Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-31
PLATFORM ECHOES.
John b. Coughs Last and Best Book.


This new and splendidly illustrated vol
ume is the last book written by the world
famous John b. Cough, and was completed
by him Just previous to his death. Every
ore il familiar with the story of his early
life, and of his rescue from 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
abiect slave 10 the bottle; and his condi-
ton and wretched appearance were such as
to cause people To eNclaim, There's the
man who has been in hell" The rich and
moor. 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
Door houses, penitentiarieS, reform schools,
and houses of correction; to the deaf, anu
dumb, and blind: TO audiences composed
wholly of Outcasts; and to audiences num-
herring thousands of children. At his feet
more than ten million people sat and lis
tened in admiration and wonder. In his
library may be seen set of large volumes
"A far better memorial of his life and la
bors~ than any monument or marble OF
| 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-represent 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 histories; to depict scenes
~ Joy and sadness; to lift the curtain on
| n 80 nd ahnuy ifs fFaUQtV and
edy: and to draw Living truths" from the
lessons thus taught. anG bring them home
to every heart. is the prime object OF this
| volume. Ii also contains the history OF Mr..
Coughs life and career with the story OF
his death. by Rev. DIR. Lyman Abbott, the
eminent editor and divine.
Platform Echoes" Is John b. Cough in
print. In It he has given the world in per
manent form his best thoughts, his most
touching tales, his most stirring anecdotes
and incidents, his most telling stories. As a
story teller he has never been equalled.
| But whether he narrates story
| of mirth or of sOrrOw- 1t Is always
to illustrate great and living
truths. Stranger stories are here told than
romance ever dreamed Of, every one OF them
drawn from real life by a master hand. In
every chapter he weayeS in anecdote after
anecdote, incident after incident, story af-
ter story, and underneath them all lie
| Living Truths" that stand out as beacon
lights He plays upon the readers feel
| ings as with an enchanter's wand. at one
time filling his heart with gladness, at an
other binding his eyes with tears. At his
bidding hearts are melted, and stern. strong
men. as well as sensitive women, weep
| tears of compassion, are aroused TO lndlg-
nation, or moved to uncomfortable laughter
| in spite of every effort to control their feel
ings.
| Now that the silver tongue is silent,
Platform 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 10 captivate and then capture
hearts on both sides of the sea, are repro.
duced upon these pages. The orator and
dramatist, the philanthropist and the re,
former. for he was all these. are portrayed
here in the freedom and spontaneity of au
tobiography The book is what its name
indicates-real Echoes" of the man whose
death humanity mourns.
Its illustrations are the best We have evel
seen. 1t contains two hundred and twenty
seven fine engrayings by the best artists
and engrayers in the world. Many OF thest
illustrations are too funny for anything
while Others depict wretchedness and woe
Sixteen of these engrayings are full-pagt
ones, and are magnificent specimens OF art
Two hundred and nine are text illustra
tons. There are two fine steel-plate por
traits. One Is from life-size full length
painting, showing Mr.. Cough as he ap
peared shortly after his rescue. The othel
is from photograph taken just before hi
death. All in all, it is one of the fines
ever produced by the American press.
We advise our readers to buy Platform
Echoes" at the first opportunity. They can
in our opinion, much better afford to dis
pense with dozen other books than no
possess this. Once begun 1t will not will
ingly be laid aside till the last page is fin
| isbad