Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-09-15
,uHrN OpIE READ EDITED
THE CARLISLE PRAIRIE FLOWER

: 1onoke, Ark.-A recent news leu
that paper has now been estab
,,.ned at the enterprising little tow'
iis, .,;c,o six miles east of this city
NJ the older citizens OF this place
',;s time recalls the time when Car
isle had another paper, more than
orter of a century ago, entitled the
prairie Flower. and edited by none
Thor than Opie Read. the no" famou.
,.ovelist.
~ n Harrison, who n3~ ,eeh III
+ha hotel business here more than
thirty years, was. a personal friend
IF Mr. Read. He describes MIN as
"big. awkward, loose-joi9ted, i9ncr-
ant looking fellow, wearing q No. II
shoe and weighing 275 pounds. He
cavs that when Mr. Read first came
To Arkansas he worked as Il p!mter
on the local papers: that after work
inc two or three years he had s.tvnd
enough money to buy the necessary
eo,iBments for small p.paT and
that with this he established his Pfeif-
ie Flower at Carlisle. Judge Sjbiey.
another of tho Old ro2.G rts Of this
place, was also wei acquainted With
Oyie Read IL 5a = that Read took
as a partner in this Carlisle erter-
prise Harry Warner a youlg man
who had come with him from Ken.
lucky, when he drsi came to ArNan
sas. and that Rec and Warner were
This paper at Carlisle was perhaps
Reads first literary ATTEMPT While
talking or telling his fayorita stories,
he had such an earnest manner, such
a serene and ever smiling counten-
ance, that his hear":,s were not aAle
t.; restrain themselves put always
X ared with laughter, and he seemed
t., carry out these characteristics in
his paper.
For his editorials his paper was
sought by every one in the adjoining
towns, and the Prairie Flower soon
had a statewide reputation. and had
Read been a more temperate man his
attempt at Carlisle would NC doubt,
have been an unparalleled success.
They carried a great deal of adver-
tising matter in their columns, and as
both were broke they took their
pay in merchandise. In this manner
they secured boots shoes. clothes and
whisky. They were not SO fortunate.
however, in the payment Of their
board bill. They were boarding ut
the Turrentine House, whicn is still
in existence at that place. and were
forced to pay cash at the enc of the
month. This cash was a scarce ar
ticle with the newspaper men, and cne
morning they were in bed planning as
their board bill was two months in
arrears, and Mr.. Tur1entire had
said that they could not eat another
meal until his bill was paid. Reads
ac,lve brain was hard Il work, and
t. mNlating nlan. he tur ,e,.. to War.
ner and said, 'Ill go down and try to
work the cid man for breakfast. If
succeed, you will have easy sailing
Accordingly, he arose, dressed and
went boldly towards the dining room.
1t seems, however, that Mr. Turren-
tine was expecting this, for as Opie
approached him with a very polite
Good morning." the hotel keeper
placed himself squarely in the dining
room door as he returned the greeting
in the same courteous manner. To
the spectators and boarders this was
indeed comical sight, for Mr.. Tur-
rentlne, man weighing possibly 1870
pounds, was acting as an effectual
barrier against Read, a man seven
feet high and weighing almost 300
pounds. The men stood thus for
moment until Read broke the silence,
saying, SIS breakfast ready Mr.. Tur-
rentine?" Yes" replied the inkeeper.
." ."tvt not for you" Read pleaded but
in vain. The inkeeper meant bust
ness. Read, in a verey persuasive
manner explained that he would col.
1T a number of Lills and pay his
arrears after breakfast, but Mr.. Tur-
rentine calmly told him to collect his
bills before breakfast and the news.
paper man was forced to retrace his
steps amid the jeers of his compan-
ions. Returning to his room, he told
Warner to go to one of the business
houses and to saloon and get oysters
cheese, crackers and bottle of
whisky, all on the strength of adyer.
tiSing. while he went to another hus.