Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-10
A SUCCESSFUL rRAun

Inc new directory, or revamped
edition Of an old one, if you please is
out, and has been delivered TO its
suffering subscribers several hundred
strong. 1t is the sixth annual inAic-
tlon Of a bumptious document which,
its author has prepared for good pay.
and which is almost equal in value
and usefulness, or as a literary relic, as
public documents ora patent medicine
pamphlet. The copy under considera-
tion contains no attractive array of
Illustrations, nor does it appear re-
sponsible for much information. but
1t may be consoling to its owner to
learn thatthere is lot of sound horse
sense doyetailed between its pages of
advertisements. The latter are rather
numerous, and each individual adver-
tiser can.view with admiration the one
he authorized to be inserted at cost
Of from one to ten dollars. This will
afford ample, compensation for
his outlay, even though no
new customers are won by the
winsome card. The present issue is
possibly not the worst of its kind that
was ever sent forth, but it is stupid
enough in all conscience. No weak
minded persons mental or moral Wis
ION will ever be impaired or even
entangled by perusing its melancholy
pages, though such perusal might
cause misanthrope to feel slightly
blue to scan through its folds, Espec-
tally would this be likely to result if
the moody-minded reader were sud
denly to pounce upon his own name
and find it conspicuously printed in
solid, black or shaded letters, running
partly across the page, and sandwiched
between others of smaller and less
fOggy dlmensiOns-a grim jest, as it
were, OF the greatness of man as it
Is pictured in a directory of the
authors rich and spirited fancy.
There are scattering sentences, here
and there, within the leaves of
this wonderful compilation which
some might deem famous for .inge-
nuity and fine points, full of
an incessant flow of new and wonder
ful ideas, racy humor, not entirely
original tO.be sure, but yet showing
diversity of excellence in sudden tran
sitiOn from bright and merry funny
isms to the highest order of pathos.
1t is only those, however, possessing
powerful intellects that will be able to
detect those brilliant coruscations
and feel their subtle influence. As
the poet, or the clown, once said, how
ever, "the subscriber should attempt
the end aud not stand in doubt, for
nothing is so hard but search will find
it out" There is no question but all
may find budgets Of fun, peculiar
species Of sadness, many errors Of
names and infnitesimal doses
of information in Shole's Di-
rectOry for the present. Nine
ty days hence the work will be
worthless, or nearly SO, owing to the
many changes business men contcm-
plate in their firms, and the numerous
moves families are continually max
ing in their residences. But Sholes
will doubtless return here next winter
and palm off another edition of the
same, slightly revised, on an innocent
public. They will pay prompt and
we'll for their advertised cards and
their copiesof the work, as they usual
ly do, under the vain delusion that
they are putting their money where ii
will do some good, while the cheeky
compiler will smile in his sleeve as he
pockets some thousands of dollars
from gullible people, as his share of
the profits, and hies to other haunts
IN nluok fhn iunooant