Fooling The Literary Crctics

Elmer S. Crawford is publisher of the eensational Saginavr Telegram and son of Isaac Crawford, of Ann Arbor. He divides bis time between concocting sensational etories for his paper and in admiring a poet friend and lawyer in Sagiaaw named Clarence Ladd Davis. Davis spends bis time impartially between briefs and scribbling verses. The verses have been "gat down upon" by the cold critics of the press, who intimated that they were as devoid of poetic worth as the moon is of heat. Thia grieved Mr. Crawford more than it did the poet. He decided to have revenge upon the people who presume to decide upon one'a claim to literary fame. Getting hold of one of Davis's poems, he prepared a copy of it in such a manner that it seemed like an ancient manuscript purporting to have been written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It contained the great poet's signsture, apparemly, and was dated 1838. He sent it to the New York World with a plausible explunation of finding the manuscript while settling up an estáte, how the manuscript got there, and why it had never been published. The editor of the World sent the poem to Rev. Samuel Longfellow, a brother of Henry, and asked for his decisión as to its genuineness. The reverend clergyman replied that he was inclined to believe it genuine, but thought he had better correspond with sorae of the parties before pronouncing definitely. This was enough for the World. The poem was published as a great " find " and two columns of explanation and of self-laudation for the World's superior enterprise, were added. The poem is entitled "Two Offerings." It was published on Jan. 6, by the World, and was caught up by the prees generally at once, reeeiving much praise. Crawford was revenged, and the critics can hardly with decency deny the Saginaw lawyer some little merit.