| Show Newspaper Man Who Wrote Mighty Laka Lak a Rose Dead Poet Laureate of Georgia Georgis Poems Which B Became came World Famous Songs Brought Him Mere Merc Pittance He Sang Sweet Little Woman in Day When Red Hot Mama Was Vas All the Rage ATLA ATLANTA TA Ga Jan By 7 7 By ByThe ByThe The As Associated Press Frank Press Frank L L Stanton 70 poet laureate or of orG G or la and a 8 member of at o the staff of at the Atlanta Const for tor 40 years died at his home here toda today Among i Amol Mr Stanton's best hest known poems arc are Mighty Lak A Rose nose L l Feller and Just A for You Frank rat k Lobby Lebby Stanton was a newspaperman with the soul ot of a poet The Th poet laureate of ot III Georgia became a master of ot the art rt at un early age by b reading the worlds world's but best verse ene As a result he h one of at the south's sweetest sIng sIng- singers tine ers and best bet loved writers of heart of ot any age ago Asking nothIng of o life lit but to give expression to the kindly love and true poetry of ot his soul Mr lr Stanton received mere more pittances f tor r some som of his most popular works and kept sublimely aloof from the jazz juz ot of the tho times Ho He Hosang sang Sweet Little Woman oman through an age ace that reveled In R Rod Red d Hot Mama Iamo Mr Stanton Stanlon continued In the a newspaperman writer throughout his life liCe his last con con- connection con beIng with Tho The Atlanta Constitution A number ot of collections ot of his poems have been published In book form the first appearing In 1892 1832 32 under the title Songs ot of tho Soul In 1899 another collection tion Comes Ono One With a a Sons Song appeared and In 1900 HOO he he published Songs From Dixie Up From Georgia appeared In 1902 and hIs last Int published volume Little Folks flown Down South came tho press s sIn In 1904 At least two of ot his poems Mighty lIghty Lak a a Rose nose and Just JustA t for You Toil were set to musIc and have havo attracted world world- worldwide world world-wid wide Ido attention His total rEI- rEI remuneration re remuneration tor for the two was only In 1926 1925 Governor Clifford Walker Issued an executive procla- procla procla making Mr Ir Stanton poet poet- poet laureate laureate of Georgia Mr Stanton was born In Charles Charles- Charleston Charleston ton S C February 22 1857 ills lIis parents paren were valentine Valentine an and l Itc Re becca Stanton WAS COry COPY BOY cor Youn Toung Stanton lived In Charles Charles- Charleston Charleston Charleston ton until he was 12 years ears old when he went to Savannah Ga and entered newspaper work tS as asa asa a 1 copy boy on the Savannah Morning News The Th Civil CI war and tho sube- sube subsequent subsequent quent period of reconstruction pro pre v him from obtaining the school and college training he de- de desired de desired sired so an- an an over a case type ease cue in a printing office ottic pro pro- provided provided vided his hi education His first poem To Lizzie was wrItten to his swe sweetheart theart wh when n Ic lc was WIlS 11 years ears old Soon after atter joining the Savannah Morning Ne vs staff ho lio began contributing verso verse to the paper and It was of such uch quality that attracted tho the attention of ot Joel Chandler Harris famous author of Uncle Remus stories whO wh then was an editorial writer on orthe the News New In 1887 Z SIr Mr r Stanton began pub of at the le Ne News s itle Ga where whore lie he attracted attention with his his verse verae It was here re that he married Miss Loene Loen Jose Josey After ACter a year ear at tr Mr Stanton accepted an nn otter offer from John Templo Temple Graves publisher of the Rome Ga Tribune to suc- suc succeed succeed suc succeed Henry Grady W GradY on the staff ot of the Tribune In the meantime Mr Harris had joined tho st staff rr of ot the tho Atlanta Constitution and 1 prevailed upon Mr Stanton Stanlon to join hIm olt of on that paper In 1889 Itil He began his con con- connection connection con connection with the tho Constitution b by news and feature writing and con con- contributing con contributing occasional verse The latter laller shortly shortly became a 1 regular feature Just Just From Irom Georgia which continued tor for the balance ot of his life lire The genius of Mr Stanton per per- perhaps perhaps perhaps haps was best expressed in a com com- comment comment ment by a loso friend who re- re remarkInG remarking re markInG on the prolific output of the poet said It Is one ono ot of the marvels of literature how Frank L Stanton can go BO on writing one ono or morn malo poems e ery HY day and touching the heights of real poetry as often otten as ho does SAMPLE S or O I The character of ot his hia works and n the tho tremendous volume of ot s songs made It difficult for to select an any one as his best beet but among them was This Thia World Yo rid a single stanza of four tour lines In lr This world that were we're a Is mighty hard to beat You Tou cit git a thorn in every rose rose- rose But But aint the roses sweet Others of his famous poems Ll l are Feller Sweet Little Woman ot of Mine Let Jet Let MI Miss s Lindy Pass Keep On Hoppin and Mar Mar Ill cello elle It was In ht the latter laller his hi friends believe he h reached his hl greatest height of ot heart appeal Mr lIr Stanton's daughter Marcelle was dangerously dangerously- ill III and believed to b dyIng The poet overwhelmed with grief sang out the agony arony of hi his soul in a poem MIghty Lak A Rose Roso inspired Ethelbert Nevin Ne one on of or Americas America's foremost composers to corn compose O e ea a musical setting for tor It It Carrie Jacobs Bond another ot of Anse- Anse Ica's Ica's Immortals wrote the tho music to Just J A For or You Edward Kneisel wrote the music mus for LIT Feller Tho first Mr Stanton knew ot of Mighty Lak A Rose nose which he h had copyrighted being bein set to music was when lIe he h heard a friend humming it to himself After In- In Investigation in I he h sold the th words for tor 15 I The Tho long lone and the short of ot it was that right richt at that moment T happened to be bo a little short ot of cash so 80 I took the ISO He re- re received re received a like amount for tor Just A For You By reason of a n style and dl- dl diction dic diction tion th the chief charm charm and power of which lie in its simple direct direct- directness directness directness ness Mr Stanton Stanlon was able to give the tho literature the tho quaint philosophy of at the time old-time south south- southern southern southern ern negro neero and also the th sentiment ot of the time old south Hundreds ot of his poems were ere written In the th dialect of ot the appealing old negro ot of be to de do war var days das |
