River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-09-27
Arteihus Ward-His Early Writing
DAYS.

can write. refer 10 luS history Vi Tue
first letter he ever wrote as humorist,
for the Cleveland Pldtadealer, of which,
owing to the sickness of my brother,
j. w. Gray, at that time was editor.
At this time, Charley Browne Arte.
musl was our local editor.
We entered the office at about the
same time on one very stormy morn
ing.a s:a
After looking thoughtfully for few
moments out into the storm, he turn
ed and said:
sation. item to- lay, for there must be
something to arrest attention every
day.
well, Charley you are the Local !;
60 out and hunt6ne up"
"No, sir, not if the court understands
herself, and she think she do, I'll
make one"
What out of imagination alone,
without regard to truth ?"
Certainly What has truth to do
with getting up interesting matter
Besides, this paper lays down the items
and the facts have to come to the pro-
gramme. Do you suppose Dickens fol-
lows facts, or cares for facts at all? Do
YOU believe that Ellen, the Lady of the
Lake, really had dog, Lufra If so,
your faith is too great, Deacon. No,
sir. Tell your story so as to elucidate
character, illustrate a principle, adorn
tale, or make point, and never mind
about actual transactions. Who cares
whether Ellen had dog or not?n
At this point | turned to my desk
and Charley sat modify down to his.
| heard him, in his peculiar way, show.
ing that his whole soul was absorbed
in the development of something rich
and racy. He would drive his breath
out, making Kissing noise, like that
made by an engineer testing his boiler;
then, hating for a moment, would hiss
forth the halfsuppressed laugh and
this he would keep up till his idea was
on paper, beyond loss, utterly regard
less 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 to suit him; then he
would spring up, and woe to chairs,
tables or anything else that came in his
way. He would twirl on his heel, and
haul me over backward, if / was not
on my guard.
"Well, Charley, what is it? Have you
struck le?"
~ am going" said he, to rdicule
the independence of any press that has
job Office connected with it, for news
paper epufs' are based more on money
than.merit. | am going to get up a
letter as from a wandering, illiterate
'cuss' Snowman, whose whole establish
ment would cost about Sl3.42, all told.
l have. seen just such chap, named
Ward, up in Lucas county, so that my
letter will come nearer being founded
upon fact as fictitious writer's say, than
an average. I'll make him call on us to
puff his show and give as reason
that he is going to have all his showbills
printed at our office. His spelling shall
be the comment on his merits, and his
reason for being pulled shall show the
independence of the press"
Charley Browne wrote very wiggly
hand. He was very tenacious of hav-
ing his matter just as he wanted it, and
would often set his own articles, and no
one else was ever permitted to read his
proofs for him. This is the said letter
To the Editor--:
SIR: I'm moving along--slowly along
down lords your place. want you
should write me letter, sayin how is
the show bizness in your place. Ny
show at present consist of 3 moral
Bares, kangaroo Ca amoozin little Ras.
3ssstl@t' would make you larf yerself to
deth, to see the little cuss jump up and
squealbawax tigers of G. Washington
Gen. Tayler John Bunyan Capt. Kidd
and DR.. Webster in the act of KILN
DIR. Parkman, besides several miscel-
anyusanaoral wax statoots of pirits 4
muderers &c exalted by few and exceld
by none. Now Mr.. editor scratch OFF
a few lines sayin how is the show biz.
ness down to your place. shall
have my handbills dun at your offiss.
Depend upon it. Iwant you should git
my handbills up in hamin stile, also git
up q tremenjus excitement in yer paper
bowt my onparaie.ed show. We must
fetch the public somehow. We must
work on their feelings. Cum the NOR
al on them strong. If its temperance
community tell EN- sined the pledge
fifteen minutes after Ise born, but on
the contery eff your people take their
tods, say Mr.. Ward is as jeniel Teller
as we ever met, full of convivisllty, and
the life and sole of the soshul Bored.
Take don't you? II you say anything
about my show, say my snaix is as
harmless as the new born Babe. What
a interestin study il is to see a zewolog.
ical auimil like snaik under perfeck
subjecshun? Ny Kangaroo is the most
lariable little cuss / ever saw. All for
Is cents. | am ANXIOUS to skewer