The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-22
A FUNNY INCIDENT.
A FRAGMENT OF HISTORY THAT IS
FULL OF HUMOR.

Colonel Horns Letter to General Logan
Explaining an Attack Grant = Shan
non, Els Associate, Was an Ambitious
Fried Chicken Eater.
Mrs john ~. Logan once gave TO n
newspaper reporter i'll this city letter
from southern editor that created Il
lot OF talk 1t was Immediately after
the death of General Grant. Tho re-
porter had gone TO the Logan residence
to interview the general about some
matter then before congress. The gen
eral was i'll bed and tho reporter was
shown to his room. In the course of the
evening Mrs. Logan entered the bed
chamber ana took part i'll the conversa-
ton. In her hand she held a letter, Che
contents of Which her husband knew
about. She wanted to give it to the re-
porter, but the general objected. But
as the newspaper man started to leave
Mrs. Logan slipped the envelope into
his hand. The next morning nearly
every newspaper i'll the country printed
Il copy of it. 1t was rare and racy
document.
NIciVilci -Nlc-NdIlNlcT IlOTu OF hcrlul-
an, Miss, then the editor of The Daily
Mercury, WAS its author. The letter
was intended as an explanation of an
editorial that had appeared few weeks
before i'll The Mercury. Colonel Horn
and j. j. Shannon were associates III
the publication OF the aforesaid journal.
On tho morning following the death of
tho hero of Appomattox The Mercury
contained one of the most cruel articles
about General Grant ever printed by
press. 1t dared any true southcrner To
grove or show signs of sorrow over his
demise. 1t called upon the people of
Dixie land to cXu!t and reiolco at the
death of tho :nan who had slain their
SONS and burned their homes. The neo-
pie of Meridian Werc astounded. They
went to the editor, Colonel Horn. and
asked him, i'll the name of peace, to
write another article Withdrawing it.
He was obdurato and instead Of doing
as his neighbOrs wished dictated auoih-
er one equally rs fierce us ne first.
vt that moment the name of Colonel
Shannon was hcfore the senate awaiting
continuation us postmaster ut Meridian
An enemy OF his, knowing the love that
General Logan had for General Grant,
lpolosed copies Of the paper to him. en-
pectinS that Logan would oppose Shan
mons nomination. Shannon and Horn
had dispute over the editorial, aud
their relations became so strained that
Il street duel was Only averted nv the
interference Of mutual friends Colonel
Horns letter To General Logan was To
the effect that Colonel Shannon was ill.,
noccnt of the article and had known
nothing about it until he saw il in the
paper. l cannot quote the letter witl
literal eHactncss, but Il part of it was as
follows:
mo; Shannon had nothing to do
with it. lii the first place he hasn't
sense enough to conceive such senti-
ment as was expressed in tho editorial
and if he had he would be too cowardly
to write it. He is my partner 1 am sor-
ry to say, but by making him postmaster
you will afford me the opportunity of
getting rid of him.
And why not take him, John: There
is mighty marrow strip between the
radical republicanisn that you reDrc-
sent and the Cleveland Mugwumpery
that Shannon trcS to represent. He is
not Democrat, never was and never
will he. predict that you will SOON
have him over Oh your side, and God
speed the day We Democrats down
here don't want him.
q am grow ing old. but l am still in
possession of my mental faculties and
l hope to live many years longer to tell
the truth from day to day about the
despised Yankees and their politics
am seriously afflicted with hcmiplegia,
else would have mauled Ill out of
Shannon long ago.
Logan, you ought to remember mo
as ono of the fellows that figured some
what conspicuously i'll tho Kemper
county trials. l guess l can take the
credit to myself of having had the Dem
ocrats who killed the Radicals there
acquitted before the courts. | would
like another job of the same kind.
You and | ought to be friends OPP
posites begct liking You have been :.
broth of n boy i'll your party, and l have
been sheol of fellow in mine"
General Logan replied good natured.
~ to this epistlc, after which friend