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Published by New York, December 29th, 1919., 1919
Seller: Blue Mountain Books & Manuscripts, Ltd., Cadyville, NY, U.S.A.
Signed
Condition: Very good. - Over 60 words typed on 11 inch high by 8-1/2 inch wide "Delafield, Thorne and Burleigh" law office stationery. Addressed to James B. Pond, Burleigh regrets that he'll be out of town and thus "will not be able to serve on the Honorary Reception Committee at M. Maeterlinck's opening lecture at Carnegie Hall on that evening". Signed "George W. Burleigh" in black ink. The letter is folded horizontally and vertically for mailing with minor chipping near the top left corner. Very good. A director of the Lackawanna Steel Company, George William Burleigh (1870-1940) served as a Colonel in the New York National Guard commanding the Ninth Coast Defense during the First World War. James B. Pond, the American impresario and lecture agent who headed the J.B. Pond Lyceum Bureau, brought the great Belgian poet Maurice Maeterlinck to America for a series of lectures. The first lecture took place at Carnegie hall on January 2nd, 1920. Unfortunately Maeterlinck failed to carry out his intention to lecture in English because of his labored "phonetic" English. He declared his intention to continue his lectures in French and have the translation read by another person. As a result, the lecture tour was a failure and lawsuits ensued on both sides.