The Greenville times., 1883-01-06
FmlOug's Fortune.
To the Editors of the Appeal;

sue OF your lOurnal calls 10 mlhu Il /
remarkable man Ofa most remark |
able class, Of whom it may be aptly |
said, "they are gone but not for
gotten.n | allude to Charles +.
Furlong, some time sheriff and
state senator of Warren county,
Miss. FurlOng either came to
Mississippi as a soldier in Grants
army, or drifted thither with the
grand army of adyenturers who
followed so close upon the march
of the conquering legions. The
writer hereof first saw him at the
first session of first reconstructed
Legislature. He was standing
among a groupe composed of
Webster, James Lynch, colored,
Warner and others, and even
among them was noticeable for the
brazen effrontery of his appear
ance and the arrogance of his de-
pertinent. He was then by ap-
pointment of the satrap, sheriff of
Warren county-the most p0pu.
lous and wealthy in the State, and
consequently he enjoyed the rich
est pickings of any of that rap
torious flock that gathered to fat
ten on the PROSTATE common.
wealth. He traded largely in State
and county warrants-then greatly
Approximations cash that he had
collected for taxes. He also was
a member ofthe 'courthopse ring
that did a big business IN straw
bonds, the purchase of delinquent
tax lands and other crooked prac.
tices-so that by the time his term
of office expired he was generally
considered as "big rich.n Failing
to receive the nomination for an.
other term as sheriff-which was
given by the negroes to the noto.
rious Peter Crosby-Furlong
made a sudden flop and came out
as a candidate for State senator ON
a fusion or Democratic ticket, and
was elected. He signalized his
appearance in the Senate by a
spread-cagle speech in favor of re.
form, purity in Office and so forth,
and was soon looked upon by his
former pals as Democrat of the
Democrats-though he was never
honored or trusted by the leaders
of that party, who were willing tc
use him, but no more. lie next
made q tour of Europe, and wrote
back TO the local press reports OF
the fayors and recognition he was
receiving from kings and queens
emperors and empresses, ever
visiting or pretending to visit
the Czar-describing the trap
pings of royalty and aud the in
sigma of grandees with a gustc
only possible to born snob. Thil
episode in his career caused OLE
Ben Cameron, a venerable color
cd farmer near Davis Bend, ant
black as the proverbial ace withal
to feel much eIated, for, said "Un
Gle Ben" "When Cunnel Fur
longwar 'lectioneerin' fur offs, HI
slep long o. my chillin in de leetl'
shed.room, and sence den he'I
hoped up so high dat hyar HI
are actually sleepin' now in palaceI
wild de Queen o. Russia and d,
Gar o. Great Britain, an Bech
l tell yer, gen-tel-men, old Ben gil
to feel hissef Somebody Fur
long was next known as vice.presi
dent of the Mississippi Vale.
Bank of Viclsburg, a private in
stitution of great reputed wealtl
. ann stability, so be must hav
, struck it " fat nsure enough | d
/ not know whether he still is o
claims to be n citizen of Missisf
, ippi, as have not heard of him 70
+ some time. Notice in the Ne,
! York papers of one Charles J
4 Furlong, who had over reache
0 his partner in a banking transa,
ton by forcible seizure or destru,
| ton of a check for $4,000, and tn
!. report of the breach -of-promis
{ and seduction suit brought agains
!. him in New York is the latest al
4 pearance of this carpet.bag Jer'
0 my Didler. AS he is stated to hav
0 shown the young lady 10000 |
0 gold, he must still be "on top" {
0 Fortunes wheel, herein differin
e from the more modest and scrup,
4 lous and many far abler men of th
b grand fraternity of grip-sacker
Y who came South to usurp the plan
J, ers broad domain, overthrow h
ideas, and reconstruct his instltl
tions. 1t was grand symposiu
d while 1t lasted, but the end cam
i and the revelers are scattered
x driven by the uprising of an il
a dignant people back to their won
o ed obscurity, whence, ever an
d anon, one emerges through d