The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-12-13
A SOUTHERN HERO.
The Mysterious Life and Plilanthropic
Services of Judge Milo Olin

Ihe Mysterious Life and PhilanthropiC
Services of Judge Milo Olin.
The death of Judge Milo Olin removed
singular character from GeorGia, A
pan who lived the life of a recluse, so
retiring and unobtrusive was his daily
life that he was never heard of outside
of the pale of his immediate neighbors
except in time of epidemics. He had
perhaps the most singular and striking
individuality of any man in Georgia. He
was over six feet tall, slender, and bent
with age. Long, white hair fell about
his shoulders and long, pointed beard
reached nearly to his waist. Save where
the use of snuff had stained his mustache
his hair was white as snow. Within his
crown of white hair was long, wan
face with deep set eyes, a kind of benev-
olent countenance, yet almost weird in
s+s nal]or. The plainest sort Of clothes
covered his long, STOPPING form, and he
looked like some old partisan of former
age.
Milo Olin came to Augusta fifty years
ago from New York. He practiced law,
was, some time in the '40's, clerk of
the superior court, and subsequently
elected a magistrate, which position he
held for many years, and up to the time
of his death. He was singularly re-
served man, and if anybody knows the
story of his life that man is not known.
He lived to himself. Seemingly he had
torn himself away from the scenes and
associations of his young life, and to no
man, SO far as is known, did he ever tell
his story. He had some friends, and he
was ever faithful and ardent one to
those he loved; but as in each succeeding
year death had narrowed the little circle
of his early associates he did not seek to
widen it, but withdrew more within him
self and grew more and more like a
hermit.
Most people believed that some great
sorrow flung its blighting influence over
his young life and saddened his whole
career. What was its nature no one
knows. 1t did not embitter, but softened
and hallowed his life. He seemed to
have taken the consecrating vows of
philanthropy and charity. He went
about doing good. A self appointed
physician and nurse, no epidemic has oc-
Cured in forty years in the south that
Judge Milo Olin did not at once set out
for the scene of pestilence and danger.
During the yellow fever epidemic in
Augusta a generation ago he had the
fever, and as soon as he recovered went
to nursing others in Savannah, Memphis,
Norfolk, Wilmington, Fernandina, New
Orleans and Jacksonville. Wherever the
dread disease was at work Judge Olin
was to be found. He knew no fear. No
case was too loathsome, no disease too
dangerous to stop him in his work of
humanity and charity. He was no pro-
fessional nurse, charging high wages
and getting rich on the misfortunes of
his fellow men. He refused all pay and
presents from those he nursed back to
life and strength, and reported to the re-
lief committee for duty without wages
of any kind. He was tender, tireless and
intelligent.
When he reached patients side he
needed no physician to tell him what to
do. He had more faith in his long expe-
ing of most physicians, and there was
always small mortality among the cases
which he nursed. Not only did he refuse
money and costly presents, but he would
accept no costly testimonials from the
philanthropic. He had hundreds of let
ters of thanks and gratitude, scores of
complimentary resolutions, badges and
testimonials from cities, societies and
other organizations, but he never paraded
them, and no one could elicit from him
anything of his self sacrificing work for
publication. When he entered a stricken
city the press learned nothing from him
of his heroic part and ON his return home
nothing of the privations he had endured,
the service he had rendered, and the
thanks that had been showered upon him.
Atlanta Cor. St. Louis Globe Demo
crat.