Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-06-02
me Troubles OF q Poet.


While Col. Bangs, editor Of the AR
gus, was sitting in his Office one day,
man, whose brow was clothed viii
thunder, entered. Fiercsly seizing
chair, he slammed his hat on the ia,
BILE, hurled his umbrella on the floor
and sat down.
Are you the editor2" he asked.
"Yes."
Can you read writing?'
"0f course"
Read that, then" he said, thrust.
ing at the Colonel an envelope with
an inscription upon it.
b" said the Colonel, trying tc
spell it. i,
"That's not a B. It's an s." said
the man.
IS. Oh, yes, l see! Well, the
words look a little like Salt forlDin.
ner, or Souls for Sinners" said the
Colonel.
mo, sir" replied the man, moth
ing of the kind That's my name
Samuel q. Drummer. l called to see
about that poem of mine you printed
the other day, on the 'Surcease Of
Sorrow"
Il don't remember it," said the
Colonel.
"Of course you don't, because it
went into the paper under the in
famous title of 'Smearcase To-mOr.
row."
"A stupid bluuder Of the compost.
tors, | suppose
"Yes, sir; that's what | want to see
you about. The way in which that
poem was mutilated was simply scan.
dalous. | have not slept a night since
1t exposed me to derision. People
think | am an ass. Let me show
you"
go ahead" said the Colonel.
1.-THE first line, when | wrote it
read in this way:
Lying by a weeping willow, underneath 9
gentle slope
THAT is beautiful, poetic, affecting.
Now, how did your vile sheet present
it to the publicP Look at it Made
it read this way:
'Lyins by a weeping widow to induce her to
elope.'
Weeping widow, mind you'll A
widow Oh, thunder and lightning
This is too much It's enough to
drive a man crawl ~
I'm sorry" said the Colonel,
but
"But look ahead at the fourth
verse;" said the poet that's worse
yet. What | said was
Cast thy pearls before the swine, and lose
them IN the dirt
l wrote that out clearly and dis
%tinctly, in a plain round hand. Now
what does your compositor do? Does
be catch that beautiful sentiment?
Does it sink into his soul. He set it
upi in this fashion: Listen
Cart thy pills before sunrite and love them
If tn y hurt,
Now, isn't that a cold blooded out.
rage on a mans feeling? I'll leave il
to you if it isn't.
"It's hard, that's a fact" said the
Colonel.
And then take the fifth verse. In
the original manuscript it said plain
as daylight
Take away the j~inRliRg money, it is onl!
glittering drOss.' =.
A mar with only one eye, and acat
aract wei that, could have read th,
words correctly. But your pirate VI
stairs there, do you know what he did
He made it read
Take away Thy jeeriug monkeys on a sorel
Glandered boss.
by George, l felt like Draining
him with a Gre shovel l was neve
so cut up 10 all my life"
1T was natural, too" said tn
Colonel.
There, for instance was the sixth
verse. | wrote:
am weary Of the tossing Of the ocean as
h%eaVes.'
1t is a lovely liue, too, but imagine m
horror AID the anguish of my famil
when | opened your paper and founl
the lines transformed into
I am wearing out my trousers till they'r
open at the knees
That is a little to much That seem
to me like carrying the thing an inc
or two too far. | think | have a cor
stitutional right to murder that CON
positor. D~on'tyou?"
II think you have"
Where is he?"
"He is out just now" said the Cole
mel Come in to morrow"
Il will" said the poet, 'and | wi
come armed"
Then he put on his hat, shoulders
his umbrella and drifted of dow
stairs.
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