Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-03-30
NEWS AND MISCELLANY.
Artemus ward-H,s Literary career.


Ir. Browne; and the little telegram
hat tells of his death will be read with |
peculiar pain and sadness in Cleveland. |
& was here that his genius for humor
rystalized in the "Artemus Ward" let
ers, and it was whilst member of
he Cleveland press that he received
his first hearty round of public APP
olause. He commenced his career
lere, and, but for the encouragement
hat his early efforts received from
Cleveland friends, he would hardly
have achieved the wonderful success
that finally fell to his share.
We well remember when NJ. Browne
first took the ''lccal's" rNst on the
1t was in the summer of
1858. His experience as a press
writer had previously been limited to
a short apprenticeship as local editor
on Toledo paper, and to stray COM
munic itions to Mr.. Shillaber's Boston
Carpet Bag; upon which paper he
worked as a composition. About the
first humorous article that he ever
wrote-and 1t was one of his best-was
a description of Fourth of July cele-
bration in New England village. The
grand spectacle of the day was the rep
of the battle of Yorktown
George Washington and Lord Corn
Wallis in character. Before the affair
was over, Washington got drunk, and
had desperate fisticuff battle with
CORVALLIS, aad came out second best.
This article was timidly handed Shilla-
Der, whom its rich humor delighted.
The paper was also printed IN the
Plaindealer, soon after he commenced
work upon it.
Mr.. Brown first worked upon the To
ledo Commercial as compositor; but
two or three comic scraps contributed
to that paper betrayed his rare humor
to the editor, and a position IN the
sanctum was the result. 1t was not
long afterwards that Mr.. J. w. Gray,
the founder oil the Plaindealer, effected
an engagement with Mr.. Browe. He
became local and commercial editor of
the paper. As mere reporter he was
decidedly not ga uccess''-lacking the
necessary enterprise and industry; but
he was literally running over with hu-
NOR, so that his column was always a
fovorite with readers, whether 1t pre-
scented any news or not. One OF his
best "hits" was stake off" on Bon
nerism" in the Ledger. Mr.. Bonner
announced that the Lions of the New
York Press were all writing for the
Ledger" Thereu n Mr.. Brown came
out one evening wItn the startling an
nouncement that "rhe Tigers OF the
Cleveland Press were ali writing for
he PlaIndealerp The next evening APP
peared letters-written III the broadest
burlesque-from the different Cleve-
land editors. Mr.. Benedict wrote on
etiquette" aud Mr.. Gray on 'Danc-
ing" We cannot remember the sub
iect of MIR. Harris able article.
1t was while on the Plaindealer that
Mr.. Browne adopted the nom de plume
of "Artemus Ward"-a character that
he individualized so thoroughly that
the old Snowman has always seemed
like veritable parsonage, even to those
who knew that he was but the creation
of humorist's pen. The Ward letters
were great success from the first, and
were eagerly copied by the press every
where. Some of them travelled across
the Atlantic, and made their aAthor
known to English readers. The best
of these letters appeared in the Plain
dealer.
In the winter of 1860 "Artemus
Ward" accepted an offer from the pro-
prietors of Vanity Fair, and for con-
siderable time was a leading editor on
that paper-contributing a continue
ton of the Ward letters, and number
of burlesque stories, tine best OF which
was 1.-THE Fair Inez, or the Lone Lady
of the Crimson Cliffs"
After a comparatively short connec-
ton with Vanity Fair, Mr.. Browne
concluded to enter the lecture field. -
In the latter he was even more success
full than as a writer. Two campaigns
in this feel lined his pockets with a
considerable sum of money, and made
him widely famous as a humorist. He
then went to California and UGah-lec-
turing and seeing the sights. Upon
his return he wrote new lee
ture-about four-fifths burlesque
and One-fifth fact-and with a Nor
mon panorama, commenced evening
entertainments at Dodworth's Hall,
New York city. Crowds went to see
his pictures and to hear his irresistibly
funny lectures, and for time he was
the attraction of the metropolis. Mr..
Brownies success was not attributable
alone to his humor; contrary to the ex-
pec6atlons of his friends, he proved
himself q most skillful manager
ing to possess an intuitive perception
as to the best manner of securing pop
ulsr patronage. One of his New York
advertisements consisted of a couple of
men, attired in a costume, half Indian
and half Yankee, who paraded up and
down Broadway, decked out in feath-
ers, paint, ''stand-up" collars, mecca.
sins and cotton umbrellas, and bear
ing placards setting forth the attrac-
tions OF Dodworth's Hall.
After performing a rev months at
New York, the panorama was taken
through the United States-everywhere
drawing immense crowds.
''Artemus Ward" sailed for England
last fall with his panorama. The sue
cess that awaited him there could
scarcely have been anticipated, even by
the most extravagant of his friends.
Almost from the moment of his arrival
in London, he was one of the principal
"lions" of the place. The first week
he spent as regular contributor to
Punch-a powerful medium whereby to
advertise himself to the British pubic.
He then opened his exhibition in the
Egyptian Hall, where he confined Civ.
ing entertainments until prevented by
the illness that resulted in his death.
The London papers We'd with each
other IL their laudations of the Ameri-
can humorist. Even the Spectator
came out in two or three column crit
icism of "Artemus Ward, which was