Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-10-22
compete with me, so do not think II
egotistical to consider myself

compete with me, so | do not think 10
egotistical to consider myself
THE CHAMPION LIAR
in America. / laid Tom Ochtltree out
in Texas (Ochiltree himself threw up
the sponge), and II i had stayed there
a little longer they would have sent
me to congress in his place. Sent him
because he was the biggest liar Ia the
world but my meteor story beat
anything he ever did-floored him
and they wanted to send me-send
me TO congress you know. Oh, yes,
always locate my stories, locate them,
but they can never injure communi-
ty, or Observation-Disclosures newspaper
novels, especially adapted to this
touoh-and-go newspaper-reading age"
The story that was so disastrous TO
Mr.. Ochiltree's reputation was told
while Mr.. Mulhattan was living in
Texas. 10 was to the effect that great
meteor had fallen, crushing houses,
people, cattle aud trees; that it was
imbedded in the earth two hundred
feet and projected for seventy feet
above the surface, and that 1t was red
hot and steaming with sui
first published in the Fort Worth
GAZETTE, which was, of course, taken
into Mr.. Mulhattan's confidence.
The Associated Press agent at Dallas
saw THE GAZETTE and was taken in
by the story. He tele2raphed 1t to the
main office and thence it was dis
tributed all over the United States and
TO Europe. 1t was the wonder Of "A
day, and then the sell was made
known. But the morning after its
publication THE GAZETTE received III
kilograms inquirlng about the occur
renee, several of them coming from
Europe The paper continued to re-
ceive letters about the affair for
months. They poured ia by the
bushel.
The next great story was the Texas
skeleton story. It was blood
curdling narrative about five skeletons
that were found in carriage In a
lonely place on the plains. The sensa-
tional Eastern weeklies illustrated the
pictures. Two stories published with
IN month or two are less tragic, but
NOT LBSS MARVELLOUS.
They tell of great subterranean bodies
OF water. One was about hidden
river that was found TO be flowing be-
neash birmingham, Ala. 1t was ex-
plored for miles, and was found to
be making for the sea. Beneath
Leitchtie d. Ky, was found n great
sea. Its discovery was made by ex-
ploring cave, 100 feet deep. The
sea was found to be iull of icehergs,
and eyeless sharks and whales and
other marine monsters were discov-
cred. This story is still going the
rounds of the papers. Caves full of
mummies, of Masonic emblems, and OF
81 4, Got
quently been discovered by Mr.. Null
haitian.
What this able liar calls his "great
national joken caused quite a coil i'm
1876. He proposed W remove the
bodies of Washington and Lincoln to
the centennial exhibition, and expose
them to view At 80 cents head.
With the money that should be
thus obtained he proposed to complete
the Washington monument. Many of
the newspapers Of the country dis
cussed the question seriously senti-
ment was divided in favor of and
against the plan and great was the
strife that ensued. Meanwhile the
wicked joker looked on and laughed.
AT another time he set a story siloat
that John Wilkes Booth had been seen
alive in several places. This caused
great excitement. Mr.. Mulhattau's
earliest attempt was made in the Pitts
| burg Leader. 1t described an Aus
tTalian marriage, and the wealth
that must have been expended
on the ceremony would almost
have paid the national debt. The
brides dress was covered with dla-
mouds of phenomenal size. The
streets were curpeted with flowers, the
presents were OF phenomenal richness.
In short, it was a fairy story, located
in Australia. In those days the great
| prevaricator' nom de plume was
"Orange Blossom but this name be-
came so familiar he had to abandon it.
Joe's lies are all OF an impersonal,
harmless nature, so chat the Republi-
can candidate for president need not
fear that Mulhattan will encroach on
his own particular field. Joe lies for
fun and not for profit, and his pro-
pensity in this direction should not
cause him the loss of any votes he
| would otherwise obtain.