The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-20


ordinary recipient of Grub street mercies.
There he receives his friends with a royal
4 cordiality and entertains them with the
/ "reminiscences of a rich, varied and active
| life.
Running the Blockade.
During the war Mr.. Browne was one of
| the field correspondents of The Tribune.
He was young man then, not more than
% or "a, and his courage and ambition
made him invaluable to his paper But
these very qualities soon deprived The
Tribune of his services. When it was pro-
posed to run the blockade at Vicksburg in
the early summer of 1868 and volunteers
for the expedition were called for, he was
one of the first to step forward. Among
the other men that offered to accompany
the expedition" he said, relating to me
the story of this adventure, were my
friends Albert ID. Richardson, another
correspondent of The Tribune, and Richard
Il. COlburn, the correspondent of The
World. Besides the men the expedition
consisted of tug and two barges Bales
OF hay had been piled up along the sides
of the barges to protect the men from the
shot and shell of the Vicksburg batteries.
Indispensable as they appeared, they We're
dition TO grief. The bright full moon that
swung in midheaven the night of the e1-
petition was also against the success of
the undertaking. Nevertheless we were
determined TO run by the batteries at all
hazards.
LAS soon as the expedition got within
range the terrific booming of the cannon
began. Shot and shell came thick and
ST ri no no LII
ing in the air, but unterrified and I'M
harmed the expedition moved on. 1t was
nearly out of range when the disaster that
L had feared took place. a shell dropped
into the tug as though directed from a
hand above and exploded with terrific
force The bales of hay, which l thought
unsafe and had warned the commander
against, caught fire and disabled the ex-
petition. For time we remained on the
barges tumbling the bales into the water
and assisting the wounded to get on them.
Finally the fire became so hot that and
few Others who Were the last 10 leave the
barges were driven into the water We
hoped by swimming to reach the Louisiana
shore and then return to the army at the
point from which we had started.
A Periious Situation.
cUE IcpSS were not realized, however.
The bright moon and the flames of the
burning hay made the river as light as
day. The chance of escape from any boats
that might put out from shore was there
fore exceedingly small. While we were
floating IN the water, thinking that this
chance was bigger than il would have ap-
peared TO an observer that would see what
the Confederates were doing. we heard the
.l.,r-L 8 u L
the water, leaving only our noses above
the surface, but it was of no use The
moon and burning barges enabled tho
Confederates 10 find Us, and before we
could realize it saw the Prov of a boat
almost on ME. Standing in a melodra-
matte attitude in front of the boat was an
officer, who shouted with an oath, We do
get hold of - Yankees sometimes .
We were dragged into the boats and taken
TO prison. Richardson and / spent the
next two years In confinement Finally,
after being inside Of six prisons We es-
capped at Salisbury. y. c.. and resained
the Union lines in Tennessee travelling in
midwinter distance of more than 400
miles and relying on the friendly negroes
that We met along the route for food TO
keep Us from starving 10 death
4 Manuscript Maker.
Curiously enough, Mr. Browne docs not .
regard himself a. a literary man-only a
maker Great a. has been his
success as a writer. easily As he turns of 4 .
story or an essay, he has no love for the
profession. While IL has brought him a
good deal OF money. he does not find its
destinations 80 irresistible that he could
not abandon IL upon adequate provocation.
Such provocation would. / believe. be
any other work that would be equally II
Besides Writing from time 10 time fer
The Anna, The Forum. Harper's. Cen
fury, LippincOtJ The Youths Compan-
ion and other well known publicat.S-.-
Mr.. Browne has no occupation and / may
hdc no recnation. He has 10 hobby Ike
athletics or clubs ts his health i always
excellent, being able 10 write 10 or -
hours a day without fatigue he has no
need ot exercise As 20 clubs. he feels Is
oleridse did about ghosts Il do not be
lieve in ghosts. said the poet I've seen Z
too many Of them
- Mr.. Browne has seen too many clubs
- care for them No one. he SAYS.
ever meets the men there that he wishes
% see They are too busy 70 vast. their
lime with men that have nothing % Go
Beyond telling stories and drinking brandy