• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 16634 0

of the Treasury, a gentlemanly, clever fellow. It is totally unlike the cryptography you speak of, but he handed it to me, with the remark that you could not make the remotest guess of what it meant. Of that I am satisfied myself — for the idea is as foreign to the plan you discuss as can be. He requested me to send it to you, saying that it was impossible for you to surmise anything about it — and I send it to you satisfied of the truth of his remark. I fear I bore you on the subject-but really you have no idea of the talk it makes here.

I wish that you would send me by return mail the August and July numbers of your magazine. I am particularly anxious to have them forthwith. Don’t fail me in this point.

Poe, let me hear from you as soon as you get this, write me a long letter and tell me how literature flourishes in the brotherly city. My respects to your wife and mother.

Your friend,

F. W. Thomas.

(cryptograph)

This is Mr. Young’s — the chief clerk’s secret writing — of course as it has not the remotest analogy with your proposed cryptography — we do not expect you to decypher it — but can you surmise anything about it — that’s the point.

F. W. T.

Write me as soon as you get this and send me the Magazine — don’t fail me.

Poe, I have a song that has been set to a very pretty tune, by a gentleman here. I would like to have it published, and will give it to any music publisher who would undertake it. Can you manage it for me? My song of “absence” sold remarkably well — and I think this would sell as well. Will you make some inquiry with regard to the publishing it for me and oblige your friend

F. W. Thomas.

Edgar Allan Poe to Frederick W. Thomas — September 1, 1841

Philadelphia — Sep. 1. — 41.

My Dear Thomas,

Griswold left a note for me at the office, the other day, requesting me to furnish him with some memoranda of your life; and it will, of course, give me great pleasure to do so; but, upon sitting down to the task, I find that neither myself, nor Mr. Clemm, upon whom I mainly depend for information, can give all the necessary points with sufficient precision for G’s purpose. Just send me a line, therefore, answering the following queries, and I will put your responses into shape. Most of the points we know, but not with full certainty.

What is your father’s Christian name? Had your parents more children than yourself, Lewis, Frances, Susan, Martha, Isabella & Jackson? — if so, what were their names? When & where were you born? With whom did you study law? What was (exactly) the cause of your lameness? How did you first become known to the literary world? Who were your most intimate associates in Baltimore? When did you remove to Cincinnati? With what papers have you been occasionally connected — if with any? Besides answering these queries — give me a list of your writings published & unpublished — and some memoranda respecting your late lectures at Washington. Reply as soon as possible, as the volume is in press.

I understand that Dow has a paper in Alexandria — how does he get on with it?

I am still jogging on in the same old way, and will probably remain with Graham, even if I start the “Penn” in January. Our success (Graham’s I mean) is astonishing — we shall print 20,000 copies shortly. When he bought Burton out, the joint circulation was only 5000. I have had some excellent offers respecting the “Penn” and it is more than probable that it will go on.

How do you get on yourself? I have been expecting a letter from you.

Yours truly & constantly —Frederick W. Thomas to Edgar Allan Poe — September 3, 1841

Washington, August (September) 3, 1841.

My Dear Poe —

Yours of yesterday came to hand duly — about the time you were writing to me, I was writting (sic ) to you — mine you have in this — I will answer you in order — as far as the deponent knoweth —

“My family, by the father’s side, were among the early settlers of New England. Isaiah Thomas, the founder of the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester (Mass.), and the author of “The History of Printing,” was my father’s uncle.