Mexborough and Swinton Times March 13, 1915
Literary and debating society
The usual fortnightly lecture was held in the lecture room on Monday evening.
The Rev. W. A. Strawbridge, presiding paid a tribute of gratitude to Mr. E. Knowles, cashier at the “Mexborough Times” office who consented, at a short notice, to give a lecture in place of Mr F. W. Philpott. Doncaster, who has received his commission in the R.F.A. and is in training in the camp at Belper.
Mr. Knowles chose as his subject, “Walt Whitman, the American poet” Whitman was thought by many students to be the greatest American poet, and monks who might be included Emerson Longfellow and Lowell. He was born at Long Island, may 31st, 1819. After attending a public school he seems to have had a roving career. At different periods he was in law office, acted as doctors assistant, then printer, and lastly on the staff of two newspaper’s. He served in the Army 1852 – 65. And acted as doctors nurse during the Civil War. This experience seems to have fired his imagination and gave him a deeper insight into natural surroundings and human sympathy.
He possessed the power of describing mountain, valley, plane, Lake or sae. He neglected rhyme, and paid more attention to the new style of getting the moral truth of his subject. He was considered by some critics to be the disciple of Emerson. He believed in the self-sufficiency of soul. His aim was to describe the love of social man. He considered the body as the living garment of the soul.
His works are the essence of Christianity. He denied no religion and accepted all Bibles. He believed in the immorality of the soul. His teaching was consistent with his own life of health, by work, and optimism. For 40 years he had hardly a day’s illness. During the Civil War he was contracted “ hospital malaria” and ultimately died of a paralytic seizure in 1892.
Mr Allport moved a vote of thanks to the lecture, and Mr. J. Lawton seconded. Discussion followed the lecture.