Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-24
s0E mULHATFOS, D. Z,
The Scientific Yarns He has
Spun.
Courisr-Journal, q.

1uo newspaper press uhb AOOcubll
contained the record of an immense
meteor, which, falling upon the
humble Texan home Of a Mexican
rancher, crushed it to atoms, killing
and burying the entire family. The
meter is represented as burying it
self two hundred feet IN the earth,
towering seventy feet above its sur
face and covering an acre of ground,
which is doing very well as meteors
60. 1t is Fnot to the credit Of dis.
corning telegraph and managing edi-
tors that this piece of fiction should
have been permitted to attain the pre-
eminence of double~leaded matter
with the accompanying adjunct of dis
played headlines.
The author of the story is Joseph
Mulhatton, a young Scotch Irishman,
formerly of Louisville, now of Calves
ton, Texas. AS romsncer, he culti-
Yates field entirely his own, aud as
an aehaic discoverer he has few if any
rivals in the field of scientific imagi-
nation. For several years he has
periodically surprised the country
with his descriptions of encounters
which never took place, of caves which
do not exist, and the mummi6ed re-
mains of people who never lived. His
first published romance was that Of
the terrific encounter of a drummer,
of which gentle craft he is one, with
fierce robbers on Big Clifty bridge, on
the @. and D. and S.W. railroad. The
valiant traveller promptly slew one OF
his assailants, and, with superhuman
efforts, threw the other to the bottom
of the abyss. which yawned 200 feet
below. Singularly enough, the robber
arose slowly to his feet and painfully
limped away. A Cincinnati sheet
published this stuff, an enterprising
reporter for then existing Louisville
evening paper rehashed it and it was
reproduced to the dismay of the man.
aging editor, who was temporarily alb
sent, and who has not yet heard the
last of it.
Thea strange new cave was dis
covered in Barren county contain,
ing numerous mummifed specimens
of former race differing from any
ever known to have inhabited this or
any other country. These were de-
scribed with minuteness of detail cal
culated to deceive and which did
deceive thousands. The most wide
spread publicity was given to the
discovery, and for months inquiries
poured in from learned scientific
bodies, both American and foreign,
and the staid old farmers in the Vi
cinity of the alleged cave were daily
surprised by the arrival Of wondering
tourists, anxious to be guided to this
newer wonder which as far surpassed
the Mammoth Cave as does that great
marvel the ground squirrels burrow.
This was followed in rapid success,
sion by startling incidents of travel,
daring midnight burglaries and an
occasional wandering again into the
fruitful fields of caveology,if the term
is permissible, and the press contip
ued to publish the marvellous stories
in good faith.
Interviewed by one of his earliest
journalistic victims, Mulhatton said
II am not a mere vulgar liar.
am a romancist. differing only in the
matter of form and substance from
the novelists whom the world reads
and admires. They cultivate the field
Of love and chivalry. My mind turns
toward science, and if my imagination
sees what is hidden from you, why call
me falsifer if | give my thoughts
tangible shape and substance2 You
publish romantic episodes born Of
Imagination every day-why not minei
| have never written word that could
injure any one, nor will l. 1t is toe
bad that the world should rudely call
me liar when l am but an UMPIRE
tending romancist of a school proba>
bly, all my own"
While saying this the bright eyes Of
the really clever genius saddened as il
he really did not know that he wa.
perpetrating a joke on his hapless
auditor, while he proved the truth Of
the assertion he made.
A few months since Mulhatton pub
lished handful announcing his de.
parture to Texas, made the rounds Of
the newspaper Offices, timidly laid a
pleasant little gift on the desk of more
than one favorite, promised to respect
the high character of the paper fol
truth and uprightness by sending il
nothing but truthful narratives in the
future, and with tremor in the happy
voice, said good bye" to each one and
WaS gone.
That was several months ago: and
not until the giant meteor fell was j OF
Mulhatton more than pleasant mem.
DRY to the newspaper Offices. Nc
sooner had his latter romance appear.
ed than each one in his cid home
recognizing the evidences of his pecu,
liar genius, gave full credit to the re,
markable young author.
Joe Mulhatton is not bad fellow
he is just the reverse. He is an active
energetic, upright business man, and
valuable to the house which com,
mands his services. He is gentle in
manner, generous to q fault, and 70,
nance he never so largely in hi
chosen field, bis word, seriously given
may be implicitly relied upon. Though
the press is uniformly his victim, ht
has an honest liking for newspaper
men and is often about them. The
world has thousands Of men who
would tell dozen falsehoods to carr
penny, while Joe Mulhatton would
scOrn the thought of gaining thou
sands other than honest means.