Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-18
THE BOOMER.
From Cradle to Grave in Twenty
Six Days.
Death OF a Brave Little Soldier
Who Came $40 Fin a Long
Felt Want"

keep the affair a dead secret from the
public, or at least SO much so that
only the knowing ones could give an
anxious inqpirer any information upon
the subject. The reporter who writes
up all the dark and bloody mysteries
for this journal resolved himself into a
committe of one and determined to
find out if possible what foundations
there was fer these reports. For some
days the search was unsuccessful.
Laying out a plan of operations it was
followed up with something like the
following result
DO you take the Sentinel?'' was
auxiously inquired of a Front Row
man,
"SirP"
DO you take the Sentinel
Sentinel, Sentinel" the solid citi-
zen repeated meditatively. What is
that"
THE new evening paper"
"0b, | thoughtit was some king OF
new liver medicine, or pills, or some
thing. No, l don't take it..
Got the Sentinel here 2" the report
err asked Of a we'll known saloon man.
Eyes, sir You can get any kind of
a mixed drink known to the profession.
But l guess I'll have to think awhile
before I remember exactly whether
you make it hot or cold. Something
brand new, amt it ?"
Its not a drink at all; it is a news
paper"
"0h, a newspaper is, it? Well, you
will find it on the table there. We
take two copies of all the papers"
But it was not to be found on the
table, and after visiting half a hun
dred or more other places without
having learned anything of the jour
nalistic stranger the reporter took a
short cut, by way Of a back alley,
toward his den. After half a dozen
steps he came suddenly upon a figure
crouchlng behind an empty barrel in
the real of a produce store engaged in
reading. Within the twinkling of,an.
eye he had folded the paper up and
was about to cram it into his pocket,
when the searcher after facts grasped
his arm, and before the silent reader
could recover from his surprise
had snatched tie paper aud spread
it open. AT last, THE Sentinel" in
big letters Jared at the top Of a six
column folio. The editorial column
was hurriedly scanned for an express
sion which was sure to be there. 1t
was found with very little trouble.
That same expression has appeared in
the salutatorics of sixteen other after
noon rapers which have visited this
city from time to time, and was in this
one, too, of course. The Sentinel
announced that it had appeared TO
fill a long felt want" yet, after
scanning the paper over, it was hard
to determine whether it was meant
by that expression to advertise a new
fashioned ulster made offelt and very
long,or that tAe public wanted another
afternoon journal. The public, il
seems, have decided against the latter
construction so far as the Sentinel
Is concerned, but Of that further on.
Referring to the local column, the
first sentence that met the eye was
the rather startling statement that
1.-THE Sentinel boom still continues
A little further on and "There is No
use talking, the Sentinel continues to
booml" Think oft, actually boom
ingl How deaf the public must bel
"Where did you get this ?" was
asked Of the man who had been read
ing the paper.
"Boy left it at nv house"
"When ?"
after dark last night"
evil he leave one tonight ?"
Suppose So"
"Well, ifyou'll let me have a copy
occasionally when you get through
with it, I'll be under obligations to
you, and III promise not to let any
body know you take it."
"All right"
In this way the inside facts about
this dark and bloody mystery were
discovered. The chosen few
who perused the columns of the
Sentinel no doubt naturally expected
a crash when there was such a boom
ing boom, and they were not disap.
pointed. There was a crash yester-
day morning, and it was not such q
terrible explosion after all. The
building, in the garrett of which The
Sentinel, or one side Of it, was set up
is still intact The adjacent house,
are not pcrceptibly shaken and tn,
bottom did not drop out OF the river
The foundation Of the new Custom
house was not shattered and n,
window glass was broken.
A sudden stoppage, then a Sigh.
sound like the splash Of an apple pee
in a slop bucket, and all was owe,
The ripples Of excitement did no
extend very farandsoon subsidized, an,
it was "sorter s~uddenlike, too.
The Sentinel reporter was busy as
bee at the Police Court all the morn
ing getting down the speeches Of tn.