The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-01
EVENTS AND COMMENTS.


renowned humorist and writer is well
known to every HERALD reader. His
plantation sketches, anecdotes and pen
pictures of negro life have caused many a |
good healthy sides splitting laugh in Utah,
as well as the world over. We knew Opie
in his less opulent days. View small,
bare-footed urchin in a southern Kentucky |
town when the embryo proprietor OF the
.4rkdnsdlU Traveller commenced the publlca-
ton of weekly journal only to quit with
less than paper collar for his share of the
assets. He made another venture in an
adjoining county only to add experience,
instead of coin, to his strenuous efforts in
the line of paper pushing fame. The third
time is the charm, they say, and in Ople
Reads case it proved to be true. Under
circumstances any but inviting, the spicy
writer formed a partnership in Little
Rock, the capital city of Arkansaw, which
has by his own indomitable push paved his
way to fame and ample fortune. The
writer of this, during a stay in Europe, in
1853, wrote MIR. Read asking him to con-
tribute to a humorous journal, which was
(but was mott to be published in London in
opposition to Tit Bits, the funny paper OF
England. At that early day in MIR. Reads
occupancy of the editorial chair of the
ArEfansalU Traveller, his pen was kept so
busy that he replied, it was an impossi-
! biiity to contribute to any other journal
| save such as had made contracts with him.
| He needs no eulogy from our pen. His
| fame and name are Jointly. the property Of
the people of this great republic, who de-
! light in reading anything that may drop
from his pen.
In 1877, having tired of our Kentucky
home, we drfted with others to the great
Lone Star state and in the early spring of
that year found ourselves in San Antonio,
at that time quite cosmopolitan as to its
residents Jew. Greek, Gentle, Pharasee,
and all found an abiding place there. Then,
as now, our pen was dipping in Journalism
and it was there we met that genial good
natured fellow who was never known to
crack a smile at his best and wittiest say
ings. Alex. Sweet was then in the EN-
pioy of the now defunct San Antonio Her.
aid, then edited by Colonel Dashiel. Mr.
Sweet was also furnishing the Galveston
Nelus with essiftings' from San Antonio
We formed quite an attachment for MIR
Sweet and enjoyed his genial companion
ship exceedingly. The combination form
ed by the versatile Sweet and the joll,
, Irishman, Knox was indeed a happy one
and when their first issue of the Terra
Siftings caught the eye of the residents of
Austin, Texas, it was most cordially wei
coined.
That their success is phenomenal, canno
be gainsald, for to day, the most renowned
most quoted and most relished or the rea
humoristic publications in the Unite
:, States, is che Texas Siftings.
e Little did Opie Read or Alex Sweet eve
n think that they would live to see thei
writings sought after to such an extent
little did they imagine that they could la
aside their well-nigh threadbare garment
: and live in luxury and style. They al
plain, unassuming gentlemen to whol
y good fortune comes as earned, and they al
preciating it, will never squander it. A
one who knew them when the star of po'
il erty was guiding them, from far-off Uta
now sends greeting and good wishes, an
u am proud to realize that they jumped hi
l. the stream at the proper time and rode wit
it to fame.
=, About ten years ago, if memory serv,
. us Alright, we met queer character, who
we must designate the greatest Of iourna
istic fabrica lors. His name was JOSEF
IS Mulhattan, and at that time a travelil
~ salesman for Louisville, Ky, hardwa
N firm. Joe was the drummers' candida
le for President against Cleveland in is
st but advised all knights of the road to vo
,u the straight Democratic ticket Joe wro
OF an article once telling the Inter Ocean rea
d ers of Chicago all about the New York sy
tiicate who had purchased the great Man
moth cave of kentucky, and their plans
to it's removal in sections to the caste
metropolis The shower of flesh in Ba
ke county, KY, the great petroleum wells
lc- Kentucky, the hairbreadth escapes of col
all mercial tourists throughout sunny sout
or land, the stealing of ex-President Poll
body from its resting place in Nashvii
Tenn, and many other lengthy articles
of which were born i'll his own fertile lima
nation Joe never wrote for pay.
liked to scribble, and found much anus
= ment in his chosen line of writing
a. usual hotel signature read thus: ''Jose