Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1893 — SAMUEL WOODWORTH. [ARTICLE]

SAMUEL WOODWORTH.

A Neglected American Poet—Author of “The Old Oaken Bucket.** Many a writer has wakened of a morning to find that some little song or sketch which he struck off hurriedly under the stress of great feeling, has reached a fame that was denied to those more pretentious productions in which was embodied the fruit of deep research, and over which were spent hours of careful thought and conscientious toil. John Howard Payne, the brilliant essayist, dramatist and poet, is forgotten in the author of the single oharming lyric, “Home, Sweet Home.” And all the fame that Samuel Woodworth, poet, editor and novelist, ever received, is merged into a reputation he achieved as the author of ‘The Old Oaken Bucket.” Samuel Woodworth was born January 18, 1785, in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. His ancestors were early inhabitants of this place. His youth was distinguished by his fondness for poetry and books. After a meagre common school education, which'ended at the age of 14, he was placed under the Rev. Nehemiah Thomas for another year’s study. His family, however, were poor, and he was obliged to go out into the world and do for himself. Going to Boston, he bound himself to Beniamin Russell, editor of the “Columbian Sentinel.” During his apprenticeship, whieh lasted until 1806, he adopted thenomde plume of “Seline,” under which signature he sent his poetic effusions to the different periodicals of the day. While working in the printing office he published a juvenile paper, “The Fly.” In 1804 he made the acquaintance of another young brother poet, in the person of John Howard Payne. The friendship begun so early lasted through life.

Going to New Haven be published (1807) the “Belles Lettres Repository.” The next year he went to Baltimore, and contributed to various papers in that oitv. An Inveterate rover, the year 1809 saw him in Now York, where he was married a year later. During the war of 1818, he conduoted “The War,” a New York weekly paper, whose specialty was detailed accounts of American victories. A follower of the doctrines of Swedenborg, ho was, about this time, editor of the “New Jerusalem Missionary and Intellectual Repository.” la 1816 he wrote a novel entitled, “Champions of Freedom,” based on the war with Great Britain. This novel was published in two volumes. It was followed by “The Confessions of a Sensitive Man.” He also wrote several plays, and an opera, the “Forest Rose," which had considerable vogue in its day. Among the papers he edited were: “The Casket,” “The Parthenon" and “The Literary Gazette.” In 1828, he was associated with George P. Morris in the establishment of the “New York Mirror.”

In regard to the off-disputed origin of the “Old Oaken Bucket,” George M. Young, in a sketch of Woodworth, published in the “New England Mdguzine." January, 1892, gives the following version, on the authority of a member of Woodworth’s family: *The poem was written in the summer of 1817. The family was llvimr at that time in Duane street, New York. The poet came home to dinner one very warm day, having walked from his office near the foot of Wall street. Being much heated with the exercise, he drank a glkss of water from the pump, exolaiming as he placed the tumbler on the table: ‘That is refreshing; but how much more refreshing would it be to take a good draught this day from the old oaken buoket I left hanging in my father’s well at home.’ Hearing this, the poet’s wife, who was also a suggestive body, said: ‘Beline, why would not that be a pretty subjeot for a poemf’ The poet took the lines, and under the inspdratlon of the moment sat down and poured out from his heart the beautiful lines of the poem.” ' In 1886 he suffered a strobe of paralysis, frtm which he never felly recovered. He died Dee. 9, 1848. aged 07. His jAiblic life was marred by a great many adversities, but the happiness of his domestic existence more than balanced his many trials. A kinder father never lived than he was to his ten children. The present writer remembers to have seen once in an old boob-store an old volume entitled “Old Merchants of New York,” written by one Barrett, in which there was a passage concerning Woodworth, and the mad poet, McDonald Clarke, who, it seems, were friends.' The passage was to the effect that some New York retail house—dry goods, presum-ably-employed the talents of the two unfortunate poets to celebrate in verse the wares sold over its counters. If this be true, and there is not much reason to doubt it, it is another painful illustration of how many a man of fine literary ability has been obliged to lend his genius to these cheap occasions that promised in return the means of procuring (he necessaries of life. When John Howard Payne returned to America in 1862 from his foreign histrionic and literary successes, the literati of New York City tendered him a dinner. The dinner took place on Dec. 1 of that year. Woodworth, Payne’s old friend, wrote an address of welcome for the occasion, which was recited by J. J. Adams, a prominent actor of the time. It is fitting to conclude this sketch with selections from it. For those selections we are indebted to Gabriel Harrison’s admirable work, “The Life of John Howard Payne. ”