Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-10-16
The Champion Bird. Eater.

Coi. John Thirtybirds Wrighte rep
resents in his person an elegant pro-
fnsely illustrated edition of self. made
mankind.
We may 90 step further and add
that he is bound in Morocco, with
gilt edges aud gold clasps. lie is
printed on the finest tinted paper and
illustrated with numerous full-page
steel engravlngs and is sold by sub
scriphon only.
Col. Wrighte was born near the
eastern boundary of the United
States of Trigg County, All indepen-
dent republic lying contiguous to
Christian county OH the west and
which is at present the jumping off
place Of the Indiana. Alabama II
Trigg County Railroad. This vast
and 10 a great extent unexplored re-
gion sends forth many great men 10
make their mark in the broad world
outside, aud while Col. Wrighie can
not boast that he Is "from
North Carolina, near the Virginia
line" he can at least truthfully claim
that he is from the Bainbridge dis
trict near the Trigg county line.
or his early life We are sorry to
say we are totally and painfully ig-
norant. Enough is known, however,
to establish the fact that Col
Wrightc was at the time of his birth,
smaller and even uglIer than he is
now. II is said that his homclincss
was so conspicuous that ms very ug-
illness stopped the old family clock
which had been ticking away for
years on the mantel-piece. But beau-
", at best, is but skin deep, aud Col.
Wrighte should not be censured for
his lack ofpersonal pulclritude.
AT the aye of five years our hero
was accidentally lost while being TAX
en- 10 town TO have his picture taken.
BY some means he succeeded IN get
ting the door Ct his cage open and
escaped without being observed. Alb
solutely nothing is known of his sub
seqnent career for the next ten years.
lie became wild and lived entirely
In the woods, never approaching the
haunts Of men.
lie finally worked his way Into
this vicinity and about ten years ago
a party of small boys, who were eat
ing blacEberries not far from Hop
kinsville, came running home with
ashcn faces and hair standing on end
and reported that they had seen a
wild man in the blackberry patch
and that when he saw them he i'm
mediately ran away and disappeared
IN the woods. The boys were laughed
at, but the nexuday a different party
brought in the same report, aud
great excitement was created. The
boys stated that they had never seen
anything like it, 1t had long hair
that hung down over its shoulders
and keen little black eyes that looked
at them IN frightened way. One
of the bravest of the boys tried to
approach near enough to catch 1t by
putting salt on 1t, but II had sped
away on the wings of the wind as
soon as they approached it. To say
that the city was excited does not
convey the idea. Nothing else was
thought of and talked of, and the
male population turned out the next
day for the purpose of catching the
wild man. The blackberry patch
was surrounded at the hour at which
he was known to take his meal and
there sure enough was the object
they were seeking. The circle
around the patch was gradually
closed up and when at last the wild
manor rather boy attempted to break
through the line he was captured by
Honest John Moayon, who returned
with him in triumph to the city.
Mr.. Moayon refused many large of
fers for his captive, which was, as
the reader already knows, none 9TH
er than John Thirtybirds Wrighte
in his flfteen-y -year-old form. Ills
captor after wearing him as watch
charm for several years determined
to try the experiment of educating
him for business, as he had become
quite tame and perfectly harmless.
Our hero was accordingly given a
course of instruction and the rapidi-
ty with which he learned surprised
the natives. IN an incredibly short
time he had acquired a thorough
knowledge of the mercantile bust
ness and after remaining with his
captor until he attained his majority
he graduated with the rank of Colo
mel and struck out boldly for himself.
Within the last four years Col,
Wrighte has amassed a large fortune
and now ranks with the self-made
millionaires of Hopkinsville. He is at
present engaged in the clothing and
gents furnishing business on Main
street. H E "
Col. Wrighte has not always own
ed a middle name, but some two years
ago he accomplished the wonderful
feat of eating thirty birds in thirty
days, since which time he has been
known as John Thirtybirds Wrighte,
the champion masticater.
The portrait above is very correct
and striking likeness of the subject OF
this truthful narrative. We are en-
ablcd. to present it TO our readers
through the courtesy of Mr.. Richard
X. Fox, publisher Of the Police Ca
zelte, who had the cut made at the
time Col. Wrighte immortalized him
self by doing his great Bird Act in