Mr. Small failed to adopt the law as his profession and turned his entire attention to journalism. He first became a reporter on the Nashville Republican Banner, but soon after removed to Greenville, Tennessee where he edited a weekly paper, and acted as private secretary to ex-President Johnson for nearly two years. The year 1874 found him in Houston, Texas, still in the newspaper business. After laboring on nearly all the journals of Houston, he returned to Georgia in May, 1875. It was in this month that he became connected with the Atlanta Constitution, in whose columns his humorous writings first came under public notice. The humor of Old Si, his _nom de plume_, began by his writing short and spicy paragraphs as coming from an aged negro. These grew into larger paragraphs, and gradually into lengthy articles, which were widely copied. Mr. Small is an expert stenographer and reports the official proceedings of the circuit court of Atlanta. He was connected with the Constitution, and was one of that journal’s most valued writers, up to March, 1882, when he became sole editor and proprietor of a prosperous weekly paper in Florida. In his Florida venture, the Jacksonville Union, Old Si appears as brilliant as ever, as the annexed selection will show: FLORIDA POLITICIANS AND ALLIGATORS. “I kinder likes dis sort ob climack!” said Old Si, as he come into the office last evening. “In what way?” “Well, I likes to be ’round whar yer kin hang up yer obercoat soon ez yer buys it an’ set ’round in yur shurt-sleebes jest ez well on New Year ez yer kin on de Foth o’ July!” “That is pleasant.” “Yes, sah, an’ dat’s what meks me say what I do. Dar’s plenty ob helth down heah if you jess knows how to fin’ it. De only place whar you kant fin’ it is in er allygator’s mouf!” “Then your advice is that people should come to Florida, but beware of the alligator?” “Dat’s hit! I ain’t got no use for ’er allygator hits to much like er pollytishun--got mo’ mouf dan vittals an’ mo’ hide dan honisty!” And with this epigram the old man bowed himself out of the sanctum. CHARLES HOYT. Frederick Hudson, in his History of Journalism in America, credits the Boston Post with having originated the column of funny paragraphs which are now seen in nearly all the leading newspapers of the United States. The All Sorts column of the Post was started when that paper first appeared, over half a century ago. It was in this department that Mrs. Partington and her son Ike were first introduced to the humor-loving public, and scores of writers have sent forth their wit, during the fifty years past, through this same medium.