Text: George W. Eveleth to Edgar Allan Poe — January 5, 1846

Sir — I have received the number of your Journal for the twentieth of December. I like it in some respects, and in some, do not. The quality of the paper is pretty good, and the sheet is in a form such as I would have it. The poetry of the number is passable to my taste. The article on the modern literature of Germany is good, I think. Your “Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” — are wonderful, if true — if false, you are a genius of wonderfully curious fancies, I must confess. The article suits me very well whether it is fact or fiction. I do not like to see so many advertisements in the columns of the Journal. They are of benefit to but few of your subscribers. I do not value your critical notices so highly as I should if they were more lengthy. There cannot be much criticism in so few words. Perhaps you usually occupy the space in “review” which is taken up this week by the article on German literature. I do not like to see so high a price asked for the Journal. It is only about one half as large as the Saturday Post, Philadelphia, and many other papers for which but two dollars are required. And you tax three per annum. Well, yours is of short standing I see, and, with sufficient encouragement from subscribers, you may afford it at less cost by and by. I send you the enclosed three dollars as my share of encouragement at present. Forward the Journal one year, commencing with the next volume. I rather guess you can afford to give me a little premium. If so, let it be some of your works. Any except the late collection by Wiley and Putnam,

Address G. W. Eveleth. Phillips, Maine, as before.

Jan 5th — /46

P. S. I happen to have no money on a bank nearer to you than this. You will take it I suppose. G. W. E.