horizon, where the sun has just set in a broad lurid glare, and
over him lay a mass of huge slate-hued clouds; seeing all
this, I felt right grievously blue-devilled as I thought
Of what a thing is Poverty
Tis Crime, and Fear and Infamy
And houseless Want in frozen ways
Wandering ungarmented, and pain,
And worse than all, that inward stain
Foul Self Contempt, which drowns in Tears
Youths starlight smile
God grant this Sartain may pay what he owes me. / Going
sadly to my boarding house, (can t say home ) got a letter from Boutcher
, very good medecine for the devils in it; enjoyed a hearty grin.
After tea, taking a walk called on Brinsley, at the place he s been
at for the last week. Wrights public house, where Joe, George
and I played bagatelle some month or two agone.
14. Sunday. Wrote a long letter to Boutcher. In the after
noon over to New York; to Christopher Street, Mr. Greatbatch s
and family s new location. Tea with them. Joe has written ;
and his father s notion is he ll not remain long. A walk
with the boys in Washington Square in the evening. Mr. G.
accompanied me some half hour in my walk Jersey-wards.
15. Monday. At work on Mr. Roberts tract. Interest-
| Page |
| Title: | Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries, Volume One: page forty |
| Description: | Comments on poverty, and states his hopes that he will be paid by Sartain. |
| Date: | 1849-10-13 |
| Subject: | Boardinghouses; Bolton, George; Boutcher, William; Brinsley, Silenus; Greatbatch, Edward (Bristol); Greatbatch, Fred (Bristol); Greatbatch, Joe; Greatbatch, Joseph; Gunn, Thomas Butler; Poetry; Poverty; Roberts, Robert; Sartain |
| Coverage (City/State): | New York, [New York]; [Jersey City, New Jersey] |
| Coverage (Street): | Christopher Street |
| Scan Date: | 2011-02-07 |
| Volume |
| Title: | Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries, Volume One |
| Description: | Details Gunn's first year living in the United States, including his experiences with boarding house living in Jersey City and New York City, looking for work as an artist and a writer, publishing his first book ""Mose Among the Britishers"" and brief visits to Philadelphia and Boston. |
| Subject: | Boardinghouses; Books and reading; Drawing; Gunn, Thomas Butler; Publishers and publishing; Theater; Travel |
| Coverage (City/State): | New York, New York; Jersey City, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Boston, Massachusetts |
| Note: | Thomas Butler Gunn was born February 15, 1826, in Banbury, England, and came to New York in 1849. During the Civil War he worked as a correspondent for the New York Tribune and the New York Evening Post. He returned to England in 1863, and died in Birmingham in April 1903. The collection includes twenty-two volumes of his diaries, including newspaper clippings, letters, photographs, sketches, and various other items inserted by Gunn. Diary entries date from July 7, 1849, to April 7, 1863, and include his experiences with the New York publishing and literary world, his descriptions of boarding houses, his travels throughout the United States, and his experiences traveling with the Federal army as a Civil War correspondent. |
| Publisher: | Missouri History Museum |
| Rights: | Copyright 2011 Missouri History Museum. |
| Source: | Page images, transcriptions, and metadata of the Thomas Butler Gunn diaries have been provided by the Missouri History Museum. |
