Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-02-14

Caucasian. His next venture was at
Kansas, where he ran
'aper called the Express. for short
ime. Then he ran paper caiied the =,
Telegram al Fort Scott and then start
ID new daily at Topeka, Kansas. +;
Mug" had now made reputation
econd to none, rs a writer ana was :
'ffered several different positions on i,
journals. He saw proper ;
hough to accept the place Of local ed !
tor of the Dallas, Texas, Herald,
,ut firing of that returned to Mis-
ouri, and took editorial charge Of the
3aZuo. He then .vibrated between
ne Democrat aud BaZoO for some
line when he tried another now ven-
.ure, and with the fellow-newspaper
nan of this city started the Signal,
" hich had short but brilliant career,
and expired, aud he again divided his
time between the two dailies of this
city. On several occasions be became
with Sedalia and made
what he termed typographical tours.
ALWAYS finding q. ready situation
wherever he went. His last tour
was made to Denison where he edited
the Herald, but his stay there was
|
again upon the Democrat where he
remained to the day he was taken to |
his bed. |
Wherever he went he made friends,
staunch friends, and won admirers.
He was ever ready to divide his last
cent with friend, and has been
known OH more than one occasion to
pull the clothes off his back and give
them to some unfortunate friend
whom he thought needed them more
than he did. 1t can be truly said he
never went back on a friend Of his
profession.
"Mug," as he was familiarly called,
was many sided man, both in his
private and public or Journalistic
life. He was generous to fault.
ANY tale of sorrow touched his heart
anything that was pltiful made him
like a child. He came many a time
to his last dollar, but never to his
last effort TO help the helpless-his
last true, strong word III behalf OF
misfortune or affiiction. One would
be very apt to judge from much that
was roliicking in'his style that his
flow of animal spirits was immense,
and that in any sort of weather, no
matter how stormy or gloomy, he
saw always somewhere about the sky
blue rift from which the sun shOne
down and through. 1t was exactly
the reverse. He was singularly sad,
brooding, and introspective man. He
loved nature, aud to commune with
that nature. He liked to be alone.
He had his moods of absolute de-
preston. He would go for hours
without saying word, and even af-
ter the shadow had lifted, and when
he Was back again into the full tide
of light and life, he never was the
boisterous, ,frolicsome, e,devil-may-care
thor, the funniest of his compost
tions seemed to indicate.
AS writer,he wrote with remark
able ease aud rapidity. His sense of
the ridiculous was very keen, and
grotesque things became absolutely
pictures under his skillful touch. An
abounding pathos also belonged to
him by right of his western youth
and western rearing. Made to see
the world face to face at that age
when all the aspirations of the soul
were putting out like so many ten
drills OF vine to teel for the sturdy
things about them, he early learned
| reticeuce and coOiuess from school
which either dwarfs or expands,
orusircs oT 1fTIs up, makes sayages @
merciful men-the hard, bitter, un.
plying, unfeeliug school of expert.
ence. He bore himself there as
though he knew the precious human
that was in, and never once i'll all hi:
varied and stirring history did he
ever do a deed that was not kindly
generous, or ever speak q word O.
friend or foe that was not just to all
and boldly just.
Furthermore, lie was genial wr1
ter. There was not one single emo
ton of bitterness i'll his whole ia
ture. When he cut he healed, an<
when he penetrated the sting had ;
sort of balm about it. A thorough
+, porter, he knew the news item per
fectly, and had the somewhat uncom
mon power of combining, condens
ing, presenting the salient points
and making All article graphic all 4
the same time. lie also wrote tersel,
on political subjects, and beautifully
OH literary ones. In short, he Wa
All accomplished newspaper man, an
did much finished and delightful
work i'll his eventful lifetime.
lie will never do any more. Tru
friend, stauncb comrade, generou
companion, capable printer, worth
citizen, accomplished journalist, ,tber
is rest for you over beyond the river
1t is not all of life to live, nor all {
death to die. The good that men d
here get them many happy thing
hereafter. There is no fear of Mug
: there need be none. AS he was mel
! citul on this earth. SO will he receiv
z mercy; and as he was good, all
! noble, and true when he lived, so no
l that he is dead Will he rest foreve
Y more at perfect peace under the shad
e of the trees.
/, Mr.. Mugford leaves wife an
three sons, Edward, who is manage
= of the Missouri Pacific telegraph 0
S flee at Leayenworth, William who
S also located i'll Leavenworth, all
= Albert an attendant of one Of OF
- city schools. He also leaves an age
e father and mother and married 81
II ter in ST. Louis.
s From the Sedalia Democrat Feb. 6.]
Il The last sad offices to the de,
journalist, VIM. Ill. Mugford, we
performed yesterday, aud the occ
i sion Is one long t. be remembered
8 the people of Sedalia. at half-pa
e nine O'Clock, pursuant to previo
IS understanding,th the printers and new
l. paper men generally OF SetaIia III
l. at the Democrat office, and after a
ranging all tie little preliminarit
formed Ill front of the Office, al
headed by the Stdalia Silver Corn
Band, marched t. the late reslden
in of deceased, on Fifth street, where
J.; large number of relatives and frlen
rg Of the deceased had already asset
OF bled. The remains were wing III
trout room, on the ground floor, III
handsome walnut coffin, mount
with silver. "A wreath of inmortel
occupied position OH the lid of t
coffin, and AN claborately wroug
silver plate bore the appropriate
scrlption "Rest in Peace
The co-laborers and associates
the dead journalist filed into t
room and took one long, lingeri
look at the familiar features whi
were peculiarly life-like.
AT half-past 10 every room "
uiled to Its utmost capacity, aud
Rev. A. j. Van Wagner offer ul
snort but earnest and feeling pray
after which the remains Were plac
IN the hearse and the proCcssi
formed and proceeded to the Cong
gatlonal church, where the casl
was horne by the pail bearers il
the church and placed in the chanC
when the large room soon filled CO