FEINBERG/WHITMAN MISCELLANY 71st Birthday Celebration. Miscellany. Box 43 Folder 9Memorandum Whitman dinner Thomas L. Eakins 5oo Please remit to Horace L. Traubel CamdenMemorandum WR O'Donovan Whitman dinner 5 00 Please remit to Horace L. Traubel Camden N.J. C. HarrisWindsor Hotel Filbert St. Near Broad H. D. BUSH, M.AM.SOC.C.E., CIVIL ENGINEER 52 BROAD STREET, New York City, U. S. A.HORACE L. TRAUBEL, Camden, New Jersey. A couple of [?] visitors denied by W. & [?] repetted Saturday June 13th 1891D. Sutcliffe.John D. Sutcliffe.Mr Arthur L. Marlow. National Liberal Club. S.W.HORACE L. TRAUBEL, Camden, New Jersey. see note June 29 1891Mr. Horace L. Traubel Camden New Jersey.Birthday Dinner for Walt Whitman by his friends May 31, 1890, at Reisser's, 5th & C PhilaHorace L. Traubel Camden, N. J. See Note, June 1 + 2, 1890.HONORS TO THE POET Phila Inquirer June 1, 1890 Walt Whitman's Friends Help Him Celebrate His Birthday. ____________________________________ COLONEL ROBERT G. INGERSOLL MAKES AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS. ____________________________________ A Pleasant Discussion of the Peculiar Religious Tenets Held by the Great Orator-- The Author of "Leaves of Grass" States His Views on Immortality. ____________________________________ Walt Whitman, the author of "Leaves of Grass," "Drum Taps" and other volumes of poems, entered yesterday upon his 72d year. His Philadelphia admirers thought the occasion a most favorable one to testify their respect for the venerable poet, and followed up the recent demonstration in his honor in the city of his residence with a birthday banquet, to grace which they secured the presence of Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll, who divided with the band the honors of the evening. The entertainment took place at Reisser's Restaurant, Fifth street, above Chestnut. Dr. Daniel G. Brinton presided, and the company congratulated themselves on having with them, as some of them said, the "greatest poet and the greatest orator in America." Colonel Ingersoll made the first speech, congratulating Walt Whitman--nobody called the poet by any other name--on being the first true poet of democracy and showing to the American people the poetry that is in common things, in every-day employments, in the common people. He was the modern American Homer, inasmuch as his poems were a perfect mirror of the times in which he lived. "If," said the colonel, "an antiquarian a thousand years hence should desire to know what America was between 1860 and the centennial days, and should by chance come upon 'Leaves of Grass,' he would find there every interest and every occupation of the period fully depicted, from the forests of Maine to the turpentine woods of North Carolina. THE ORATOR'S WORD PICTURES. "Whitman had taught the American people the dignity of manhood and womanhood. He had written years beyond his time. We wanted somebody to talk about the things of every day and to make them poetic. There is not a man in the world who ever painted a beautiful picture of a palace. It can't be done; there are too many straight lines. When we want the picturesque we paint a cottage, and as you look at that cottage you don't think there's a mortgage on it, but you admire its vine-clad beauty and think of the happy fireside within. No man every painted a beautiful picture of a queen in her robes; the woman is lost in drapery. Let me give you a picture: An old blacksmith and his wife have gone to see their white-robed, flower-crowned daughter made Queen of May, and as the look at her with wonder in her fresh young loveliness, they ask themselves how ever did it come to pass that we are the parents of such a beautiful child? And so may you take the children of the average man's brain and dress them in words--not beyond recognition, but so that what you write will look beautiful to him. That is what the great poet does. Nothing more, nothing less. "In every country somebody, from the earliest times to these, has been cringing before somebody else. Even here in America there is a tendency to bow down before the President, the servant of the people; hired at so much a day--and