The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1884-01-15

that carried him up the valley while with him
at Chattanooga. Mr. Murdoch soon found
among his papers the identical letter which
Gen. Sheridan wrote in reply.
II need not tell you how highly it is prized,'
said the veteran, "fOr you will see how care
fully 1t has been kept through all these
years"
'Who Is there who has read this country's
history that does not know James +. Muir
doch-the actor, the reader, the man. 1t Is
he who tells this story and furnishes this
clinching evidence Of the truthful foundation
OF I. buchanan Reads poem. Thousands
who have watched his matchless representa-
ton Of Hamlet, or sat under the spell OF his
dramatic readings, will be glad to know that,
although he is passing I3, he Is still in excel
lent health and spirits. He is II tall, robust
man, with a clean shaver face that shows the
broad, distinct lines OF his strong countenance
TO the best advantage. His wealth Of iron
gray hair and his general carriage combin
10 make him n very striking character.
Although an old man when the war was
going on, he spent a great deal of time with
the army in connection with the sanitary
commission and In the hospitals. de was u
fnvorite at the headquarters Of many gen
erals. and witnessed a great deal Of the inner
features VI army life.
TIE POEM SUGGESTED.
1.-THE story Of Sheridanis ride, above written,
was bnt n titbe Of tba good tbiugs he told
me. The recital OF this matter naturally led
up 10 all the incidents connected with it.
81 was not with Sheridan he said, cat
this time, Lut WINS AZ the beadouaTters OF
the army of the Cumberland. soon after
tho h,t,ia az Cad,r Cr.eL CANA ma n, cin.
cinnatj and was visiting Mr. Gyms Gurr,tt
whom we called old CvclopS, He was n
Rncbanon Read,s b~rotb,rin'Iaw and Win
him the noat made hi home The Iadi,s az
| Cincinnati had arranged 10 give me a recep-
tion th,t finally t,irn.d into an ovation
had given n great many readings
To raise funds 10 assist rheir
| Soldiers Aid society and they were
poin0 To pr.s,nt me with n AK
ia0 Pike,s ,onera hons. hal been sacu,,.d
| tho harvest Mac, az amusemant in the civ
and thsv had made every arrsnge,nent 10
bnve the recention a very dramotic evant
The morring ~ tho d,v 1, ,vos 70 taLa nlare
Read and / 3yera a. usnoI toLing onr hreak.
fagt Iate w. had inst Gnished Inf ynra
sill sitting AT the tohie cbotting Mr. DIR
rett. the brotberin-layy who WASH bnsinass
man and plided by business habits. came in
while we were thus lDunpinp. He wore AN
mir of impatience and cnrried a noner In his
hand. He walked directly up to Bead. IN
fold,1 a conv of Hnrner's Iyaallv and hslJ i,
IN In M ma man IL la III tA1 as hAF Ia
nnet and neinter.
..Tbe wbols front of III. nonsr u,s cov.rs1
with , striking picti,rs renrasentino sheridan
seated ON his black horse iust emerging from
acloud of dust TINT rolled mn from tbs bigb-
yynv AS be dashed alone folIowet nv n Jaw
troopers
Z. There, said Mr. Garrett addressing
Rrnd zee whnt Won have missed Yon
ought to have drawn thai pictur. your,elf
and gotten the credit of IL. ii is inst in yom,
line The first thing you know someLodv
will write a poem on that event, and then
you will he beaten all around
Read looked Mt the picture rather quizzi
cnlly, a look which | interrupted by saying:
Oh Cyclops Is right, Read, tue subject and
the circumstance are worth a poem
oh, no, said Read, that theme has been
written to death. There is Paul Revore's
Ride ~"Lochinvar,' Tom Hoods vivid
Stoed of the Plains" and hnlf a dozen other
poems OF like character
"t1lled with tue idea that this was n good
chance for the gifted man, | said: Read, you
are losing IA great opportunity. II | had such
n poem to read at my reception tonight, it
would mako a great hit
"'But, Murdoch, you can't order n poem
as you would a coat | can't write anything
in IA few hours that will do either you or me
my 'hhNfNf 80 'NfpSN hfN oiit ply
81 turned to him and said: Read, two or
or three thousand of the warmest hearts in
Cincinnati will be in Pixies opera house to-
night at that presentation. II will be II very
significant affair. Now, you go and give me
anything in rhyme, and L will give it a de
l%iverance before that splendid audience, and
you can then revise and polish 1t before it
goes into print This view seemed to strike
him favora6ly, and he finally said; "Welll
Well Wen see what can be done, and he
went upstairs 10 his room.
THE POET AT WORK.
"a half hopr Inter Hattie his vifs , brm-
iant woman. who is now residing In Phia-
delphia. came down and said.
..rUe wants +, not of strong ton uo tia
ma 10 cot II fnr him and then be Won IA ii,
tho don. and must nat he disturh.d ,r,lo.-
the house was atire.r
nTi,ne wore ON and in our taIk or o.ha,
matters in the family circle we md aInnost
FORGOTTEN the poet at work un-stairs Dinno.
had been announced md we ,yare about b.
st down when Read came in and becLonsJ
me TO come. When | reached the room he
said;
Murdoch, think have about what you
want lie read II TO me, and with an en-
thusiasm that surprised him, said it is just
the thing.
~ uineu, anu ~ tnc proper time ttehd
ana !, with the family, went to Pixies opera
house. The building was crowded in every
part Cpon the stage were sitting 200
MANNED soldiers, each with an arm or a leg
off. Gen. Joe Hooker was to present me with
the flag the ladies had made. and at the time
appointad we marched down the stage 10.
III ~ ,.1,I.La- - - ~
maru 'hs ,oosnsnts' ven. hooker bearing the
nag, ana WIN my arm IN ms S'lch a storm
OF applause as greeted the appearance, !
never heard before or since. Behind and on
each side Of us were the rows of crippled sol.