The Subterranean
NYHS Subterranean: frontispiece has Mike Walsh, drawn and engr by Gimber, pub Kimber and Kraft, 27 Ann st
July 15 1843 first issue in volume—has Walter Whitman poem for the Subterranean p1 and a Geo Wilkes story p3.p. 2 Park ftn doesn’t work, fault of Common Council
AAS mfilm: Mike Walsh, The Subterranean, July 22, 1843, printed on Ann st. independent. p. 10 Artists’ Assoc at Boston erecting monument to Wash Allston, greatest ptr in America not surpassed in Euro 11 Chuzzlewit a wretched and irremediable trash p. 13 Critical of magazine literature, that is stupid trash, ineffable, twittle twattle unworthy the drawing rm, a cast off English steel engraving with what little sense or meaning it ever had blurred off by hard usage, namby pamby lyrics and sonnets, stories about nothing, that’s American Literature. Long bio of Calhoun.
[Justice Matsell seized the obscene and beastly prints which he sold himself to Robinson, while he kept an infidel bkstore in Chatham st, in connexion with his brother and Slamm, made a double profit] ßI can’t find this
p. 14 Bowling Green ftn design is a libel on works of Nature, designed by someone who has only seen potato gardens and duck ponds, some tooth drawer or clo’ dealer. Had Van Dyke or Dick French to do with it? Accuses Herald of stealing his columns.
July 29: Independent in everything—neutral in nothing. won’t advertise humbugging nostrums. Has Tuckerman and TB Read poems p.18.funny description of Greeley as orangoutan p. 19. very pro seamstresses, gives their wages. Aug 5 p. 30 attacks the Plebeian (Slamm is editor)
Aug 12: we are personal, castigate those who deserve it without fear or favor, not here to bolster shinplaster banks like the Sun, collect black mail like the Herald, prostitute ourselves to police like Plebeian. funny advice to correspondents. Mocks Slamm.
Aug 19 poems by A Allen, earlier by Hemans. p.44 DA Whiting is trying to bring them down, conservative of Tammany. Custom Hse cliques. Winchester is the publisher he covers—they do the New World. Sept 9 has been giving revelations about Matsell and others. Enoch E. Camp is one of the reporters at the Herald.
Covers his trials with Levi Slamm and others. Sept 23 p. 86 cartoon of his enemies
30 Sir Walter Scott prostituted, selected to attack Napoleon, Dickens doing the same now, burlesquing democracy and liberty, office moving to Tryon Row and Chatham. p. 93 Park Godwin now acting ed of Eve Post best polit weathercock in city. Dad owned factory in Paterson, so Park kept by federalist party to speak against Van Buren. Bryant’s money and daughter converted him, deserted Van Buren in hopes of a fortune starting a Calhoun paper. But couldn’t get support in Washington, so offered his services on a Whig paper, rejected fell back on the Post.
Oct 7 Bulwer and Shelley, offfice now to 30 Chatham p. 102 his printers got into a fight with Herald’s printers on Ann st Oct 14 Geo W Dixon used to write all of Slamm’s editorials; Aurora is ridiculous Oct 21 his men are spartans? 118 Big Eugene Sue ad
Oct 28 admires Leggett, purity of principles, Ned Forrest wont help out his widow. Notices Chatham theater Nov 4 Henry Arcularius seems an ally. Likes Noah; Mercury is contemptible hash of trash, absurdities, froth galvanic attempts.
