The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-03-08
MILAN EXCHANGE
SATURDAY. MARCH s, 1884.
THE ARKANSAW TRAVELLER.

1t is not known to many of our
readers that the world-famous hui
merist, Opie Read, editor of the Ar
kansaw Traveller, spent night in Mi
Ian in June, 1876, when he Matched
hi, first literary egg. BY reference
to an old register of poor peripatetic
printers which we kept in those days,
we find on June 10, of that year, the
name of o. p. Read, Nashville,
Tenn. He was accompanied by Ed.
Dillon, of Columbia. 1t seems that
they took lodging for the night in the
old court room ever Jordan's drug
store, which was burned since. We
are glad to know that quite large
number of copies of his paper are
sold here each week. Referring to
his experience here, he publishes the
following. Sometime since the
Cleveland (Ohio) Sentinel pubs
lished a story to the effect
that Read, while tramping from
Louisville to Memphis, took lodging
in little Tennessee Jail, and while
there wrote an article and sent it to
the New York Ledger for which he
received SIS. Read copies the state,
ment in his paper and adds the fol.
lowing.
"There are times, though perhaps
not often, when a straightforward at
tempt at truth will serve quite as well
as The most determined wobble III
the opposite direction. The weary
man i'll question, thanks to an up
Brightness of purpose and excellent 10
cOmotiOn, was never i'll Jail. he ha
attended festivals and borrowed mon-
ey to pay blooming young ladies for
less blooming flowers, but he was
never in jail-only, to catch the few
last words of a condemned wretch, OF
to ask some friend, recently removed
from society, why he stole the horse.
The Sentinel man must learn to pick
the few gr ins of fact from bushel
of chat. the story which the above
quoted writer o doubt honestly att
tempted t. relate, was that of a
young man who strolled from Nash
Vile in the direction of Memphis.
Ouly few invitations to dinner were
extended to him, and one night,
while lying in a police court room at
Milan, Tenn, he accidentally found
piece of candle. Then he went
around the dark room feeling for a
match. Strangely enough he found
one. He wrote an article on the
leaves of an old note book, borrowed
stamp next morning, and sent the
tangled network of hungry thoughts
to New York paper, requesting, in
case the article was accepted, that II
check be Immediately forwarded to
some town far ahead, which he would
reach in due time. Arriving at the
town, after walk of more eIertion
than pleasure, he called at the post
office and asked: "Any letters here
for me?" The postmaster regarded
him for a moment and replied: 81
don't know" please look" Again
he regarded the enquirer. "What
doyou take me for?" GA postmaster,
replied the anxious young man, "Glad
to know it. Thought you took me
for fool" Excuse me. sup
posed that as this is postoffice let
tiers sometimes come here. Kind of
dead letter Office. | presume. "
Gene here, Nath," turning to "A
red ,headed fellow who stood back a
short distance, stutfing egg and mash
ed potato into the widely gaped
mouth of a young mocking.bird.
"Come here and look at this fellow.
whats the matter with him?" ask
ed the young fellow, approaching.
"Why he wants to know if there are
any letters for him, but won't tell
his name" The name was modestly
given, and after looking over a lot OF
letters in a manner of such uncOncern
that the wayfaring man, tho fool,
almost cried aloud in evaporation
the postmaster threw off "A letter as
though it were an everyday occur
renee. The wanderer seized it with
an eagerness which an empty system
knows how to prompt. Eight dot
lars. All, the earth had not entirely
ceased to revolve. Soon afterwards
a rude pine table in cat fish restau.
rant looked as though hungry beal
had raked bis paw across it. This l.
the true story. Let not history be