the people, by the way, are usually very glad to pay him off and discharge him when his time is out. But there is that tendency to cringe, and it needed somebody to teach the nation that man and woman are the highest titles--plain man and plain woman, and that you, Walt Whitman, have done and I thank you for it." He congratulated the poet on having outlived detraction, and on having lived long enough to prove the intellectual inferiority of his detractors, and to find himself cordially appreciated. THE COLONEL'S RELIGION. Colonel Ingersoll took occasion to ventilate his peculiar theological views, but with gentleness and courtesy, avoiding any offensive slurs upon that faith in immortality which Whitman is known to cherish. He hoped, he said, that everybody would find his wishes realized, provided those wishes were good; and those who hoped for immortality might attain it. He did not deny the possibility of a future life; indeed, for aught he knew, there might be one. "I believe," said he, "as firmly as I believe that I am, that all men do as they must, and that that is the only possible justification for the human race. There may come a time--there may be another world, when we shall be great enough to look back upon this and see why all things, vices and virtues, could not have been otherwise than as they were." These remarks were chiefly interesting because after the other speeches they led to a discussion, Walt Whitman having evidently been turning the subject over in his mind. Colonel Ingersoll was followed by Dr. Buck, of Canada, and he by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, who said that the first he knew of "Leaves of Grass" was receiving the book as a present from a friend. While he was looking over it his little son, then aged 6, sat on his knee, and he read to the child the poem, describing the battle between the Serapis and the Bonhomme Richard, upon which the little fellow delivered this criticism: "Papa, the man who wrote that must be a buster." Speeches were also made by Frank Williams, Hon. H. C. Harned, Harrison Morris, Horace Traubel and Dr. Brinton. THE POET'S FEELING WORDS. After speaking Mr. Whitman reverted to Colonel Ingersoll's tribute to his poems, pronouncing it the culmination of all commendation that he had ever received. Then, his mind still dwelling upon the colonel's doubts, he went on to say that what he had in his mind when he wrote "Leaves of Grass" was not only to depict American life, as it existed, and to show the triumphs of science and the poetry in common things, but also to show that there was behind it all something which rounded and completed it. "For "what," he asked, "would this life be without immortality and the infinite? It would be but as a locomotive, the greatest triumph of modern science, with no train to draw. If the spiritual is not behind the material, to what purpose is the material? What is this world without a Divine purpose in it all?" Colonel Ingersoll repeated his former argument in reply, taking the opportunity to pitch into orthodoxy. Among those present were: Cornelius Stevenson, Mrs. Baldwin, Professor Felix E. Shelling, Mr. and Mrs. Talcott Williams, John J. Boyle, the sculptor; Wm. Henry Walsh, Carl Edelheim, Wilson Eyre, Lewis C. Smith, Mrs. Balch, Judge Boyle and others. ___________________________________________________________ PITTSBURG, May 31. President Harrison and party arrived in this city at 7 o'clock this morning. They were received by the Mayor, a brass band, and a military company, and were driven to their hotel. President Harrison held a reception at Mechnical Hall, Exposition building at 9 o'clock. Three thousand people shook hands with him. He was the guest of the Scotch-Irish Congress. After the reception the meeting was addressed by Governor Campbell, of Ohio. The reception at the hall lasted half an hour, and at its conclusion three cheers were given and the Presidential party returned to Union Station. A large crowd gathered to see him leave. He held an informal reception among the [?] Pitcairn act- feature of the afternoon's sport was [tri??] against time by William Disston's [doubl?] team Beaconsfield