The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-10-09

year, the wonder is not that the chest |
nuts escape the notice of the editor, but |
that it is not continually getting into the |
paper. There is a class of papers that
are in what might be called the chest
nut trade. They search over the files
of old papers, find a good story, re-
write it, re-localize it and republish it.
Some four or five years ago, when
was in the London Office of the Free
Press, a bright fellow sent in a story
that | thought was very good. 1t was
to this effect: A stammering man said
to a wag on the street; Ocean you
t-t-t-tell me wh-wh-where | can g-get
some t-t-tin tacksP" The wag told him
where q hardware store was located,
and then taking a short cut got to the
store first and said to the proprietor:
''H-h-h-have you g-g-got any t-tln
t-t-t-tacks?n EYES," answered the pro-
prietor. "H-h-have t-t-they sh-sh-sh-
sharp p-points?" "Yes," answered the
proprietor. "T-t-then s-s-st down on
th-th-them and w-will call a-a-again,"
whereupon the wag bolted. A few min
utes after the innocent searcher for tin
tacks came into the store and said;
"H-h-h-have y-you g-g-g-got--" and
was very much surprised when the pro-
prietor threw hammer at him. This
story was published in the American
and English editions, and went the
rounds of the press of both countries.
The other day the Boston Post found it
somewhere and started it out as orig
inal. l have seen it in one hundred
papers since credited to the Post, many
of which published it few years ago,
and, strange to tell, it also appeared in
the Free Press, in whose columns it had
originated.
| see a chestnut going the rounds
credited to the Chicago Herald which
paper claimed that John T. Sullivan,
the Detroit actor, told the story, lOcat-
ing it at Detroit. The story was that
one of the ferry boats was just going
out when the inevitable last man came
running on the wharf and jumped on
the boat. AS he recovered himself he
looked back at the distance between the
boat and the wharf which was now
great and exclaimed: "Jiminey, what
Jump" This mild chestnut had its
origin in New York, where an Irish
man made the spring and exclaimed:
"Be iabbers, what lape." The thing
might have happened in New York, but
it is impossiblein Detroit. Detroit boats
leave the wharf up stream and the dis
lance between the wharf and the boat
does not increase to any great extent
till such Jump is impossible. Besides
the iron gates are closed when the last
bell is rung as indeed they are in New
t York as well. But in New York the
: ferry boats come in end on, as it were,
and leave by striking straight across
the river. A variation of that same
chestnut is the story about the baker
with his arms full of bread who sprang
t across the interval between the wharf
and the boat, scattering the loaves and
the crowd, and cried; "Just caught it,
. didn't IP' Just caught it you fool, "
l said a passenger, ''why the boat is com
$ ing in. "
a It was with deep regret that | noticed
n the other week that the late candidate
: for the Vice-P Presidency of the United
, States started a chestnut on its rounds
h which is still working devastation al
: over the country. What hurts me is
h that l originated the story myself some
years ago and Mr.. John A. Logan didn'
e give me due credit for it. When De
e troit bought Belle Isle for park
y thought / would read up something
d about parks with a view to newspapers
n articles on that subject. went to thu
d librarian OF the British Museum ant
: asked the man in charge if he would lie
e me have all the books he had on parks
n as wanted to select those suitable 70
vt my purpose. That gentleman said
o 1--WE have quite a large collection
y Will you have them brought down b,
e the hundred weight or the ton?" 10
= gan's story is that he wanted to read u
is on the tariff and he said to Spofford, tn
l. Librarian of Congress: Il wish yor
e would send down to my residence al
/ the books you have on the tariff ques
lie ton" Spohord said: "All right.
n Next day Logan was astonished to Sc
e a wagon load of books drawn by tw
Is horses, arrive at his house, and tn
Of driver handed him a note from Spoflord
IS SAYING he would send down anothe
Y load in the afternoon. Ere
IN Drooo