Milford chronicle., 1903-07-10
THERE'S MILLIONS IN IT.
Original Colonel Sellers Lived and
F1Ourished In Missouri

Original Colonel Sellers Lived and
F1Ourished In Missouri
One hears almost annually Of some
person who Rns Mark Twaln's IN
spiratiOp7 for the famous character OF
Colonel Mulberry Seilers-that wonder
fuI optimist who has delighted two gen
eFations taught the lesson Of human
kindness and loving charity as II was
never taught by mortal man and given
mingled happiness and merrIment 70
untold thousands of our time Just
how. many persons have received this
| enviable distinction we shall not un-
dertake 70 say. They are innumerab3s
by this ttlle. and we shrink from the
task of asserting and classifying them
with anything like care. Indeed we
are relieved of that laborious and fu-
tile undertaking by the sure .l1nowl-
edge that Mark Twain had originally
IN mind the late Thomas A. Harris OF
Pewee Valley. Ky. some fifteen OF
twenty miles to the north of Louis
/ vile.
General Harris was n MissOurian, a
mRn of travel. educa ton. wide expert
enca indomitable courage and engag-
ing manners and appearance. Gifted
far beyond ordinary men in brains, ad-
dress and noble instincts. he was be
loved IN private, successful in affairs
admired. respected and confded in by
all who knew him. He made millions
like a genius and spent them like
pririce. He was q soldier, a poet, an
orator. a bold and shrewd speculator.
No one ever host a dollar through trust
ing him. His failures and disappoint-
ments touched himself alone. Mark
Twain knew him we'll in the old days
before the civil war thrilled responsive /
TO his sublime conceptions and the al
luring elOquence with which he gave
them shape and subs.dAye. recognized |
his fine character, is u0t.e purpose. (
his ehivalric soul. felt Tie full charm of /
his Amazing personality. And Mark (
Twain in painting Colonel Mulberry
Sellers merely utilized the pathOs and +
the humor and the splendid and beauti-
flIl benevolence of the mans unique
and brilliant nature
Senator Vest remembers dear old
Tom Harris It was he who in the fall
of 1861, when Price was besieging Tex
ington. Mo. and when all efforts failed
TO disIodge Mulligan and his immortal
Chicago brigade" conceived the ex-
pedient of the hemp bales and put the
Confederate army behind them, rolling
the movable breastworks mp the Hill
tory. But for HaSris' genius Lexington
would never have been taken. Thrice
the force that Price had at his COM
mand could not have successfully
3tormed that formidable height. A
rear or so later Harris was in Rich
nond seeking a command. While there
le fell out Of fourth story window.
lighting face downward on a pile of
lricks. Vest said Of it afterward, 1T
would have killed a snowbird.7 In
Harris case there were only a nose
pitt right down the middle and a scar
which everybody thought had been {
1ade by a saber in some desperate
and to hand conflict with a hated foe
Harris was always the kind and
and clean handed gentleman.
lie loved his fellow man. He was =,
eady to share his last dollar with any '
ne who seemed to be in distress or
0rrOw. Great thoughts issued from
is fruitful mind. PrOdigious schemes Ii
nd enterprises were the children Of
is intellect. Untold millions i'm which &,
e had no share have been the crea-
Tres Of his light, suave suggestions.
,e never wronged man or woman. lie
as incapable of deceit or pretense.
ut when he talked all men listened. (
ut of the crumbs OF his opulent sug-
astion others gathered fame and for -
Inc. And he died poor! He had made
any men rich. He had distributed -
lccor, hope. encoura cement as the Z
wer filings his seed. But he always a
W the bread upon the water. and he
,ver lost his faith in man. He was
ark Twain's Sellers. - Washington
)st