Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-01-23
ARTEMUS WARD.
How he Came 60 write His First
"Wax Figger" letter.

How he Came TO Write His First
"Wax Figger" letter.
From. the Washington Chronicle.l
AS meteor startles us with its brief
but brilliant, blaze. flying through the
heavens in the gloom Of night, so the
.humorist Browne (Artemus Wardl burst
upon the plodding world with his nnri-
vailed glow of health-provoking mirth,
soon, by the fat of fate, to be followed by
the other extreme-grief at his prema-
turely early exit. lVD lt1ud d ~
There is a characteristic chapter in
his advent yet unwritten, which | only
can give, and which / propose togive,
suggested by a statement from Dom
Piatta i allude to the circumstances
under which bis first Ward letter was
written, and the point he aimed at. The
health Of my brother, j. W. Gray, hav,
ing failed, i was called to his editorial
chair, and thus became associated with
Mr.. Browne on the Cleveland Plain
dealer III WGT fy nm.
Soon after being thus associated with
him, a lively discussion arose between
us, which was prelude to that initiative
first letter. in which, TO use figure, he
aimed at big game-aimed well and
brought it handsomely down, but the
crowd was SO charmed with the ieport
of his piece that no one ever SAN the
game he bagged.
This was a source Of infinitely greater
amusement to Mr.. Browne than was his
letter to the people, and as paper after
paper came in from day to day with his
letters copied, and his point utterly ig-
nored in the editorial comments, Arte-
mus went wild over the more comical
idea that he had completely hid his sub
iect under the ridiculous rags he had
clothed him only as ornaments, and
what he had intended as a keen, sharp
point was wholly lost.
He at once decided to hide the game
and accept the plaudits awarded him,
for hit he had no idea Of making, and
never, in any subsequent letter, did he
allude to the lest point.
This is its history:
We entered the Office about the same
time on one very stormy morning
u The winds did blow as if they'd blow their
The rattli9s rain came pouring thick and
fast"
After looking thoughtfully for few
moments out into the storm, he turned.
and said:Ol lp ana HrluE aai
deacon, what can have for sensa-
ton item to-day, for there must be some
thing to arrest attention every day.
- Well, Charley, you are the , local,
20 out and hunt one up.
20 No, sir, not if the court understands
herself, and she think she do. I'll make
one.pa a1nllt I iaclu N.FlsT
What out of Imagination alone,
without regard TO truthY'l esutu
Certainly What has truth to do
with getting up interesting reading mat
ter2 Besides, this paper lays down the
items, and the facts have got to come to
the programme. Do you suppose Dick
ems, the writer of the age, follows facts,
or cares for a fact at all2 Do you be-
lieye that Ellen, the Lady Of the Lake,
really had dog, Lufra2 Do you be-
lieve Esquire Bunyan knew .elever
chap (PilD who waded through mud
hole and saw two lions lying down in
the road2 Do you think Mr.. Millions
got a sort Of hiplock on Esquire Lucifer,
and tumbled him over a pressed-brick
wall7a If SO, great is your faith, Deacon.
No, sir. Tell your story so as to eluci-
date character, illustrate a principle,
adorn tale, or make point, and never
mind about actual transactions. What
did IL matter whether old Prod killed
fatted calf, o.. kid, or capon2 Parental
iov and forgiveness we're illustrated by
old Prod, and young Prod made a fine
showing Of wildcats farmer retiring
from business satisfied. rMf
At this point turned to my desk and
Charley sat moodily down to his.
By the time nv thoughts were well en-
xaged in my leader / heard Charley
in his peculiar way, showing that his
whole soul vas absorbed in the develop
ment Of something rich and racy. He
would drive bis breath out, making a
Kissing noise, like that made by an en-
gineer testing his boiler, then, hating
for q moment, would hiss forth the halt
suppressed laugh and this he would keep
up till his idea was on paper, beyond
loss. utterly regardless Of surroundings.
turned and said " Charley, you've
got him now. -....
But during such time nothing could
arrest his attention, not even the cry Of
fire. in my opinion, till he had his con
ception down just to suit; then he would
spring up, and wo to chairs, tables, or
ANYTHING else that came in bis way. He
would tWirl on his heel, and ten 70 one