The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-12-03
"THOMAS OF TIGRE.o
The Remarkable Career OF an AheFh-
can Adyeuturer.


The Remarkable Career of an Ameri-
can Adventures.
Among JOAQUIN Mnler's "Songs of the
SublandS.n - saws the San Francisco Call,
is the following exquisite poem, entitled
"ThOmas of Tigre:"
King of Tigre, cOmrade truel
Where in all thine isles art thou:
Sailing ON Fonseca blue:
Nearing Amapala now:
King of Tigre, where art thou?
Battling for Antilles queens
Sabre ht, or olive bOugh:
Crown of dust, or laurel green:
Rowing love marriage vow:
King and comrade, where art thou:
Sailing on Pacific seas?
Pitching tent in Pimo now:
Underneath magnolia trees?
Thatch of palm or cedar bOugh:
soldier singer, where art thou!
Coasting on the Oregon?
saddle bow, or brChen brow?
Round the Isles of Amazon?
Pampas plain, or mountain brow:
Prince of rovers, where art thou:
Answer me from out the West.
l am weary, stricken now;
Thou art strong, and would rest;
Reach a hand with lifted brow
King of Tigre, where art thou!
For the information of Mr.. Miller The
Call will state that his Royal Highness,
the King of Tigre, is at present sojOurn-
inc at a leading hotel in this city, engaged
in snuffing Pacific breeZes and in trying
TO recognize in the great and growing
metropolis around him the insignificant
town he beheld here more than score of
wears ago. He is registered simply as
''James Thomas, New Orleans" and is
unaccOmpanied by the glittering retlnues
that usually attend monarchs in their trav-
els. In fact, his kingdom is a thing of the
past. 1t has shrunk to the compass of
EmemOry and twenty-five line poem, and
he now forcibly realizes that all earthly
pursuits and requirements end only In
vanity and veXation Of spirit"
THE HERO.
Though many of Miller's admirers have
supposed g Thomas of Tigre" mere po-
| etic creation, such is not the case; Col.
| Thomas is anything but ETHEREAL in appear
ance. Forty years of age. over SIX feet In
| height, brOad-shouldered well proportion
ed and muscular, with thoughtful blue
| eve, a black mustache, raven black halr
and a cheek bronZed by exposure to the
| southern suns, he is the beau ideal OF
dashing adventurer.
! A New Yorker by birth, he processes
pride in his humble origin. Hampered by
! honorable indigence, after many struggles
with adverse circumstances, in his early
youth he began the study of law in little
village of Northern Ohio. In an evil hour
he visited the city Of Cincinnati, and
while doing its various wonders, witnessed
a popular actress in the role of ''Juliet.'
She carried his unsophisticated heart by
storm, and an attack OF
.rprCAT ANrPJTION
| succeeded. His talents for high tragedy
not proving remarkably brilliant, he final
! ly found himself in the streets of New Or
| leans, not only friendless, but penniless.
He was soon afterward prOstrated by the
yellow fever, and but for the charity and
care of the sisters of mercy, would doubt
less have terminated his career there and
then, On recovering, and being turned
adrift on his own resources, he could tlnG
nothing better to do than to join the expe'
dition of Lopez against Cuba, which was
then being organized. In due time ht
sailed for the Queen of the Antilles, anC
after participating in many perlls and
much hard fighting. was glad to escape
from the Island latter the defeat), in ca
noe with three companions. For SIX days
they drifted hopelessly about on the broa(
bosom of the gulf, and after being reducec
to the verge of starvation, were fortunate
lv picked up by passing vessel and car
ried TO New York. There he Bohemian
lied in a garret, having for his associates
such men as George Lippard, William
North. the poet, Charles Seymour, Red
path, FitZ James O'Brien.
AS A JOURNALIST.
1t was during these miserable aud happy
, days that he developed faculty for rhym
ing that gave him much standing among
his immediate acquaintances. By an un
expected stroke of fortune he was at length
! called from his literary drudgery. and in
stalled as editor of the Brooklyn Advertiser
| He had no sooner accumulated limited
stock of cash in his new position. than n
became morOse and discOntented, and IL
, spite of the remonstrances of his friends
. set off once more for the sunny South. A
: New Orleans he became connected witt
the Bee, and subsequently with the CTes
| cent, and on the latter journal was maxim!
rapid progress toward position, when al
unfortunate affair of rivalry ruined all HI
, prospects. Being challenged, he appoint
ed place of meeting at the town of Al
giers. and duel followed. Receiving
, Dainful wound himself, he mortall,
} wounded his adversary, and was compel
2 ed to fiy to Texas, and, afterwards through
Northern Mexico, to California. he wa
next heard of in connection with filibus
r tering expedition, and was so dlsguste
r with the result, that he has ever since care
r fully avoided the slightest allusiOn to tn
l affair. After visit to San Francisco, h
2 yentured to return to Texas. While ther
| he
{ FOUGHT DUEL
: with Jack Turley, a famous desperate
2 better known as 1.-THE diamond merchant,
5 who stole large number of valuable dla
f monds in Brazil, and made good his eE
q cape to this country with them. Turle
e cot ball in the shoulder and one In tn
s ribs. while Col. Thomas received one
I. the LEG, which has ever since compelle
S him to limp slightly in walking. His mex
n important move was to accept suDord
$ nate command in Walkers expedition
n Nicaragua, Uncle Turley being one OF n
d most faithful followers. For two years D
!. shared Walkers varying fortunes, and
n the final ruin of the cause of the hllbu
:, ters. .hastened to Peru and there joined Ca
+ tila's revolutionary movement against th
n established government. The comman
t, to which he was attached was finally hen
t, med in at the city of Arequipa, and de
l. perate siege of five months ensued, whic
g closed with
BLOODY BATTLE,
in which the revolutiOnists were deteate
They then capitulated, on the conditio
: that their lives should be spared and the