The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-22
THE esMILD MAN."

and CurIous Reminiscences'
horl, Tuain has been interviewing the
celebrated s'wild Man." and contributes the
rosnIts of his talk with the monstrosity to the
Buffalo ErpresS:-
Tbere has been so much talk about the
mysterious 'swild man" out there IN the West
for some time, that finally felt that 1t was
,.,,, dntv 10 oo out and ''interview" him.
THere was something peculiarly and touch
inolv romantic about the creature and his
stra1ge actions. according to the newspaper
reports He was represented as being hairy
Iono-armed. and of great strength and stature
noly and crmbrous avoiding men, but ap-
nearing suddenly and unexpectedly to women
and children; going armed with club, but
never molesting any creature, except sheep or
other prey; fond of eating and drinking, ana
not particular about the quality, quantity, or
character of the beverages and edibles; living
in the woods like a wild beast; seeming OPP
pressed and melancholy, but never angry;
moaning, and sometimes howing, but never
uttering articulate sounds. Such was Old
Sbep" as the papers painted him. felt that
tbe story of his life must be sad one-a
story of suffering, disappointment, exile-a
atory of mans inhumanity to man In some
share or other-and longed to persuade the
secret from him.
s'since you say you are member of the
press. said the wild man, Il am willing to
toll Won all YOU wish to know. By-and-by
Won will comprehend why it is that | am so
ready to unbosom myself to a newspaper man
when | have so studiously avoided converse
tion with other people / will now unfold
nv strange story. / was born with the
world we live upon, almost. l am the son OF
Cain"
''What!'
81 was present when the flood was an
nounced'
(Which"
81 am the father of the Wandering jew"
"Sir!"
moved out of reach of his club, and went
on taking notes, but keeping wary eye on
him the while. He smiled melancholy
smile, and resumed:-
eWher glance back over the dreary waste
of ages, see many glimmering landmark
that is familiar to my memory. And oh, the
leagues have travelled! the things have
seen! the events / have helped to emphasize!
was at the assassination of Caesar. marched
upon Mecca with Mahomet. | was in the
Crusades, and stood with Godfrey when he
planted the banner of the cross upon the bat
Elements of Jerusalem. I
cone moment, please-have you given
these items to any other journal? Can L"
''Silence l was in the Pintas shroSds
with Columbus when America burst upon his
vision. 1 saw Charles I beheaded. was In
London when the Gunpowder Plot was dis
covered. was present at the trial of Warren
Hastings 1 was on American soil when Lex
ington was fought-when the Declaration was
promulgated CORVALLIS surrendered
when Washington died. l entered Paris with
Napoleon after Elba. l was present when
you mounted your guns and manned your
fleets for your War Of 1812-when the South
fred upon Sumter-when Richmond fell
when the President life was taken. In all
the ages, 1 have helped to celebrate the
triumphs of genius, the achievements of
arms, the havoc of storm, fire, pestilence, and
famine"
''Your career has been q stirring one.
Might l ask how you came to locate in these
dull Kansas woods, when you have been so
accustomed to excitement during what L may
term such protracted period, not to put too
fine point upon it ?"
'Iisten. Once was the honored servitor
of the noble and the illustrious' (here he
heaved sigh and passed his hairy hand
across his eyes), 'but in these degenerate
days / am become the slave of quack doctors
and newspapers I am driven from pillar to
post and hurried up and down, sometimes
with stencil-plate and paste brush to defile
the fences with cabalistic legends, and some
times in grotesque and extravagant char
acter for the behest of some driving
journal. l attended to that Ocean Bank
robbery some weeks ago, when was hardly
rested from finishing up the pow-wow about
the completion of the Pacific Railroad: i'm
mediately l was spirited off to do an
atrocious murder for the New York papers.
next to attend the wedding of patriarchal
millionaire next to raise hurrah about the
great boat-race; and then, when had lust
begun to hope that my old bones were.to
have rest l am bundled off to this howlino
wilderness to strip, and jibber, and be ugly
and hairy, and pull down fences, and waylay
sheep, and scare women and children. an6
waltz around with a club, and plav wild
Man generally-and all to crafty the whin
of bedlam of crazy newspaper scribblers
From one end of this continent to the other
am described as a gorilla, with a sort o.
human seeming about me-and all to gratif,
this quill-driving scum of the earth :"
Poor old carpet-bagger!
u have been served infamously, often. il
modern and semi-modern times. | have beer
compelled by base men to create fraudulent
history and personate all sorts of impossible
humbugs. l wrote those crazy Junius Let
ters; moped IN French dungeon for fifteen
years, and wore ridiculous Iron Mask:
poked around your Northern forests amono
your vagabond Indians, a solemn French
idiot, personating the ghost of dead Dau.
phln, that the gaping world might wonder il
we had Bourbon among u.s.; have playef
sea-serpent off Nahant, and Woolly- -Ho orse anf
Nhat-ls-lt for the museum; | have inter
viewed politicians for the SIN. worked al
manner OF miracles for the Herald. cinhere,
up election returns for the World and tbnn
dered political economy through the T3,iJ1lDl
have done all the extravagent THINGS tha
the widest invention. could contriVe am