The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-13
oPrE POPE READ.

Born. Nashville, Tenn, 1853.
First newspaper connection was with the
franklin (Hy.) Patriot as devil"
In 1877, edited the Bowling Green KY
PaRtagrGph.
In 1878, city editor of the Little Rock
ARK Gazette.
In 1880, married Miss Ada Benham.
In 1881, left the Gazette and took posi-
ton on the Cleveland co. Leader
Returned to Little Rock. and in June,
1852, started the 4rlednsnU TraUeter.
Moved Tlrareler TO Chicago April, 1887.
Two children-Hattie Veronle, aged s,
and Philo Benham, aged z.
1t is trlfie difficult for enc who knows
Opie p. Read well TO talk about him
thoughtfully. There appertains TO him a
certain something which makes those near
him perhaps trihe too fond of the mon
-ster. The story of his drifting early in life
in the south is simply that OF a resolute
youth Of good family who got into the
newspaper business. There was no hacking,
much misadyenture, and infinite gro
tesquerie. The condensed account above
tells the mechanical story of it ALL No need
for gclng into details. Just dab here and
there at biography may give the best
idea. There, for instance, was the Prairie
bto9ref--a newspaper established at Car
lyle. in Kansas. BY Read and SONS wander
ing bohemian TO whom he had taken a
fancy. Toe Prairie EL0lCer bloomed beauti-
fully, but it did not declare dividends with
any degree of regularity. Read aud his
partner boarded in Carlyle's one hotel for
probably q greater length of time than any
other two men could have done under the
circumstances. Finally, the proprietor an
nounced himself gently, but firmly, aud
even those two soldiers of Arkansas for
tune felt that they must leave They
had no place in which to sleep.
but Read, with great forethought,
had IN consideration of certain alleged ad-
vertlsing secured annual passes upon the
railroads which ran through the place. It
was winter, bus there were great stoves in
the cars, and the cars vera warm. Getting
upon them at Carlyle, at, say O'Clock -
m. one might ride in a certain direction
until o'clock a. M, then taking meeting
train. reach Carlyle agaia at Z a m.
Read and his partner resorted to their
annual passes. They slept on the trains each
night, and SO the winter wore away. The
Prairie FtoWer did not bloom in the com
ing spring. but that man Opie Read can sit
in a chair to-day and sleep like babe
Another incident will illustrate the vicis-
situdes Of this one career. There came a
time when this young man was stranded
high and dry In Memphis. Tenn He had
no money and he was hungry. There is in
Memphis, Tenn, little park, and in this
park are squirrels. protected by the munich
pality. They romp and riot about In all free.
dom and all la Nlessness. Read sat looking at
them disconsolate. Then he arose. went to
hotel Office, where paper could be secured
without expenditure, filled several pages of
manuscript, went to the nearest newspaper
sold an article for IS, aad ate. Next mora
ing appeared in one Of the Memphis journals
an account of the most blood-thirsty SQUIRREL
fight Of all times In fact, probably the
only squirrel fight in all history.
later incident may, perhaps, be inter
esting by its contrast.
In recent years, not long ago. the A3t1n-
sGic Traveller was struggling for existence
in Little Rock. Its editor had married. and
had home, blessed already with one child.
babe. The name Of Opie Read was be
ginning II be known. There was demand
for his werk, and The return assisted in
bolsterinE UP the fortune of the paper. One
night the baby, a little girl, who had been
i'll for gone days, was counted dying.
The father had sat beside the cradle
for hours, and was sitting there
when friend come in. One foot land what
foot Head hasD was rocking the cradle
ana Read. with manuscript upon bis Ian.
was writing funny matter for an eastern
puplcatlon. The matter, no doubt was
bright, but the fathers face was not. The
babe recovered
Inc ArIednS11c Traveller is now but lit
Tie OF the real Opie Read Within the Last
Ihfee OF Tour years his reputation has
oooulled broader scope, and, as a novelist
anu oeilh satof or phases of human nature
IN quaint sketch-work he has made a wider
ana more lasting reputation and one which
IL Increasing steadily and rapidly.
IN inc novel of Len Gausstt the raadi,or
world bresthed the fragrance OF a sontSss
western morning VIII the dew vet upon the
rose leaves. They felt the PARSONS Of
southwestern life They comrrehended fba
Clean nanllness of southwestern tvnes
Ahey saw woman. sweet as vvorna,' -. 70.
be. - "Oulsh may
IN the Kentucky Coloneln they felt tho
SWING Of another type and another iSc,l; vue
ana puiss 8 quicken with the reading ~,
crit OF Ire writer's work may be ciivwa ~
w. Perhaps it is just as well. There , 81
OeAn "aaV ne writes the blood which courses