and Plowbiy. The [mil?] was trotted without a skip in 2.24 [beatin?] the best previous time made by the team [b?] 3 seconds. The quarters were made as [to?] lows: Quarter, .36 1/2 ; half, 1.11 1/2 ; three quarters, 1.49 ; mile, 2.24. The first race called was the 2.20 [clas?] with Maud Muller, St. Elmo and [Sey?] inour Belle as the starters. At the [secon?] scoring the trio was sent off to a [goo?] start. St. Elmo broke at the first [turn?] dropping back several lengths. [Mau?] Muller sped along to the head of the stretch, when St. Elmo camp up, and [al?] three had fine race to the wire, [Mau?] Muller winning by a short neck. In the second heat the horses went to the [black?] stretch bunched, Maud leading slightly Just before reaching the half-mile [pos?] St. Elmo made a skip, and fell back a few lengths. On the upper turn Seymour [Belle?] collared the leader, and when Maud broke Seymour Belle came on and won. In the third heat Belle led nearly to the half- mile post, where she broke, nearly coming to a staudstill. St. Elmo took the lead and was not headed therafter, winning in 2.23. In the fourth heat Seymour Belle broke at the turn, but overtook St. Elmo on the stretch, and won in 2.24. The great race of the day was in the fifth heat. Seymour Belle and St. Elmo trotted to the half like a double team. Then the Belle broke and St. Elmo forged ahead. When Seymour Belle settled down she was sent along at a terrific place. There was [a?] driving finish, St. Elmo winning by a short head in 2.21 1/4. Maud Muller was drawn before the sixth heat, and St. Elmo and Seymour Belle went off at the first attempt. They went like a double team to the half- mile post, when the Belle broke and St. Elmo forged ahead and won the heat and race, nearly distancing Seymour Belle, in 2.21 1/4. Allen Maid, Black York an Elva Medium started in the 2.17 pacing race. Allen Maid was too fast for the field and won in straight heats. In the second heat Elva Medium made a bad break at the start and ran to the quarter post before settling. She showed a remarkable burst of sleep on the back-strech, but again broke at the three- quarter post. She managed to save her distance by running. In the third heat Allen Maid broke at the quarter post and Alva Medium led to the back turn, where she broke, Black York lead to the head of the stretch, where Allen Maid passed him, and won the heat and race handily in 2.17 1/4. Summary: 2.20 CLASS--Purse, $500 Oriole Stable's b. g. St. Elmo (Hentschel)................... 2 2 1 2 1 1 John E. Turner's b. m. Seymour Belle (Turner)......................... 3 1 2 1 2 2 A. B, DeHart's ch. m. Maud Muller (De Hart)....................... 1 3 3 3 3 dr Time-- 2.24 3/4, 2.21, 2.23, 2.24, 2.21 1/4, 2.21 1/4. 2.17 CLASS (PACING) -- PURSE, $500 John Trout's blk. m. Allen Maid (Trout)..................................... 1 1 1 John Keenan's blk. g. Black York (Koster).................................... 2 2 2 A. A. Wright's b. m. Elva Medium (Wright).................................... 3 3 3 Time -- 2.18 1/2, 2.21 1/2, 2.17 1/4. THE LATONIA RACES. Three Out of Five Favorites Win the Races. CINCINNATI, May 31.--A dark sky lowered on Latonia this afternoon but no rain tell and the track was in excellent condition. Three favorites won in the five races, but considerable money was lost on Longshore in the third, and Georgetown was somewhat of a surprise in the last race. First Race. -- Selling purse for 3-year0olds and upwards; one and one-sixteenth mile. Starters: Pluto, Hopeful, Alto, Cast- away. Silver King, Silver Lake. Hopeful Won Silver King second, Castaway third Time, 1.51 1/2. Second -- Purse for 2-year-old maiden fil[?] lies. Four furlongs. Starters: Laura Agnes, Mattie Parks, Sister Linda, Vienna, Park Ridge, Mis[?] Hawkinds, Marmora Caprice, Canto, Ann[?] Elizabeth, Ina B., Mary MacGowan. Ann[?] Elizabeth won by a head, Miss Hawkins second, Sister Linda third. Time, 50 1/2. Third -- Sweepstakes for 3-year-olds and upwards, mile and seventy yards. Starters: Ed Hopper, Longshore, Bettina, Lillian Lindsay, Ballyhoo Cecil B., San Ardo. Cecil B. won, Longshore second, Ed Hopper third. Time, 1.47 3/4. Fourth. -- Purse