Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-12
rvERY DOG HAS HIS DAY.

to the egalaKy Of Memphis most stir
ring and energetic men is one Albert
f. Sholes publisher and proprietor Of
the Memphis City Directory. Indeed
the advent Of this gentleman was a
harbipgsr Of much good, since the
wholesale swindle Of his illustrious
predecessor -- Edwards, and our
people gladly accepted his remedial
promises of compiling full, complete
ndbcorrect directory Of the city.
here was need of a new departure, .
our community had been hum
lgged long enough and demanded a
rrect and reliable Directory. The
issue of Shole's carefully re-
ed" work is now before the public
las speedily decorating the desks of
! sr.ayst Of our larger business houses.
a We have nothad time to dissect and
Analyze this last grand work of the
/tllustriQuS compiler, but limited
4 survey of its pages develops many
egregious errors, aud more careful
scrutiny would doubtless reveal pro-
pOrtionately as many more. 1t is not
our province to deal unjustly with any
one, but when we see our whole city
being thus deluded by such clap
trap contriyance as this re-
cent republished Directory of
1878, we feel most right
eOus indignation toward the shrewd
adventurer who, with his oily gam
mon and cheeky assurance, thus in
ficts the fraud There is an old
French proyerb which says Truth
does not so much good in the world as
its appearances do evil" We have
abundant experience to demonstrate
this theory. We are always surround
ed by specimens of humanity who,
from constant indulgence in their
irregularities, assume gradually the
role of deceit and Hypocrisy FROM
HABIT, and in the solitude of their
own hearts stand acquitted of all dis
honor This we are inclined to believe
Of Mr. Sholes, who has so repeatedly
and easily palmed off his spurious
directories upon an unsuspecting pub
lie until he realizes divine right to
get up what he chooses, dictate his
own terms and demand implicit obedi-
ence. Besides mistakes as to loca-
tions, and the republishing of names
long since dead, there is a vile species
Of humOr and malicious enmity
prevailing his list, which betokcns
nature Of the meanest type.
Z A malignant feature, which occasion
ally stands out in protuberant charac
ters on the pages of his book, is a
gangrenous spleen, which he associates
with the name of some delinquent
debtor, or vents upon some one who
has aroused his dislike-such expires
sions as information refused, in
formation discourteously refused, 3"
bill for city directory unpaid, ac
count for sale cheap" refuses all
information" evidently ashamed of
his place of residence" " etc., are fire.
quently seen attached to the obnoxi-
GUS name. In addition to these arc
numerous discourteouS, barbaric terms
hinged on to names, such as "Sad-eye,
scout of the Big Hatchie, "Moccasin
Bill, sachem of the JawgiIlejaws,'
"Wigwam on Bear creek" Little
man-with-a-big-gun, The bird trail
er, "Shacknasty Jim, the dreamer, +"
and numerous other outlandish, rude,
unpublished expressions. Such mean
ingless wit would find more congenial
place in comic almanac or some such
medium as the Chicago Street Gazette.
Indeed, it shows familiarity with
dirty, repulsive literature of the order
OF dime novels, ETC., or else per-
haps the author may have made
tour on the back of some
ranting buffalo through the wilds of
the West and now drags from their
quiet wigwams the names of his many
illustraOus acquaintance. All such
things are quite witty, but the untir-
ing and wondrous genius of the com
pller seems lacking in the quality of
application and his witticisms (no
doubt the result of many hours of
eeasless labor, come to us more as a
reminder of our schoOlboy days than
the expressions of a business man.
Let Mr.. Sholes take a lesson from
these suggestions and not require us to
publish the list of errors and faults of
his late work, which have been handed
us by friends as well as fallen under
our own observation. Let him re-
member and lay to heart the truth of
the old adage while he seeks other
fields of labor: THE reputation Of a
man is like his shadow-it sometimes
follows and it sometimes procedes
him.
sFTTI rNrpur M, 1,,,, On,