The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-24

The Constitution has received the fol
lowing letter from ELI Perkins in re-
gard to Bill Arp" called forth by the
announcement of the latter's very des-
perate illness Mr.. Landon writes:
Editor Constitution / note that my
friend Bill Arp" is very III and may
be translated to Moses and Elijah be
fore this reaches you.
About twenty years ago Bill Arp came
to New York with a southern friend TO
get his first book published. We were
delighted to entertain the humorist at
our home and glad to introduce him to
George w Carleton. the publisher who
issued Artemus Wards, Josh Billings
and afterwards my own complete bog
raphy and every funny thing he ever
wrote or said.
l was then writing my Kings Of the
Platform and Pulpit and was CAD to
get from your southern humorist and
his Georgia friend the short true oiog'
raphy and the longer picturesque remi'
niscerses which / used in the volume.
lhese "reminiscences appeared as il
preface to his lecture. This was the
time when he was making his reputation
In the columns Of The Constitution.
MELVILLE DELANEY LANDON.
Cell Perkins)
No. 304 West Eighty fifth street. New
York city.
In the kings of Platform and Pulpit
Eli Perkins writes the following breezy
Introduction. rehearsing some interesting
stories of Bill Arp in presenting one oil
his lectures
The whole life of Bill Arp has been
humorous aEI no man Will stop Work
quicker and more cheerfully than he to
hear a good joke. When | asked him
one day if he really ever killed many
yankees. he said:
We'll don't want to boast about
myself but l killed as many of them
as they did Of me-
Speaking OF pensions one day Mr.. Arp
said every yankee soldier ought to have
a pension.
But they were not all injured In
the army were they" l asked.
Yes, they all did SO much hard lying
about us poor rebels that they strained
their consciences"
Bill Arp tells of an occurrence in New
York when he came hero to lecture in
Chicllerins hall He said he was stand
ing on the steps of the Aston house one
afternoon with friend, when a man
with decidedly military bearing hob
bled up.
He greeted my--frienG as he passed,
That's a fine soldierly looking CHAP"
l said
Yes; he's a aforementioned Jones, of
the u. A. r.
Did he lose his leg on the battle
feld?"
yes: at Gettysburg"
All. Reoelling Plckett's charge, 1
suppose
NO; a monument fell on it
They tell this story in Rome, Ga. about
the major. They say that in the sum
nler of 1863 Bill Arp was in the Richmond
hospital. The hospital was crowded
with sick and dying soldiers, and the
Richmond ladies' visited il daily. larry
ing with them deica cies of every kind,
and did all they could to cheer and COM
fort the suffering On one occasion a
pretty miss Of 16 was distributing flowers
and speaking gentle words of encour-
agement to those around her, when she
overheard a soldier exclaim, ooh. my
ORD" 1t was Bill ARP.
Stepping to his bedside to rebuke him
for his profanity, she remarked: Didn't
/ hear you call upon the name OF the
Lord? / am one of His daughters. Is
there anything l can ASH Him for your
Looking up into her bright, swee face,
do something for me If l wasn't mar
ried."
Well said she. what is it?"
Raising his eyes to hers ana extend
ing his hand. he said: las you are a
daughter of the Lord, if | wasn't mar
plan Of settlement because there is a