race for 3-year-olds fillies; one mile. Starters: Rainbow, Mary H., Mary Mac, Camilla, Daisy F., Meadowbrook, Princess Glenn, Ban Amy, Julia Magee, Sister Geneva, Wildflower, Lottie S. Daisy F. won, Julia Magee second, Camilla third. Time. 1.43 Fifth, -- The Harold Stakes for 2-year-olds; five turlongs. Starters: Carroll Reid, Labold, Tom Rogers, Harry Smith, Woodford, Gascon, King Solomon, Palestine, Bowen, Allan Band, Georgetown, Bramblebush. Georgetown won by a neck, Gascon second, Allan Band, third. Time 1.02 3/4. MONDAY'S PROGRAMME. First Race. -- One mile and seventy yards; selling. Ballyhoo, 107 pounds; Tom, 104; Eli, 105; Brookful, 106; Lucy P., 106; Bro Duke, 108; Bonaletta, 109. Third. -- Handicap; one mile and a six- teenth. Osborne, 90; Remini, 95; Benson, 97; Nettie Johnson. 100; Ed Hopper, 100; Marchma, 103; Josie M., 103; Gymnast, 104; Gunshot, 105; Climax, 105; Birthday, 105; Hypocrite, 105; Catalpa, 108; Laura Davidson, 110. Fourth. -- Merchants' Stakes; one mile and an eighth. Cecil B., 97; Heron, 112; Elyton, 121; Kind Regent, 107; Brandolette, 107; Teuton, 122; Rosemont, 97; Mount Lebanon, 101; Princess Bowling, 107; English Lady =, 109; Ban Chief, 102; Mora, 92; Lillian Lindsay, 92; Newcastle, 117; Glockner, 122. Fifth. -- Five furlongs; selling. Tenibirland, 98; Jeannette, 103; Emma Fields, 103; War Plot, 112. To-morrow's Brighton Entires. SPECIAL TO THE INQUIRER. BRIGHTON BEACH, May 31. -- The entries for Monday's races are as follows: First Race. -- Seven furlongs; selling. Student, 113 punds; Vindex, 112; Wilfred Jay, 103; Savage, 100; Adonis, 100; Dave S., 103; Troy, 106; Pocatelo, 109: The Doctor, 110; Little Addie, 111; Pommery Sec, 101; Eugene Brodie, 100; Blondin, 93; Wah-ta-wah gelding, 96. Second -- Seven furlongs; selling. Long Branch, 124 pounds. Rudolph, 115; Lancaster, 112; Supervisor, 109; Bonanza, 109; Harwood, 109; Tramp, 109; Mulligan, 109; Bessie K., 106; Hairspring, 110; Slumber, 104; Raveller, 103; Souvenir, 98; Frank Wheeler, 101. Third. -- Half a mile; selling. Terence, 118 pounds; Zenobia, 115; Maggie O. filly, 115; King Iro, 108; Cascade, 108; Tourist, 108; Repent, 105; Leonavid, 104; Francis S., 103; Kate Clark, 105; Planette filly, 101; John M., 100; Volo, 98; Contessa filly, 95. Fourth. -- Five furlongs. Coldstream, 114 pounds; Red Elm, 114; Fitzroy, 114; Brain Boru, 114l Lighthouse, 114; Gounod, 114; Burton, 114; Ling Arthur, 114; Bertelle, 96; Faustina, 96; Ban Lassie, 96; Little Jake, 112; Little Moore, 112; Prince Edward, 112; Japhet, 112; Osceola, 109; America, 107; Cotillon, 107; Ratalpa, 101; Sam Morse, 101; Franco, 101; Volette, 101. Fifth. -- Three-quarters of a mile. Jack Rose, 122 pounds; Prince Howard, 122; Ratalpa, 122; John Atwood, 107; Centaur, 107; Warlike, 107; Hemet, 107; Gratitude, 107; Same Love 107; Volette, 107; Insignia colt, 107; Spendall, 107; Urbana 102. Sixth. -- One mile. Cotillion, 105 pounds; Prodigal, 105; Gardner, 105; Beck, 105; King Crab, 105; Brain Boru, 105; Glory, 105; Juggler, 105; Reclare, 105. Seventh. -- One mile and an eighth; selling Zephvrus, 112 pounds; Jittle Jim, 106;WALT WHITMAN'S BIRTHDAY [*Phila Times June 1, 1890*] His Friends Give Him a Dinner in Honor of the Event. A number of the friends of "the good gray poet," Walt Whitman, entertained him at a dinner at Reisser's Restaurant, Fifth street, above Chestnut, last evening, in honor of his seventy-first birthday. The dinner was served in the banqueting room on the second floor of the restaurant. The table was laid with covers for thirty-five people and was decorated with flowering plants and long lines of smilax. Close beside the plate of the venerable poet was a beautiful bunch of wild flowers, an appropriate gift from Mrs. Baldwin, of Germantown. In the place of honor at the centre of the table was seated the guest of the evening, while at either end were Professor D. G. Brinton and Thomas B. Horned, of Camden. Among the other guests were Robert G. Ingersoll, of New York; William P. Walsh, editor of the Illustrated American; Judge Garrison, of the New Jersey Supreme Court; Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, Talcott Williams, of the