A TALE BY EDGAR ALLAN POE FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE DOLLER NEWSPAPER IN PHILADELPHIA IN 1844

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2000

Answers

Jon,

The story, I believe, was "The Gold Bug" for which Poe received $100.00 for winning the paper's contest. The story was such a sensation that additional copies were printed for distribution. It was a story intended as a mystery with some humor and the narrator, Legrande, and his servant seeking Captain Kidd's pirate treasure on an island off South Carolina's coast. Poe was stationed there during his military enlistment at Fort Moultrie and was inspired by the area and Sullivan's island. "The Gold Bug" was one of Poe's more clever uses of cryptography and ratiocination in his tales.

If "The Gold Bug" doesn't fit the crossword, I give up! : )

Regards,

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2000