Nov 11 Geo wilkes has been helping him cover his various trials, also writes for the paper p. 142 Park Godwin is now pd corresp for 6 of most rabid whig papers in the country; Bryant, Boggs and Godwin are now as Whig at heart as were before pretending in otrder ot make money
Nov 18 Mass meeting of dogs to protect themselves from illegal system of kidnapping. Pro Calhoun. Notices Olympic. Nov 25 Kettell formerly of the Herald is now running Daily Gazette, Kettell does money articles for Herald but flounders now as editor and falsely Calhoun
Dec 2 p. 165 Morality of the Tombs: Matsell seized the obscene and beastly prints which he himself sold to Robinson while he kept an infidel bkstore in Chatham st in connexion with his brother and Slamm, double profit on selling and seizing, glorified by hireling press whose reporters had a dip in the plunder. Rejects symp for him, prefers indignation. Dec 9 hostile to Van Buren. Dec 16 attacks former publishers Kimber and Kraft for testifying agst Wilkes p. 181 Transcendentalism, Emerson Greeley, imagine yourself eating woodcock in Florence’s rather than shinbone of an old cow, mush is really plumb pudding, etc—this is it Dec 30 p195 Bryant of the Post, disgusting to hear him styled the first poet of America, lends his name for money to the Harpers for meanest prposes, but rhymes don’t fire the soul. deals liberally in sighing breezes and silver streams and other orig expressions
1844
Jan 6 pro annex TX, likes Tyler. 13 attacks John L Graham, Geo D Strong, Tallmadge. lots of Chas Soran poems. The Tombs infamy, run by corrupt, thieves p.221 Plebeian really edited by Moses Beach thru Slamm, Elijah Purdy is Beach’s partner in rickety Plebeian 27 Winchester will now publish Bro Jonathan with Henry deming and Park Benj of New World Feb 3 has a Lippard story fr Home J, poems by CD Stuart and CF Hoffman. Notices Buckingham’s Sunday Galaxy. 10 Willis story Feb 17 Song of the Shirt by Hood. Edward Spragg (aka Murat) also writes for him?, as is George Isaacs (Joly Boatman)
March 2 p260 cowardly blackguard named Baker, a speculator in and publisher of obscene prints in Wall st shot a young man 9 H Hastings Weld story, school society monopoly back Native Am party in city elections 16 Fourierism is a humbug, socialism may have something in it 23 excerpt Catlin on prairie fires. John W Edmonds pamphlet printed by Post is one of prison commissioners, called Ginger Pop, egotistical. tom Whitley at Custom Hse suckers, Walsh worked for him in Paterson when he and Godwin were federalists. Madison (aka Macbeth) of the Sporting Whip supports Harper; Walsh despises Nat Am Mar 30 attacks blue laws
Apr 6 takes fr NY Mirror Michael Angelo and his Pupils, also a Mrs ET Ellett story. Tyler dinner at Shakespeare a miserable clique Apr 13 p 309 letter fr More Anon
volume skips to August 24, New series, it’s restarting, Walsh ed and proprietor, copies 3 cents or $1/yr. , 180 Nassau st. dislikes the Empire Club 31 hates Matsell, Morning News new abolitionist anti annexation paper started with aid fr Sedgwick, Field, Edmonds and other renegades, profess democrac p. 330 imbecile Aurora, former proprietors deceived Tyler and got jobs in Custom Hse, may be merging with Morning News. herrick part of villainous Custom Hse cliques. Oct 5 last one in volume.
1845 next volume starts May 24, no more illustration on masthead, but same mottos, much larger. still 3 cents, or $1.50 yr. 31 Longfellow, Chas McKay.June 7 Geo B Wooldridge knave 21 W Irving 21 had to stop men from attacking Trib office due to Greeley’s contempt for Gen Jackson at his death July 12 death of Plebeian, proprietors already supporting Aurora, transferred it to Childs in 44 who kept Slamm on Childs made money til lost city printing. Ed Fagan engraver advertises. Jul 26 Beranger Aug 2 Mathew L Davis Courier’s Spy in Washington restored with aid of Demos Aug 16 attacks Joe Hoxie. loves Wm J Snelling. 30 has JTHeadley Sept 6 Old Armchair, like Morris Spare that treeunrelieved stupidity and bathos, humbug in the ascendant Oct 4 has Fanny Osgood’s poem on Labor, scolds proprietor of Apollo for exhib humbug sea serpent 18 moving to 328 Broadway 25 Willis Gaylord clark Nov 1 sketch by J Penniman of Tammany hunker who wanted Samuel J Tilden (paper is the News) rather than Walsh; Globe run by swindlers Nov 8 poem the Young Democracy by J Brown and on 15th says his paper is the only organ of the YA Nov 29 it’s published now by Waslsh & Carr Dec 6 Freilgrath poem; Mrs SC Hall in the (London)Art-Union refers to condition of literary men in this countryDec 13 Wm E channing poem, dislikes monopoly of NY pilots