Press; Mrs. John Harrison, Wilson Ayer, Harrison S. Morris, Mrs. W. R. Baldwin, J. Leonard Corning, Frank Horned, Professor G. Buckwalter, Harry Walsh, editor of Notes and Queries; Professor Felix Shelling, H. D. Bush, of New York; Dr. R. M. Bucke, of London, Canada, who is Whitman's biographer, and many others. There was no prearranged series of toasts, the meeting being charmingly informal in this respect. Mr. Ingersoll, of New York, gave a most brilliant oration, in which he referred to the work of the honored guest. He was answered in a few remarks by Mr. Whitman, who, in turn, was followed by Dr. Mitchell, Talcott Williams, Horace S. Traubel, Harrison S. Morris, Francis Howard Williams and many others. ______________________________________________SONS OF THE REVOLUTION. An Organization to Gather and Perpetuate Revolutionary Data. TO THE PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA: The Society of the "Sons of the Revolution" is an organization composed of the male descendants of those who participated In the momentous struggle to establish the rights of America. One of its objects is by collecting and providing for the safety of such rolls, records, letters, manuscripts and mementos of the war of the Revolution as are still recoverable, to aid in preserving the memoirs of the brave men who fought in battle and the sages who gave counsel during the eventful epoch. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, though it through John Dickinson, set forth the principles upon which the war was fought and through Anthony Wayne won some of its most brilliant successes, and though in the crisis of 1776, when Washington had concluded to retreat to the westward of the Alleghenies, it contributed the forces that gained the triumphs of Trenton and Princeton and turned the tide of battle, has been unusually remiss in calling attention to her own achievements and ungrateful toward those of her sons who did such illustrious deeds. There is no adequate biography of either Dickinson or Wayne. Her story is not told upon printed page or suggested in brass or marble. The members of this society believe that much may yet be accomplished in saving from destruction the writings of these and others and in saving from oblivion many of the facts of their lives. Persons having in their possession manuscripts or mementos relating to the period of the Revolution and who wish to render them useful are requested to send the originals or copies to the registrar, John W. Jordan, 1300 Locust street Philadelphia, who will preserve[*Phila Ledger June 2, 1890*] WALT WHITMAN HONORED. June 2, 1890 A Dinner Given to Camden's Poet on His Birthday. Walt Whitman, Camden's "good gray poet," who, on account of the snowy white hair and beard which encircle his bright and ruddy face, appears to have outgrown the appellation, was given a dinner by a few of his literary and professional friends at Reisser's on Saturday evening, it being the 71st anniversary of his birth. The table was simply and tastefully decorated with wild flowers and vines, and the venerable poet looked like a veritable patriarch as he sat at the table surrounded by his admiring friends. Dr. Daniel G. Brinton presided and made a short address. Other speeches were made by Col. Robert G. Ingersoll, Dr. Buck, from Canada; Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, Frank Williams, Talcott Williams, Hon. H.C. Harned, Harrison Morris and Horace Traubel. The others present were Mrs. John Harrison, Mrs. Talcott Williams, Mrs. Baldwin, Miss Ingram, Mrs. Harned, Judge Garrison, John J. Boyle, Lewis C. Smith, William S. Walsh, Carl Eidelheim, Prof. Felix E. Shelling, Wilson Eyre, William H. Smith, Nugent Robinson and Cornelius Stevenson. In the course of his address, Colonel Ingersoll, in paying tribute "to the first true poet of democracy, who had shown and was to show the American people the poetry of common things," said that he was the modern American Homer. His poems were a perfect mirror of the times in which he lived. "If," continued the speaker, "an antiquarian a thousand years hence should desire to know what American was between 1860 and the