Each year as we approach Washington’s Birthday the mails bring us a copy of the poems of Isaac M. Moyer. An anonymous hand writes across the face of the title page: “Why not give full credit to Shakespeare of Berks.” Then we scan the poems and find that many of them commemorate the birthday of the First President of the United States. But our efforts to find out any facts about the poet are fruitless. Year after year we have made inquiry.
Recently We learned that at least two other newspaperman in Reading have received similar communications written in mysterious hand. One scribe has learned that the Berks poet is no longer among the living and another has attempted to evaluate his poetry, but neither has presented any evidence that Moyer was or is any more real than his pen name.
Once again we present one of Moyer’s tributes to Washington. We hope this time our mysterious correspondent will reveal the facts we need to know about the poet. If we can determine who he is, or was, we will present the critical account of his poetic works and try to find for “Shakespeare” his proper place in the literary history of Berks.
