The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-07-01
"A Sketch of an Oddly in Letters and
Character.

NI') since made him so |
we'll known to jour
nalism He was |
over thirty years old before he even thought |
of writing or dreamed that he had either
taste or ability in letters. While living in
a withered little mining town in Tuolumne
county, California on Sunday under q
pine tree, he wrote his first article for a
newspaper. 1t described the annual TALL
spree observed by the river miners ON their
dams being carried away by the autumn
freshet. 1t brought strongly out the horrl-
BILE consequences of getting over spree IL
was signed "Dogberry," and published by
The Union Democrat
The editor, not being deluged with ablo
contributions as eastern editors are suspected
of being, wrote on for more Of the same
kind of literature Mr.. Milford obligingly
complied, and for two years continued TO
furnish articles to The Democrat, which
kept all that section of the state in roar
He gained local reputation, and was made
candidate for the legislature, but didn't
reach it. Col. Joseph Lawrence, editor OF
The Golden Era, of San Francisco, noticed
these articles, and, being one of those in
frequent sou s who have talent for recog-
nizng talent, was struck by the originality
and wrote him, offering him an edi torial
position on his paper.
| Mr.. milford accepted, left Off pursuing
the gold hunters phantom at once and for
ever, and was soon the most famous news
paper man on the Pacific coast His humor
was so fresh and novel that it pervaded the
country in extracts from his sketches and
letters. 1t was not of the broad, presumptu-
GUS variety. which challenges the reader to
"look out for something funny" in the next
paragraph. 1t was delicate, and sprung up
spontaneously in matter not heralded as
humorous
1t was on The Golden Era that Bret Harte
began his literary career. He was typeset-
ter in the Office and occasionally sent anon
ymous contributions down stairs. Col.
Lawrence ferre:ed him out and put the pen
in his hand.
Most persons were astonisEed when they
met Mr.. milford. Instead of the dashng as
sertive young fellow they had pictured, they
found man of rather grave presence, mod
est in manner to the point of timidity he
talks exceedingly we'll, though only when
pushed forward by those who know his gifts
MS a conversationist His naturally retiring
disposition prevents him from ever taking
! the lead voluntarily.
A lady of ability and prominence who has
known Prentice Milford many years said OF
him. 'He is the modestest and most con-
scentious man ever knew, as well as the
most able intellectually"
He has travelled much both in this country
and abroad. He made tour of the French
provinces on foot, because he wanted to
: study the life of the common people. His
letters descriptive Of this trip were OF extra
ordinary interest, and were largely copied
They told exactly what other letters did not
tell.
Many men think they love nature, and
talk and write glowingly about its joys and
beauties; but Prentice milford is the only
person / ever knew who loves nature well
enough to see no face but hers for weeks
and months In California he often pros
pected for weeks at time, with no compan-
ion save a mule and while in newspaper
work in this city he was In the habit of
breaking away from the trammels Of too
oppressive civilization, and going into COM
plete solitude in some house of his own hasty
building in the forest, there to stay till he
: 'got better acquainted with himself" as he
said. While in retreat he always does nc
: end of writing, and still more thinking.
Philosopher and metaphysician, he thinks
out problems in mental science while away
/ from the attrition OF cities. "Who shall
minister to a mind diseased" he considers
, the greatest question ever propounded, and
, he worked upon it two years before he found
) a satisfactory solution. Then he evolved
> some theories on the management Of the
mind which we're equivalent to practical
. system of phrenopathy, or mental cure. He
believes that the mind is the only life Of the
body, and the only real and enduring thing
in nature.
Mr.. Milford is firm believer in life
after death and in pre-existence He is g
spiritualist of a very high order, and is him
self a sens tive. He has been called sen
timentalist in his love Of nature. He Sees
yes, feels the soul Of all material things. HI
is. in spirit, related to the Indians, loving
the solitude of forest and mountain, and
finding more joy in floating over the water
of New York bay in a little boat, than in al
the fine society Of the metropolis. Yet
when he does mix with people, he can be a
companionable as any knight that ever at
in princely hall with ladies, and can max,
as brilliant an after-dinner speech as Beecher
Mr.. Milford spends his winters in Boston
recently and part Of every summer In
New York Usually he goes up the Hudson
and rents some nttle nsnermanb cottage
and does up his years thinking in solitude,
coming down to the city to spend his Sun
days. Recently he has been devoting hii
time to metaphysical writing almost ex
clusivey As lecturer he has much
ability, and really prefers the platform tc
the pen. He is charming story writer
One of his recent stories. "The Bank of Cali
fornia," a serial Of mining life, was widely
published by the newspaper press and greatly
praised. He was ten years on the editorial
staff Of The Graphic, Of this city. While
there be invented and prepared the feature
known as "The History Of a Day." which
for a time was so noticeably excellent
As condenser Mr.. Milford has no equal
He can pack more matter into fewer lines
when he chooses to do so, than any othei
writer known to the American press.
He is Of medium height, Is rather on thu
auburn plan as to hair, has complexion
bronzed by the sun-he believes In the sun
and one deep brown and one grayish brown
eye. He is boyish in figure, though getting
on toward what is called middle age, a fac
that doesn't trouble him In the least, as h
has theories on the subject Of old age, o.
rather on the subject of doing away with II
altogether. Youth Is a matter Of the spirit
he thinks. Old age need never be encoun
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