Centennial days, and should by chance come upon "Leaves of Grass," he would find there every interest and every occupation of the period fully depicted from the forests of Maine to the turpentine woods of North Carolina. Whitman had taught the American people the dignity of manhood and womanhood. He had written years beyond his time. We wanted somebody to talk about the things of every day and to make them poetic. "In every country somebody, from the earliest times to these, has been cringing before somebody else. Even here in America there is a tendency to bow down before the President, the servant of the people, hired at so much a day - and the people by the way, are usually very glad to pay him off and discharge him when his time is out. But there is that tendency to cringe, and it needed somebody to teach the nation that man and woman are the highest titles - plain man and plain woman, and that you, Walt Whitman, have done and I thank you for it." Dr. Brinton made the closing address after the genial guest of the evening, who is much improved in health, and who took a lively interest in the whole affair, had given his views on religion, in reply to some allusions made by Colonel Ingersoll in his speech. Dr. Brinton told how he had learned to know Walt Whitman, fifteen or eighteen years ago, when he found that there was a poet who wrote English poetry without rhyme, and who took commonplace people and things for his themes. He referred to the difference between Thomson, who wrote "The Seasons," and Whitman. "One," he continued, "had to go forth to see that poetry, and the other found it around him everywhere." He concluded by stating that Walt Whitman brought poetry into our daily life and into the very room in which the dinner was held. "He is the pride of the human race and the pride of our nation."the Ridge Avenue Line, and said the whole trouble was on the part of the people, who all want to go down to work and come home at nearly the same time. "You can take [a?] nap in our cars most of the day," said M[r.?] Ellis, "and yet we run our cars 1 1/2 minutes apart. I think all of the Philadelphia passenger railroads are doing all in their power to accommodate the public, because a[?] lines run extra cars during the busy hou[rs?] of the day. If people who are at Chestn[ut?] street want seats in our cars to come up in t[he?] evening they all congregate on the corn[er?] and wait for a car instead of walking dow[n?] a square where they could get a seat. The people don't want to inconvenience themselves in the least, and yet if they [??] not get a seat in the morning or evening they censure us. If they get on crowded car and the conductor te[lls?] them there is a car right in back of hi[??] that is not near as full they will not wai[t?] and we can't put them off. It is an impossibility to seat all travellers between 5.30 and 6.30 o'clock in the evening, as everybody wants to get home at once. Nothi[ng?] will keep a man off of a horse car if wants to get on, and he will hang the back platform all the way home in preference to waiting a few minutes for a car which might not be half as full. We cannot afford to keep a lot of extra cars, horses, and men just for one trip in the evening. There are no better passenger car facilities in the world than on the Market street ca[r?] and yet a person can not get on them a[?] certain time in the day. As f[?] our cars being unhealthy, we keep a force of men who do nothing b[ut?] daily beat the cushions and wash the car thoroughly. You cannot do anything wi[th?] an American public; if our conductors [?] to get passengers off of the platform and inside the car they will not obey them. W[???] do all we can and can't do more when w[?] carry a passenger over five miles for fiv[??] cents." President Murphey's Views. President Murphey, of the People's Passenger Railway Company, said the public will not wait for cars until they can be seated. All branches of their company, Mr. Murphey said, ran as many cars as they can to accommodate daily travel, and extra cars during the busy part of the day. It is impossible, he said, to provide all travellers with seats, and the trouble is with