The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-12-16
PLATFORM ECHOES.
JOHN B. COUGHS LAST AND BEST BE

JOHN B. COUGHS LAST AND BEST BOOK.
This new and splendidly illustrated volume is
the last book written by the world famous
John B. Cough, and was completed by him just
previous to his death. Every one is familiar
with the story of his early life, and of his
from a drunkard's grave, and how this once
wretched and despised sot became one of the
most famous men of our time. For seven years
he stood amid the horrors OF delirium tremens,
an abject slave to the bottle; and his condition
and wretched appearance were such as to cause
people to exclaim, "Theres the man who has
been in hell.' The rich and poor, the high the
low, the learned and unlearned, have been
alike thrilled and moved by his burning words.
He swayed brilliant audiences of royalty and
fashion; spoke in State prisons, jails, poor
houses, penitentiaries, reform schools, and
houses of correction; to the deaf, and dumb,
and blind; to audiences composed wholly of
outcasts; and to audiences numbering thou
sands of children. At his feet more than ten
million people sat and listened in admiration
and wonder. In his library may be seen set
of large volumes-a far better memorial of his
life and labors than any monument of marble
or bronZe-containing the original signatures
of one hundred and fifty thousand men and
women who were induced to sign the pledge
through his personal efforts, These names
many of them tear bedewed and written with
trembling hand-rep1esent stories of happiness
and woe, of ruin and remorse, of blighted hopes
and wasted lives, of battles fought and victory
won. To give some of these thrilling life his
tories; to depict scenes of joy and sadness; to
lift the curtain life's stage and show its
tragedy and comedy; and to draw ''Iiving
truths" from the lessons thus tanght, and bring
them home to every heart, is the prime object
of this volume. 1t also contains the history of
Mr.. Coughs life and career with the story of
his death, by Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott, the emil
nent editor and divine.
"Platform Echoes is John B. Cough in print.
In it he has given to the world in permanent
form his best thoughts. his most touching tales,
his most stirring anecdotes and incidents, his
most telling stories. AS story teller he has
never been equalled. But whe ther he narrates
a story of mirth or of sorrow, it is always to il
lustrate great and living truths. Stranger sto-
ries are here told than romance ever dreamed
of, every one of them drawn from real life by
master hand. In every chapter he weaves in
anecdote after anecdote, incident after incident,
story after story, and underneath them all lie
"Living Truths" that stand out as beacon
lights. He plays upon the readers feelings as
with an enchanters wand, at one time filling
his heart with gladness, at another binding his
eyes with teals. At his bidding, hearts are
melted, and stern, strong men, as well as sensi-
tive women, weep tears of compassion, are
aroused to indignation, moved 10 uncon-
trollable laughter in spite of every effort to
troll their feelings.
Now that the silver tongue is silent, "Plat-
form Echoes" is the richest literary legacy of
John B. Cough. The aroma of his inimitable
humor, the felicity of his descriptions, the
adroitness and skill which enabled him to cap
tivate and then capture hearts on both sides of
the sea are reproduced upon these pages. The
orator and dTamatist, the philanthropist and
the reformer, for he was all these, are portrayed
here il the freedom and spontaniety of autobi-
ography. The book is what its name indicates
real 'Echoes" from the man whose death hu-
manity mourns.
Its illustrations are the best we have ever seen
lists add engravers in the world. Many of these
illustrations are "too funny FOR anything and
others depict wretchednesS and woe. Sixteen
are ful-page ones, maC nificent specimens of
art. Two hundred and nine are text illustra-
tions There are two fine steel-plate portraits.
One is from a life-size full length painting,
showing Mr.. Cough as he appeared shortly af-
ter his rescue. The other is from photograph
ken Just before his death. All in all, it is one
of the finest ever produced by the American
press. We advise our readers to buv Platform
Echoes at the first opportunity. They can, in
our opinion, much better afford to dispense
with a dozen other books than not possess this.
Once begun it will not willingly be laid aside
till the last page is finished.