The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-02-28
A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH,
OF an Early and Noted MississiDni
Journalist,
WHICH WAS OVERLOOKED BY COL,
CLAIBORNE.
CHAPTER |

IN broke down at it, and hence it becom
IL, necessary for us to prepare a parti
'u sketch of his early life and caree
! we approach this task cheerfully, fl
we recognize in the Veteran an inte
IL estlng, phase of primeval Journalist
Il in this country, and there are sever,
le episodes which have, from time I
10 time, connected themselves with hir
that will make good antiquarian reat
, ing now.
~ We have not been able after tn
most dilligent research to ascertai
exactly. when or where or how tn
+ Veteran was born, or, in fact, whethe
he was ever born at ALL There il
good reason, however, for the conclu
sion that he was born, and that he il
a native of America, but the fact
n cannot be absolutely established OF
, account Of the traditionary confusion
and the absence of literary chronicles
at the period of Columbus's visit tc
America, an enterprise which at the
time met with the Veterans pro-
nounced opposition.
The first positive knowledge that
we have of the Veteran was the con-
spicuous part he played in the expedi-
ton of DeSoto. At that time he was
the editor of the Pioneer Exoduster,
at Florida Keys, and took strong
ground against the Spanish move
ment. He contended, with his char
acteristic force and individuality, that
any attempt to penetrate the interior
would result disastrouslY, and only
bring the exodusters to the jumping
off place. The fernando DE Soto
dream of finding the Fountain of Per-
petual Youth, was to him, a wild out
cropping of the extravagant philoso-
ply of Munchausen, and he never be-
lieved in it nor countenanced it in his
paper. On the contrary, he opened
the batteries of the EXoduster against
the scheme, and poured out broad
side of antagonistic philosophy to dis
prove the existence of the Fountain,
and canister of editorial paragraphs
all tending to destroy the faith of De
Soto's army in the success of his cam
paign, and thus superinducing dissat-
isfaction and decentralization. So hot |
did he make the EXoduster Oh this |
question of rejuvenating science, that |
Senor Carlos Jose, De Sot6's historian
and right hand end man, character
lied him as a reckless disorganizer,
whereupon the Veteran came back at
the historian with double-leaded
column of fierce invective, and inn
paled him as an adventurous and ire
sponsible carpet-bagger. This was
too much for Castilian blood to toler-
ate, and Senor Jose called caucus
of his comrades in arms to decide
what course to take. to squelch the
EXoduster and hamstring the Veteran.
The result of this caucus was the
conclusion that the Code
Of Honor demanded that Senor Jose
should challenge the Veteran tomortal
combat on the fed Of honor.
"That," said Dom Pedro, Esq, a
BOSOM friend of Mr.. Jose, twill bring
Jhe ink-sliuger to his milk. 1t will
make him take water, and back square
lown from his absurd position OH the
Fountain of Perpetual Youth"
"But," observed Maj. Jose, "sup-.
,ose this unscrupulous stirer up of
trife, and opposer of the Fountain
lon't take water and back down!
There's che rub. If challenge him'
md he meets me I've got to fight him
md that's the Identical thing I'm not
Ifter. I don't want to come all the way
rom Madrid to this wild country to be
hot down by mere dissenter to the !
ublime doctrine of Perpetual Youth" !
No danger Of being shot, " return =
d Major Pedee, f'you never knew one ,
hese fellows who run a growing :
ewspaper who would fight. You chal- .
enge Col. Alexis Honeris,* and my y
ead upon it he will never come upon
he field, or if he does, he will be sure
D run before the fire opensl'
" Pm not so certain about that" .
aid Jose with manifest discontinue,
but I'll challenge him anyhow, and Z
It him know that he can't assail the a
Fountain with impunity. "
IL teach him to behave himself, and :
now him how to restrain his ill-timed n
nd yenomous animadversiOns upon a
he grandest enterprise of the age. I'll >
I've him to understand that his time Ii
rs come-I'll suppress his diabolical l'
leet, and I'll send him to Helena, u
rk. !-pn"-and the valiant Span IL
rd was working himself into pas :,
on according to the principles of the = =
ian who whistles i'm a grave yard.
As this was the first duel ever fought al
, American soil, we are convinced =
iat the Anglo-SaxOn public will - =,
Iank us for subjoining here the un- = =
letter of Maj. Jose, of Mad =
4, giving a detailed description of the ~
,stile encounter The letter is adj
'essed to Leftensnt SancO Merengo, el
no was one of the courtiers of Queen a'
abella's intimate and trusted house ga
I'D. The circumstances detailed i'm b'
hi
The Veteran Is here referred to as "COl. Alexis ,
morris - which might lead the untutored reader ID
o the belief that be traced his lineage to Jackson
rner Esq, the youthful pfodgy who by the o.
"A a christmas pie, contributed largely 10 the SC
FINAL success Of Mother GnOse; but there Is no -,
ihority for this version. There can be no doubt III
mi me personal identity of the Veteran in this 10,
,nectiou notwithstanding the nisspelling Of the ~
me- All history corroborates It. There vas bat to
! Cen Alexander the Great; here is hut one
t1eek Horn. 81