Hartford's Writers

The prominence of the city in hterature dates back to the flrst of this and last of the previous centürys to the periodof Joel Wow, John Trum btfll, Dr. Cogswell, Theodore Dwight, Dr. Hopkins and Richard Alsop, knowE as the " Hartford wita.'" These brühant men, who earned their title mainly by their contributions to a number of papers that were occasioaally printed, may properly be called the f onndets of the literatee of the place. Trumbull, the author of "McFmgall," (who was admitted to Yale College when 7years old, , and who, settling as a lawyer in Hartford m 1781, üvea to be 81), and Theodore Dwight, were probably the best known of these. Dwight was an editor, and was ofiered, but deolined, the editorship of the New York Ëvening Post, before it was given to Mr. Coleman in 1801. He was in Congress in 1806, and shottly afterward established the Connecticut Mwror, a brilliant Federalist sheet, intended tobe more pronounced than the Courant, that Jw had edited. Dwight was tary to the Hartford Oonvention, and Ster it left Hartford. Seat to these m time was S. G. Goodrich, the familiar "Peter Parley," who was a ? bef ore he began to write, d bronght out Trumbull's poems in 1820 in Hartford, and afterward, moving to Boston, established there the l'oken i i whicM he introducea Hawthorne and others to the pubhc. His work in American ht erature was something hke Knight s m Eugland. He popularized and, , either in his own name or as Peter Parley.be was thewriterof 170 books, of whick hiscompends of information- nistory, I geography, travel-are stil! remembered md used His "Becollections," ui two SumesT are Wl of Hartford stones. The poets Percival and J. G. C. Braniard, the latter one of Conneotiouts favorites, were his friends and contemírPH Of Brainard, whose theme was mainly nature, he says that ne wrotehis ''Ode to Niágara," admitted to be the flnest ever entten on the subject, in a hm-ried half hour at a cali f or copy in the office of the Mxrror, jvhxch he edited, and when he wrote it he had ever been mthin 500 müe8_ of the