the people who do all their traveling during just certain hours of the day. Superintendent Janney on the Subject. W.H. Janney, Superintendent of the Fifth and Sixth Streets Railway, said, in relation to the ordinance introduced by Mr. Smithers, that they can not keep people off the cars. "Our line," he said, "does all in human power to provide their patrons with comfort, and yet if there is a block of several cars the people all crowd on the foremost cars. We run as many cars as we have facilities, and that is on a 2 1/2 minute time. If we ran every half minute we could not seat the passengers during certain hours in the day, and if you attempt to put a man off of a platform on a car the probability is that he would have the conductor arrested. We do everything for the public's benefit we can, and our cars are scrubbed and cleaned daily with a hose to wash the expectoration and other dirt from the floor." What President Fox Says. A veteran in street railways, and an active worker yet in that branch of business, is A. M. Fox, President of the Second and Third Streets Line. "I don't think it possible to do much better than we are doing at present," he said, when asked his opinion of Mr. Smither's [???]Continued on Page 13. WHITMAN AND INGERSOLL. The Old Poet's Talk Across Table on Immortality with the Agnostic [*Phila Press June 1 1890*] A Dinner of Intimate Friends in Honor of the Camden Sage's Seventy-Second Birthday. The venerable white-haired Walt Whitman talking across table with the portly, full-blooded, but gentle Colonel Ingersoll on the question of immortality, and in the presence of a company of intimate friends of the poet-sage, was the interesting culmination of a supper given last evening at Reisser's restaurant in honor of Whitman's seventy- second birthday. The table was simply decorated with wild flowers and vines. At the head sat Dr. Daniel G. Brinton, who presided, while on either side the following persons occupied places: Cornelius Stevenson, Mrs. Baldwin, Carl Edelheim, Prof. Felix, E. Schelling, Mr. and Mrs. Talcott Williams, Miss Ingram, Mrs. Harned, Horace Traubel, John J. Boyle, Ms. John Harrison, Mrs. Balch, Judge Grinson, Lewis C. Smith, Wilson Eyre, Hon. H. C. Harned, William S. Walsh, Wilson Eyre, and William H. Smith. The venerable poet was in greatly improved health and took the liveliest interest in all that was said. Set speeches were made by Dr. Buck from Canada, Dr. S. Weir, Mitchell, Frank Williams, Talcott Williams, H.C. Harned, Harrison Morris, Horace Traubel, Dr. Brinton and Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll. Colonel Ingersoll spoke first and paid an eloquent tribute to "the first true poet of democracy," who had shown and was to show the America people "the poetry in common things," the "Modern American homer who had mirrored his time." He gently touched on his religious views, careful that the feelings of the old man should not be wounded, concluding "after all I believe everybody will find his wishes realized if they are good ones, and it is not for me to say that those who hope for immortality may not attain it." After the speeches the evening's guest rambled oft in a most fascinating talk about his work, in which he referred to a principal cause of all things. Colonel Ingersoll broke in with, "Mr. Whitman, I want to say a word to you about immortality. I think that a mother loves her child because of the pain and death that she instinctively knows it is to come to. If there were no death there would be no love, and I am convinced that no world without death can have in it the joy of this world. Even the brute fears death." The poet answered, defending his faith, and said: "I don't feel at all willing to have it imagined that my creed limits life in extent. I do not bother about purposes." The Colonel concluded by wishing the poet could live to hear of all their deaths a hundred years hence. "As to the existence of God," he said, "I don't know as it makes much difference. Either way you put it this life is nonsense. But we are here and are glad to be together here, how ever you account for it. 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