! for himself. While he partly recov-
cred, he was never again really well
man. He passed away at his home in
| Camden, n. j.. March 26. 1892. When
| the news of his death was told there
was mourning all over the country
I l., 1Sl1 -
| tender memory.
Throughout his life the poet spoke
| fearless words for liberty; for men
and women in their struggles; for
mothers and motherhood; for fathers
and for little children