The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-12-30
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"ARTEMus WARD
BY JAMES PARTON.

In the beautiful town of Cleveland, Ohio
ten years ago, was introduced. one Sun.
day morning, to Mr.. Charles f, Browne
who had recently acquired celebrity by
, his Artemus Ward le6tore, in the Cleve-
land Plaindedler. Fe was then 20 years
of age, of somewhat slender form, but with
rudy cheeks and a general appearance of
health and vigor. He was the local edi-
tor of the Plaindealer, and had the ready,
cordial and off hand manner of the mem
beers of the Western press. Like other
professional humorists, he was not partic-
ularly funny in ordinary conversation; on
the contrary, he was less so than Wastern
editors usually are. l was far from antici-
pating the career that was in storr for him
still less could have foreseen the prema-
ture death of a young man who presented
an exceptional appearance of good health.
| If he were alive to-day he would be only
SO years of age
| He was born at Waterford, in Maine,
where his father was a surveyor. His
native village as he says in one of his pa
pers, "does not contain over forty houses,
all told; but they are milk white, with the
greenest of blinds, and for the most part
are shaded with beautiful elms and will
lows. To the right of us is mountain
to the left lake. The village nestles be-
tween. Of course it does. / never read a
novel in my life in which the village did
not nestle. Villages invariably nestle"
In this secluded nook of New England, he
passed the first fourteen years of his life.
during which he acquired such education
as rather idle and sport-loving boy could
| o. Irp in ho h.,.1, l..
He went to learn the printing business at
neighboring town, called Skowhegan
where, in the office of the Skowhegan
Clarion, he learned to set type and work
the hand-press. To the last of his days he
held this place in adherence. One of his
| friends has recorded that he was accus-
toned "to set up howl of derision, u
whenever its name was mentioned and
that whenever he desired to express the
last degree of contempt for any person or
thing, he would speak of them as worthy
of Skowhegan. How many a boy has
reaped fell revenge upon teacher or an
employer by turning out to be genius,
and consigning him to universal ridicule
AT sixteen he found his way to Boston,
where he obtained employment as COM
positor in the office of the funniest period
ical then published in Boston, the CARPET
bag, to which Shillaber, Halpine, and Sake
contributed. AS he set up, from week to
week, the humorous contributions of those
writers, the conviction grew upon him that
he too could write u piece that would make
people laugh. think he must have been
reading Franklin's autobiography, or the
preface to Pickwick, for in putting his
talent to the test, he employed device
similar to that used by Franklin and
Dickens in Offering their first productions
to the press. Having written his piece in
disguised hand he put it into the edi-
( tors box. Great was his joy when it was
handed to him, soon after, to set in type.
This first piece 1 believe, was in the
style of Major Jack Downing, whose let
tiers, he once said, had more to do with
making him humorist than the produc-
TORS of any other writer.
About this time he happened to read
Bayard Taylor's Views Afoot," in which
that popular author gave an account OF
his making the tour of Europe, and pay
ing his way by working at his trade, which
was that OF a printer. Captivated by this
great example he started for the Great
West. When his money was exhausted
he would stop for while in some large
town where there was printing office and
replenish his purse; which done, he would
continue his journey. He stopped short Of
China, however. At the town of Tiffin,
Ohio, he obtained place as composition
| and oasietont editnr ot f0ur n o1la ro a uaok