The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe [1525]
With high respect,
Yr. Mo. Ob. St.
Edgar A. Poe.
New-York.
Nov. 1845.
WELD, HORATIO HASTINGS
Edgar Allan Poe to Horatio Hastings Weld — August 14, 1841
Philadelphia, August 14, 1841
Dear Sir: —
The proprietor of a weekly paper in this city is about publishing an article (to be written partly by myself) on the subject of American Autography. The design is three-fold: first, to give the Autograph signature — that is, a fac-simile in woodcut — of each of our most distinguished literati; second, to maintain that the character is, to a certain extent, indicated by the chirography; and thirdly, to embody, under each Autograph, some literary gossip about the individual, with a brief critical comment on his writings.
My object in addressing you now is to request that you would favor me with your own Autograph, in a reply to this letter. I would be greatly obliged to you, also, could you make it convenient to give me a brief summary of your literary career.
We are still in want of the Autographs of Sprague, Hoffman, Dawes, Bancroft, Emerson, Whittier, R. A. Locke, and Stephens, the traveller. If among your papers you have the Autographs of either of these gentlemen (the signature will suffice), and will permit me to have an engraving taken from it, I will endeavor to reciprocate the obligation in any manner which you may suggest.
Should you grow weary, at any time, of abusing me in the “Jonathan” for speaking what no man knows to be truth better than yourself, it would give me sincere pleasure to cultivate the friendship of the author of “Corrected Proofs.” In the meantime, I am
Very respy. Yours,
Edgar A. Poe.
Hastings Weld, Esqr.,
WEST, CHARLES EDWIN
Edgar Allan Poe to Charles E. West — June 20, 1845
Office of the Broadway Journal
June 20th —1845.
Dr Sir,
The previous letter to which you allude did not reach me — I trust, therefore, that you will exonerate me from the charge of discourtesy.
I shall be happy to oblige you in any way — and it will give me very great pleasure to act as one of a Committee in which I shall be associated with two gentlemen whom I so highly respect as Drs Griswold and Snodgrass.
My time is entirely at your disposal — whenever you will be kind enough to let me know that you require it.
Very respectfully
Yr ob. St.
Edgar A Poe
Chas. E. West Esq.
WHACKEMWELL, TIMOTHEUS
Edgar Allan Poe, "Secret Writing [Addendum II]," Graham's Magazine, October, 1841, 19:192
[page 192, column 2:]
SECRET WRITING.
On the tenth of August, a letter addressed to us by some gentleman who had assumed the nom de guerre of Timotheus Whackemwell, was received at this office, from Baltimore. It enclosed a cipher, and says, "if you succeed with it I will set you down as perfect in the art." Thinking that in the chirography we recognized the hand of our friend, Mr. J. N. McJilton, of Baltimore, we addressed him by return of mail, with the solution desired. Mr. McJilton, it appears, however, was not the correspondent. The solution ran thus--
"This specimen of secret writing is sent you for explanation. If you succeed in divining its meaning, I will believe that you are some kin to Old Nick."
Mr. Whackemwell, whoever or whatever he is, will acknowledge this reading to be correct.
The cipher submitted through Mr. F. W. Thomas, by Dr. Frailey, of Washington, and deciphered by us, also in return of mail, as stated in our August number, has not yet been read by any of our innumerable readers. We now append its solution, together with the whole of that letter of the Doctor's, of which we gave only a portion in the August number.
SOLUTION.
In one of those peripatetic circumrotations I obviated a rustic whom I subjected to catechetical interrogation respecting the nosocomical characteristics