| Show THE GOOD GRAY POET AT REST WALT WHITMAN he who has baa been known as the good gray poet passed quietly away on saturday evening last at his big home in ia camden new jersey his was waa a checkered career and his life had bad in it much that is ie suggestive of a story in lite literaty razy bohemia he was born io in hunting den long island may 31 1819 at an early age be began writing verses or as be styled them sentimental bits ap which wb ch were published Dubli shed in the brooklyn Fail patriot lot ae he was engaged teaching school until 1839 when he be started a little newspaper in his bis native own doieg all the printing writing aud and delivery himself he soon goon tired of this and next went to new york where ife he led a purely bohemian life for several years he turned up in new orleans in 1847 but in 1848 and in 1849 was engaged as editor of the brooklyn fagle eagle a position which he always spoke of with satisfaction he then returned to new orleans and traveled traviE led extensively in the middle states and canada by some means he also learned the carpenter trade and when not engaged writing poetry occupied himself building frame houses at the opening of the war he drifted to washington where he became a nurse nuree in the military hospitals at the close of the war he be obtained a position as government clerk which he be held beld until 1874 0 his first work was a little volume of poems entitled leaves of grass it was extravagantly praised by ralph waldo emerson and this led to whit mans notoriety at home in england buchanan rosetti and others spoke favorably of the work while in boston it was suppressed as indecent he was not very well received in new england consequently gotham getham and its environs were big hia favorite resorts here he consorted with well known bohemians Bohem ians and was a prominent character at restaurant on broadway the headquarters of the new york fraternity 1 A critic once said of him he is a peculiarity he is the conundrum of the literary world a mysterious complex brilliant man A decidedly enigmatical igmati cal combination of original conceptions and pedantic expressions regarding his bis rank as a poet opinions vary some critics claim that he is in not entitled to the name while others place him among the most eminent of the lyric fraternity of his bis good kind heart and gentle innocent childlike manner all speak alike enthusiastically and his death will be universally regretted |
