Evening star., 1925-09-13
BY MARGARET POE HART.

b1 h-AhpAhEt TUE HNhf
TINE recent opening of the Poe
Shrine in Richmond recalls to
mind the fact that, in the
Winter of 1s43, Edgar Allan
Poe. Americas poet of the
night. spent some days in Washington
trying to get a Government clerkship.
His attempts were not so successful
al those of other literary men. Charles
Lamb was an Indian House clerk,
Robert Burns was an exciseman;
Hawthorne inspected imports in the
Salem customhouse. and Walt Whit
man was a Government clerk in
Washington. But no lucrative Gov
ernment post was written on roe s
book of Fate.
1t is a fascinating story. that OF his
adventures in trying to obtain one.
In the tale appear such personaGes
OF the day as Robert Tyler. son OF the
then President of the United States;
Representative John +. Kennedy and
others of like Importance.
The principal characters. of course,
are Edgar Allan Poe and his literary
friend Frederick W. Thomas. Balti-
more writer, possessor of good Gov
ernment Office under Tyler. Their ac-
quaintance had begun when Poe was
able to assist Thomas in placing some
OF his literary product. The low state
of Poe's finances in Philadelphia was
known to Thomas. and on May 20.
lS41, he wrote him a letter from
Washington. in which he dropped
suggestion into Poes receptive mind.
This letter. which is extant in the
.Griswold collection OF Poe's letters and
ma nuscripts in the Boston Public
Library. says:
How would you like to be an of
ficeholder here. say at 1900 per year,
payable monthly by Uncle Sam. who.
however slack he may be to his gen.
eral creditors. pays his officials with
due punctuality? How would you ike
it? You stroll to your office little
after in the morning leisurely, and
you stroll from 1t little after in
the afternoon, homeward to dinner.
and return no more that day. If, dur
ing office hours, you have anything to
do, II Is an agreeable relaxation from
the monstrous laziness of the day.
You have on your desk everything In
the writing line In apple pie order. and
II you choose to lucubrate in the liter
ary way, why you can lucubrate.
Come on and apply for a clerkship.
You can follow literature here as well
as where YOU are. and think Of the
money to be made by it. Think of
that. Master Brooke as Sir John
say ayeth-write to me If you love in the
reception OF this. Jog Graham. My
tenderest regards to your mother and
wife. Your friend.
IF. w. THOMAS"
A r that time Poe's average earnings
"a from his pen amounted to about
S35 monthly, on which pittance he
supported a sick wife. a. mother-in-
Jaw-Mrs Maria Clemm-and himself.
Thomas letter, with its promise of an
assured income, fell like mamma in the
struggling household. Eagerly Poe
answered
would to God 7 could do as you
have done. Do you seriously think
that an application to Tyler would
have a good result? My claims, to be
sure, are few. l am Virginian, at
least / call myself one, for I have re-
sided all my life. until within the last
few wears, in Richmond. My political
principles have always been, as nearly
as may be. with the existing admin
istration, and / battled with right good
will for Harrison when opportunity Of
fered. With Mr.. Tyler / have some
slight personal acquaintance-although
this is a matter which he has possibly
forgotten. For the rest, am liter
ary man. and I see disposition in
Government to cherish letters. Have
/ any chance?"
Whether the eagerness of Poe
alarmed Thomas or he feared pos
sible disappointment is not known.
His reply is more cautiously written
my Dear Poe: Yours of rs of June
I received yesterday I trust, my
dear friend, that you can obtain an
appointment. President Tyler I have
not seen except In passing In his car
riage-never having called at the
White House since the death of Har-
rison except to see the sons of the
President, and then they were not in
or If you prefer. it, I will see him
for you-but perhaps your applica-
tion had better be made through
some one who has influence with the
Executive. i have heard you say that
J. p. Kennedy has a regard for you
he is Congressman and would serve
you, would he not? My employment
is merely temporary. / had a letter
of Introduction to the Secretary of
the Treasury, from my friend Gov.
Cc9NiH Of Ohio merely oducina