Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1860 — Denth, in California, of "Dow, Jr." [ARTICLE]

Denth, in California, of "Dow , Jr."

The California papers received by the Baltic , which brings us intelligence to the sth inst.. contain a touching account of the death, in dirt and destitution, of Elbridge G. Paige, better known as ‘-Dow, Jr.,’’ aTid as the author of the humorous sermons highly celebrated under that name. We quote from one of the papers in question: “A man of no ordinary fame as a literateur, one who has achieved a flattering celebrity, who was at one time rich, admired, and courted, died in this city at nine o’clock last night, in the most abject poverty. No pen can describe—no language express the intensity of filth, the squalidness of poverty, the ineffable misery of the apartments in whicli this man, unattended, unear d or, had breathed his last and resigned his soul to the Creator. We speak of Elbridge G. Paige, better known under his novi de plume of “Dow, Jr.”—the author of the famous ‘-Patent Sermons,” which have made him known to a great portion of the reading world whose language is English. Ten years, ago, Mr. Paige was the editor and proprietor of the New York Mercury, a paper at that time remarkable for its pungent wit, its proverbial good humor, and the practical, as well • s charitaMj views it expiessed of men and | things. The Patent Sermons of ‘Dow, Jr.’ I were collected and published in bpoK-forrn, land achieved a celebrity, particularly in England, which was very gratifying to the author. Reverses, however, overtook Mr. Paige, and lie took to drink. Soon after his arrival he wrote for the Sun, then in its meridian, and his writings were universally commended. Of late years Mr. Paige had been connected with the Golden Era, whose pages he has enriched with many kindly gen-erously-conceived contributions. “About nine o’clock last niget, officer Nickerson was informed that u man was dying in a house on the north side of Pacific street, three doors east of Kearney, and immediately proceeded to the spot; but ere he arrived the spirit had fled, and Tie found a prostitute closing the eyes and jaws of what was once a man of mark and tame. As we said before, it would be utterly vain to attempt giving the slightest .description of die reeking filth and squaiidness of his ; ,* rlment. The bed was innocent, -f lj. >*. of j uny kind, and was saturated ' X 'i< - i The floor was indiscriimbly filthy and the ! walls dirk with moisture and filled with fungi. On tiie table stood two tin plates that had piobably been used for some time, and never cleaned from the moment they were first soiled; these contained the remnants of his last supper. In the corner of the room was a small keg of pickled borings, the maggots in which were far mote numerous than the fish, arid almost rivaled them in size. On a small table near his bod were two bottles containing Iffiqor—the curse of his latter life-, and undoubted cause of h.u ueatli. His feet were resting on the foot-board of his loathsome cot, and no portion of his clothing had been removed cept his hat. “The coroner. Dr. McNulty, was summoned,and he had the body conveyed to the dead-house on Sacramento street. A postmortem examination will he held, an.. n inquest, if necessary. Thus di- i El-f». Igt* G. Paige—once a man of wealth, posh m i and celebrity.”