1846
Jan 17 notice excellent Sunday Dispatch, Burns a friend. Have now inside the front page a new design of an eye: Knaves and Tyrants beware, This (eye) is upon you. Jan 24 Death of Henry Inman a national loss, preeminent as port ptr, without a rival on this continent, loved by all, known him long and intimately, truly great man Jan 31 Thom Dunn English, recent card, his Aristidean started after he wrote the Aurora into the grave, duped subscribers, a federalist kicked out by the whigs tho had a Custom hse appt under demos. loafer. Admires Demo Rev engr of fulllength statue of Thom Jefferson. Clason of Mirror cowhided Bennett. May 9 Edw Mansfield bio of Genl Scott good, though he nor other military chiefs shld be pres May 23 I don’t see Walsh’s name on the publisher just LN Carr 22 Ann st oh but inside page has him as editor. May 26 excerpts Melville June 13 praises Robinson’s series of sporting lithos Jun 20 T B Read Aug 8 critical of cant of Anglo Saxon race. p4 story of Jarvis the ptr, on his way to a spree, spots a boy, has same name—his son. Sept 5 Bryant poem 12 Artist’s return (Durer story) 19 likes Fowler’s Phreno journal 26 globe happy at demise of News, demo party never had an organ that could exist without alms, New Era, Plebeian, Morning Post, Demo and Globe owe to contrib of men with base aims Oct 3 hostile to John McKeon, symp to persec Mormons 10 CP Cranch poem, defends Genl Scott, hostile to Bouck. likes Robinson caric of Broadway Belle as all artifice 17 notices Bowery Nov 7 Bryant, Sedgewick Hastings and scribblers of Post will receive deserts. doont like Silas Wright Dec 12 Thom L Nichols lives in brothels Dec 19 JT Headley on Amer ought to show grateful by bldg more monuments. Atlas pictorial gallery is of blockheads. 26 disapproves of Mrs Bennett writing for the Herald, a female parvenu
1847
Jan 2 p2 Matsell’s bust: has long wanted copies of his uglly phiz, saddled expense on his spiritless underlings for a bust to adorn his office, just get a deformed apple dumpling instead. JJ Woodbridge daguerreotypes. 23 Robinson, the Irish whig, writes as Richelieu; Marsh is Trib’s new Wash corresp. cant about Harper’s being a pious house in Courier and Enquirer, are paid by Harper’s, John Inman of the Commercial did it for years and now Raymond of the Courier does. don't pay their engravers well, are humbugs, will publish anything that pays. Likes Henry Wise. 30 McElrath kicked out of Trib, he is annoying, the one who kept Foster there Feb 6 Edw Hudson’s money market column in Herald thought to befree and indep Feb 27 circulation 12,000 and has a theatrical column
March 20 Robinson has port of Walsh, copy of a dag by Plumbe, superb print brilliancy, massive sternness, extraordinary firmness, noble contour, admirably given, 25 cents 27 B Halleck poem Apr 3 corrupt imbecile govt is protracting war with mexico. Trinity Church a corrupt concern. Apr 10 loves Sunday Dispatch, they advertise May 8 Demo Papers: Eve Post because of its cost cant reflect sentiments of public, organof conservatism, marks of labor on hands disqualify for office, kid gloves evidcences of respectability, doesn’t underst what business it is of masses to meddle in polit affairs, hallucination is better time coming for silk stockings. Globe has no talent. 22 takes correct stance tword public schools Jun 12 anecdote of Stuart the port ptr, as passionate (would kiss a woman) 12 free school is misnamed, same crit of West Point 19 Eve Post clique; Munson has full length litho of GW after Stuart Jul 3 story of Murillo’s mulatto apprentice. Likes Knick. Proud Jacobin. hates Polk. Jul 31 debunks the Chinese junk as fake Aug 21 not backing Z Taylor yet. City items men of the Press think they are sagacious, Express praises Morse, Hewitt Edmonds, Clonney and Bingham for activiites benefitting the world, Sub doesn't’ understand how this raises the rep of profession of artist, esp how Edmonds being a cashier of a shave shop. Sept 11 ok with Am Inst fair 18 to subst paper for specie is fraud. crit of Pres Mapes of Mech Inst for dull lectures and bad library 25 approves Wilmot proviso, slave power in south bans free discussion of emacip. free soil. Oct 9 praises Eliza Cook Oct 23 likes Vattemare and Christy’s minstrels Nov 6 Bro Jon stuck Scott and Taylor into old Napoleon engr
Nov 20 1847 p2 Collyer and Barnum versus Powers, hypocrisy of those who condemn Grk Slave but go to living models. 27th last issue. Astor Place Opera hse requires court dress, aristo feeling