Text: Frederick W. Thomas to Edgar Allan Poe — July 1, 1841

Washington, July 1st, 1841.

My Dear Poe, — Yours of 26 June I received yesterday. I trust, my dear friend, that you can obtain an appointment. President Tyler I have not seen except in passing in his carriage — never having called at the White House since the death of Harrison except to see the sons of the President, and then they were not in — could n’t you slip on here and see the president yourself — or if you would prefer it I will see him for you — but perhaps your application had better be made through someone who has influence with the executive. I have heard you say that J. P. Kennedy has a regard for you — he is here a Congressman and would serve you would he not? My employment is merely temporary. I had a letter of introduction to the Secretary of the Treasury, from my friend Governor Corwin of Ohio, merely introducing me as a “literary character” — I did not then expect to ask office, but finding that publishing was at a low ebb, I waited on Mr. Ewing and told him frankly how I was situated and that I should like to be making something; he with great kindness installed me here. There are thousands of applicants. My duty is to schedule their claims and present them to the Secretary. He reads the schedule and makes his decision, unless he has doubts about the matter, and then he sends on the papers. Let me hear from you in this matter of yours. The notice of the Intelligencer shall appear if I have influence enough with Mr. Gales to get it in. The enclosed cryptograph is from a friend of mine (Dr. Frailey) who thinks he can puzzle you. If you decypher it then you are a magician — for he has used as I think much art in making it. Let me hear from you at your first leisure about the office.

Your friend,
F. W. Thomas.

[[Part of the cryptograph is interlined in pencil as follows.]]

In one of those peripatetic circum [[illegible]] I obviated a rustic whom we subjected to catechetical interrogation respecting the [[illegible]] characteristics of the edifice to which he was approximate with a volubility uncongealed by the frigorific powers of villdt; in bashfulness he ejaculated a voluminous replication from the universal tenor of whose contents I deduct the subsequent amalgamation of heterogeneous facts without dubiety [[illegible]] in ginal vulgarity as [[illegible]] mountains [[illegible]] abortions. Yet the institution the subject of my remarks was not without cause the theme of the ephemeral columns of quotidian journalism and of enthusiastic encomiations in conventional intercourse.