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James B. Pond to Walt Whitman, 25 April 1887

About This Item

  • Title: James B. Pond to Walt Whitman, 25 April 1887
  • Date: April 25, 1887
  • Creator(s): James B. Pond
  • Whitman Archive ID: loc.03486
  • Source: The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Transcribed from digital images or a microfilm reproduction of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Contributors to digital file: Alex Kinnaman Stefan Schöberlein Ian Faith Stephanie Blalock
  • Cite this page: Pond, James B.. "James B. Pond to Walt Whitman, 25 April 1887." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 24 April 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: loc.03486.xml (TEI)
 loc.03486.001_large.jpg JAMES B. POND, 
   
 GENERAL AGENT AND MANAGER. 
   
  EVERETT HOUSE, CORNER 4TH AVENUE and 17TH STREET, NEW YORK. 
  CONCERTS, LECTURES AND ALL DESCRIPTIONS OF MUSICAL, LYCEUM AND LITERARY ENTERTAINMENTS. ENGAGEMENTS WITH ALL THE MOST CELEBRATED ARTISTS EFFECTED BY THIS AGENCY. All engagements for REV. HENRY WARD BEECHER'S. Lectures made through J. B. Pond; Sole Agent for MARK TWAIN; MR. GEO. W. CABLE'S Readings; CLARA LOUISE KELLOGG Concert Company; MR. HENRY M. STANLEY and MR. ED. HERON-ALLEN. 
  SEASON OF 1887-88, 
  LECTURERS ABBOTT, REV. LYMAN 
 ALLEN, Mr. ED HERON, Science of the Hand (new). 
 ARMSTRONG, WM. JACKSON 
 BASSETT, R., "A Pek-in-China." (new.) 
  BEECHER, REV. HENRY WARD 
 BLACKBURN, HENRY. "Art In EveryDay Life." Illustrated. 
 BENJAMIN, Hon. W. G. S., "Persia." Illustrated. 
 BUNNER, H. C., (Editor of Puck.) 
  CABLE, MR. GEO. W., 
 CLEMENS, SAMUEL L. ("Mark Twain") 
 CARLETON, WILL. 
 CONE, Col. T. C. (of Georgia.) 
 CONWAY, MONCURE D. 
 DOREMUS, DR. OGDEN (Scientific) 
 DAUGHERTY, HON. DANIEL 
 GEORGE, HENRY. 
  INGERSOLL, EARNEST. "Railroading in the Rockies." 
 JOYCE, COL. JOHN A. Anvil Sparks. 
 MOWBRAY, ARTHUR H. (Illustrated). 
 NAST, THOMAS (If he Lectures). 
 NEWELL, WM. WELLS. "Pompei and Roman Life," and Michael Angelo. 
 O'RELL, MAX 
 RICHARDSON, LEANDER P. 
 STANLEY, HENRY M. The African explorer. 
  SCHURZ, HON. CARL 
 SCHWATKA, LIEUT. FRED'K, U.S.A. 
 SERVISS, MR. GARRETT P. (Astronomy.) Illustrated. 
 STEWART, JOE H. (of Texas.) 
 TALMAGE, REV. T. DEWITT 
 VON FINKELSTEIN, MISS L. 
 WOOD, DR. WALLACE, Italy and the Renaissance (new). 
  RECITALS 
  BROWN, MISS NELLA F. (Through the Redpath Lyceum Bureau, Boston.) 
 BLUME, MISS SETTIE 
 BRADFORD, WILLIAM 
 CALHOUN, MARGARET CUSTER 
 FABIAN, EDWARD 
 LINCOLN, FRANK 
 TAYLOR, MISS NETTIE. 
 WATSON, MRS. T CHARLES 
  WEBB, MRS. HARRIET 
 WILDER, MARSHALL P. 
  PIANISTS. 
  CARRENO, THERESE 
 GLOSE, MR. AOLF 
 GILDER, MR. FRANK 
 KING, MADAME JULIA RIVE 
 SHERWOOD, WM. H. 
  VIOLINISTS 
  TORBETT, MISS OLLIE 
 LANZER, MR. CARL 
 MUSIN, MONS. OVIEDE 
  COMBINATIONS 
  BOSTON STAR CONCERT CO. 
 CLARA LOUISE KELLOGG CONCERT CO. 
 MISS OLLIE TORBETT CONCERT CO. 
 BELLE COLE CONCERT CO. 
 GILMORE'S 22d REGIMENT BAND 
 MEIGS SISTERS VOCAL QUARTETTE 
 NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC CLUB 
 RICHBERG QUARTETTE (String.). 
 TEMPLE QUARTETTE, Boston. 
 WEBER QUARTETTE, of Boston. 
  I am simply agent, without proprietory right in any of these entertainments, except Henry Ward Beecher's Lectures and Geo. W. Cable's Readings. JAS. B. POND 
  All engagements made by this Agency are conditional upon the ability of the Artists or Lecturers to fulfill them. In case of detention by sickness, accident, or any legitimate or unavoidable cause, it is understood that there shall be no claim for damages, though a new date will always be given during the same season, if possible.1 
  Everett House, New York, Apr. 25th , 1887. Walt Whitman, Esq., Camden, N. J. Dear Mr. Whitman:—

Your second postal received. Mr. Gilder2 told me of Mr. Carnaghie's kind subscription.3 I congratulate you on your remarkable success.

How would you like to go to Boston about Tuesday, May 10th?4 That would be a good time. If this meets your approval let me know and I will fix the date.

I have had some very nice letters from Holmes, Norton, Grant, and others, expressing the wish that you will visit the "hub".

Yours Sincerely, J. B. Pond  loc.03486.002_large.jpg JB Pond

Correspondent:
James Burton Pond (1838–1903) was a famous lecture-manager and printer. He was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his services in the Civil War. In his 1900 autobiography Eccentricities of Genius (G. W. Dillingham Co: New York), he writes of Whitman: "Whitman gave a few readings under my management during his life. They were mostly testimonials from friends, and benefits given in the theatres of New York City"; Pond concludes with an anecdote about the poet's meeting with Sir Edwin Arnold (497–501).

Notes

  • 1. In addition to the printed letterhead, James B. Pond's letter also includes a printed notice at the bottom of the letter that reads: "I am now booking time for Mr. Henry George for next season. Associations desiring him will find it to their advantage to apply early. Please do not write letters on Postal Cards. They are liable to get overlooked.—J.B.P." [back]
  • 2. Richard Watson Gilder (1844–1909) was the assistant editor of Scribner's Monthly from 1870 to 1881 and editor of its successor, The Century, from 1881 until his death. Whitman had met Gilder for the first time in 1877 at John H. Johnston's (Gay Wilson Allen, The Solitary Singer [New York: New York University Press, 1955], 482). Whitman attended a reception and tea given by Gilder after William Cullen Bryant's funeral on June 14; see "A Poet's Recreation" in the New York Tribune, July 4, 1878. Whitman considered Gilder one of the "always sane men in the general madness" of "that New York art delirium" (Horace Traubel, With Walt Whitman in Camden, Sunday, August 5, 1888). For more about Gilder, see Susan L. Roberson, "Gilder, Richard Watson (1844–1909)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]
  • 3. Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919), the prominent industrialist and admirer of Whitman, had donated twice to the support of the aged poet. [back]
  • 4. Whitman's reply is not extant, but it appears he did not go to Boston that May. [back]
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