Anderson, Alexander

(1845-1909)

   Scottish labor poet who wrote under the pseudonym of "Surfaceman." Anderson was born in Dumfriesshire and became a surfaceman, one who kept the railway bed in repair. Of limited formal education, he spent his leisure in self-culture, mastering German, French, Spanish, and Latin sufficiently to read many of the poets and playwrights. His first poem was published in The People's Friend of Dundee in 1870. He published A Song of Labor and Other Poems (1873) and The Two Angels and Other Poems (1875). His work appeared in Good Words, Chamber's Journal, Cassell's Magazine, the Contemporary Review, and Songs of the Rail (1878; 3rd edit. 1881). Between 1880 and his death he was assistant librarian in Edinburgh University, secretary to the Edinburgh Philosophical Institution, and acting chief librarian at the university. His poetry (over 200 poems) shows great sensitivity to the nature of people, similar to that of Robert Burns. Some of his poems: "A Song of the Laborer," "Cuddle Doon," "Jenny wi' the Airn [iron] Teeth," "Langsyne, When Life Was Bonnie." "Killed on the Telegraph Wire" is a tender story of a bird killed on the telegraph wires, "bleeding his little life away."

   Sources: Alexander Anderson, Dundee Advertiser, 6th January, 1896, Dundee Public Library (http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/library/main.htm). Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. English Poetry: Author Search. Chadwyck-Healey Ltd., 1995 (http://www.lib.utexas.edu:8080/search/epoetry/author.html). Significant and Famous Scots (http://www.electricscotland.com/history/other/anderson_alexander.htm). The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org).