The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-17

and Courier des Danes. IL was published only
Tor lew months of 1910, and Is noticeable prin'
cipally as the medium through which Johh
public.
All these comic periodicals we're, however,
destined to be outshone by one of higher class,
Uoth as Iegards literature and illustrations. On
the 18th OF July, 1871 appeared the first number
OF Punch, or he London OhariUdrl. Several
stories nave been told OF the origin of this
famous publication but the Bookseller believes
the truth to be that it was designed by Mr.
marx Lemon, then a tavern-keeper in Wych
street, Strand; and that his earliest coadjutors
were Gilbert Beckett. proprietor and editor of
the recently deiunCt Figaro in London; Henry
MayheW, then young and active journalist;
and Harry Grattan, husband of the public
singer. Afterwards, numerous clever writer's
HOOD, Thackeray, Jerrold, Percival Leigh,
Albert Smith, Artemas Ward, and othcrs-con-
iributed to its pages. The notion that the
literary Punch was a compound of sweet and
bitter things, rather than pictorial representa-
ton OF the popular street puppet, seems gene
rally to have been present to the minds OF its
writer's. Ea Hpssss5
A rather cruel Joke with reference to the CON
sltuent elements of Punch is attributed to Mr..
Dion Bouclclult, the dramatist, who wrote
occasional scraps in the earlier numbers.
Punch, he IS said to have explained to an
American audience was originally mixed
by four clever but comparatively unknown
men: Gilbert a Beckett provided the spirit,
Henry Mayhew the sugar, Douglas Jerrold the
acid, and Mark Lemon the spoOn!n This is not
quite accurate, as Jerrold did not write for
Punch till its eighth or ninth mum Der.
If imitation be the highest complainant that
can be paid to genius, then certainly Punch has
been complimented in the most superb manner;
for 1t has had many imitators, but few rivals.
Among these we may mention the Sgltb "a
granulatlOn of wit, satire, and amusement
started in 1872 and continued for thirty weeks:
Puck, q threepenny journal Of fun and comic
satire, issued by jeremiah Howe, of Fleet street;
the Puppet Sbo1, a smart, satircal weekly,
which appeared in the spring of lS4S, and lived
for twenty. eight weeks; the MOndi, minute
comic publication, which went to twelve num-
bers; Chat, clever little paper, the property, in
ls5O-5l, of the late Mr. Marriatt, and his sue
cessor in the newspaper trade, Henry Vicksrs:
the Man in the Moon, small octave
which went through five volumes;
and was edited by Albert Smith, after his
quarrel with Messrs. Lemon and Jerrold; Do
genes, a really humorous threepenny weekly,
OF the Family Friend (which by the way, died
out last monthly. DjOgenes was principal " illus
trated by Mr.. Watts Phillips, the dramatlst, then
a draughtsman and engraver on wood; and
amoDgits literary contributors were the Brothers
BroUgh, Angus Reach, and other less known
comic and satirical writers. DiOgeneS lived for
eighteen months. In 1854 another P1tnehtneLJo
was started, but it lasted only for twentyseven
weeks, to be followed by TO1Cn Talk, and various
small ventures in the comic vein, none of which
| reached that all-important era IN the life of
periodical-"payug" point.
In 1850 or 1851 Mr.. George Augustus Sala
| then an engraver, started London a comic
| weekly, on the plan of Punch; but it proved
non-success, and soon died. In 1868 Fun made
| its appearance, and though it has several times
changed hands, it may now be said to be an
established comic organ. Among its chief con-
tributors are its editor, "Tom Hoodn (son Of the
celebrated author of the "Song of the Shirtn)
Arthur Sketchley Mr.. Burnand, Nicholas
and MIR. II. j. Byron, the dramatist; and in the
list OF its artists we find the names of the late
Paul Gray W. Mcconnell, and Charles Bennett
the latter OF whom seeded to Punch about a
year before his death, and just previous to the
decease OF Leech, prince of caricaturists.
Later still-indeed, in the present year-we
have Judy, three-halfpenny comic Qately
raised eT t to y not % yeTy brilliant etbeE
| JOndhdlsk'' This latter is the youngest, most
| promising, and certainly the most fearless and
| original of all the comic and satrical publica-
| tiOns. 1t strikes out path of its own and
| combines the wit of Punch with the dry caustic
| humor of the OlCt-which latter periodical is
| issued, without illustrations, during the sitting
| of Parliament, and seems intended only for the
delectaton of politicians, Clubmen, and the
upper ten thousand" While we write, Half
| penny Punch has made its appearance, but it
| does not look like a success; aud Banter is an
| nounCed, as a semipOlitiCal comic weekly.
The periodicals above named have all been
| issued in London; but the metropolis is not
| alone IN the production of pictorial and written
wit and satire. In Liverpool there have been
| published, during the last few years, q IOnld-
| hdlCh, a POrcuptae, a Pan, a Lion, and other
| smart weeklles, which have lived their day and
| made their moderate successes, without, how
| ever, attracting any very large share of public
| attention beyond their own local circles