The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-06-01

an article entitled. The Answer by
Edith Franklin Wyott.
The May issue of Poetry edited
by Harriet Monroe, was a Whitman
Centenary number. THE outlook for
May had IL centenary article by Ed
ma Davis Roming. THE Literary Dl-
gest' also paid its tribute.
John Burroughs Compares Tive Great
Sons of Americ;i,-l;Oth His Friends
Walt Whitman and The0-
| dore Roosevelt
John Burroughs's 81 years could not
keep him away firm the exercises IN
! honor of his old friend Walt Wht-
mans centenary. He was present 10
/ nay his tribute at the ceremonies heid
unde rthe auspices of the brooklyn
| Institute of Arts and Sciences ON May
. at the Academy of Music. He was
one of the first to hail Whitman as
n great poet. While Emerson and Ed
ward Everett Hale agreed with hlfn'
almost all the other great literary lead
ers of the time scoffed at the very
idea of there being anything great in
whitman. Therefore the distinguish
ed public recognition which this cen
I
dication of John Burroughs's opinion
of him
In conclusion he said that he never
had succeeded in interesting Colohel
Roosevelt in Whitman. He attributed
this to the fact that Roosevelt, although
u great democrat was also great
autocrat-a born ruler of men. Whit
man had no desire to rule men, but
merely 10 inspire them with ne"
sense of the value and meaning OF
life. One was an exponent or the
strenuous life. the other of the liie
OF contemplation. He concluded WIN
the remark: That two such widely
diverse types should be the fruit OF
American democracy is full of mean
ing, and is, | trust, u good omen for
the future"
EaInlin Garland's Visit TO Whitman
Hamlin Garland was the first speak
or at the Whitman centenary eXercis-
es held in Brooklyn at the Academy
Of Music. He described how as a young
man he went to see Whitman in his
desolate little home in Camden, n.
j., and found him in the midst of his
Understandable IBtter." At that time
Garland was teacher in Boston and
was teaching the poetry of Whitman.
He described also a dinner given in
Whitman's honor in 1889 at which he
sat beside him. Richard Watson Gil
der was one OF the speakers. He ex-
pressed his admiration not only for
Whttman's matter but for the beauty
of the form in which it was clothed.
AT this the old poet, accustomed as he
was to have his "barbaric yawp" de
rtdets called out: ON Calder, you
can't mean thatw
Tho speaker described Whitmans
cornplete serenity Through adversely,
criticism, poverty and illness. conclud-
ing with a tribute to Walt Whitman,
one OF the greatest optiInists."
Favts About Whitman's Tomb
Thomas b. Harmed, one of Walt
Whitmans literary executors, took
advantage of the Whitman centenary {;
exercises, which were held at the
A cademy of Music. under the auspices
Of The Brooklyn Institute of Arts and
Sciences, to defend the poet against
calumnies which bounded him in life
and now follow him in death. one of
hese ISLANDERS. which even found its
way into the first edition Of one of
MS standard Biographies. was to the
fleet that he had squandered a large
sum of money upon "a tomb for him
;elf while living upon the charity of
his friends Mn. Harmed denfed in
he first place that the poet ever lived
ipon his friends charity. When three
ears before his death DR.. Osler stated
hat he must have day and night
iurses in attendance. his friends made
lp a purse to pay these nurses. That
VAS the only financial assistance :