The Somerset reporter., 1889-12-26
A SOUTHERN HERO.
The Mysterious Life and Philanthropie
Services of Judge Milo Olin.

Services of Judge Milo olin.
The death of Judge Milo Olin removed
a singular character from Georgia A
man who lived the life OF rccluse, SO
retiring and unobtrusive was his daily
life that he was never heard of outside
of the pale of his immediate neehbors
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 a 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 beney-
oient codntcnance, yet almost weird III
its pallor. The plainest sort of clothes
covered his long, STOPPING form, and he
looked like some old partisan of a former
age.
Milo DIN came to Augusta fifty years
ago from New York. He practiced law.
was, some time in the los, clerk of
the superior court, and subsequently
held for many years, and up to the time
of his death. He was a 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 tine 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 a faithful and ardent one 10
those he loved; but as in each succeeding
year death had narrowed the little circle
of his carly 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 sa1dened 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 vow. 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 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
l., L.,
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 nursei 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.
1 When he reached patients side he
needed no physician to tell him what to
do. He had more faith in his long expo
rience than he had in the medical train
ing of most physicians, and there was
always a 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
tiers of thanks and gratitude scores OF
complimentary resolutions, badges and
testimonials from cities, societies ami
, 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 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
GRAFT