The Walt Whitman Archive
Life & Letters
Correspondence
About this Item
Title: Lorenz Reich to Walt Whitman, 17 November 1885
Date: November 17, 1885
Whitman Archive ID: loc.03555
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.
Editorial note: The annotation, "ans'd," is in the hand of Walt Whitman.
Contributors to digital file: Alex Kinnaman, Stefan Schöberlein, Ian Faith, and Stephanie Blalock
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LORENZ REICH
63 EAST 11TH STREET
NEW YORK
Nov 17th 1885
Mr. Walt Whitman
Esteemed Sir,
Will you permit me to offer you, as emphasizing my appreciation of the melodies you have sung for the lovers of poesy, a golden fluid which symbolizes the health of pray that Providence will vouchsafe you for many years to come, as is this wine of Hungary to the lovers of nectar, so are your nuggets of imagery to the devotees of genius, and, in tendering it to you, I beg you will consider that its every drop distills something of the warm appreciation your exceptional creations have kindled in my breast. With assurances of fervent regard
Ever Yours Cordially
Lorenz Reich
Correspondent:
Lorenz Reich
(1848–1931) was an importer of Hungarian wine in New York City. He made a
practice of sending complimentary cases of wine to individuals he admired. The
archive of letters of thanks at the New York Historical Society includes
appreciative replies from Robert Browning, Samuel Clemens, Grover Cleveland,
Ulysses S. Grant, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and John
Greenleaf Whittier, among others.