The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-11
Ghp1'ttelligt'
ARTEMUs WARD.
something about the Man and his
lIumOr.

In tho Spring, alter his fifteenth BIRTH
day, Charles Farrar Browne badc iate.
well to the Skowhegan Clarion; ana we
next hear Of him In The Office OF the Carpet
Big, edited by d. p. Shillaber, Units.
partlngton'C Lean, lank, but strangely
appreciative, young Browne used to set
my articles from lie pens Of Charles G,
Ilalpine C'Miles O'Riclly') and John T..
SAKE, the poet Here he wrote hIs first
contribution IN disguised hand, slyly put
il into the editorial box, and tho next day
disguised bis pleasure while setting II up
himseli The article was q description Of
A Fourth Of July celebration in skowhe-
gan, The spectacle Of the day was q
representation Of the battle Of Yorktown,
with G. Washington and General Horace
CORVALLIS in character. The article
pleased Mr.. Shlllaber, and Mr.. Browne,
aNcrwarL speaking Of Il, said: II went to
the theatre that evening, had a good time
Of IT, and thought was the greatest man
in Boston"
While engaged on the Carpet Bag, the
subject OF our sketch closely studied the
theatre and courted the society Of actors
and actresses. II was in this way that he
gained that correct and valuable knowl-
edge of the texts and characters Of the
drama, which enabled him in after years
IN burlesque them so successfully. The
humorous writings OF Seba Smith were
his models, and the oddities Of "John
PhTnix" were his especial admiration.
Being Of rowing temper, Charles
Browne soon left Boston, and, after trav-
cling as a iourneyman printer over
much of New York and Massachusetts, he
turned up in the town Of TiGin, Seneca
COUNTY, Ohio, where he became reporter
and Composltor at "a per week. After
making many friends among the good
citizens Of Tiilln, by whom he is remem.
berGd as n patron Of side shows and trav-
cling circuses, our hero suddenly set out
for Toledo, on the lake, where lie imme-
diatcly madea reputation as q writer Of
sarcastic paragraphs In the columns of
tho Toledo Commercial. He waged a
vigorous newspaper war with the report
crs Of the Toledo Blade, but while the
BlUie INDUCED in violent vituperation,
"ArtCmus" was good. natured and full of
humor. His column soon gained local
lame and everybody read II. His fame
even Travelled away to Cleveland, where,
in 1853, when Mr.. Browne was "a years
olagc, Mr.. }. w. Gray, OF the Cleveland
PlaiadedIer, secured him aslocal reporter,
al a salary Of $l2 per week. Here his
reputation first began to assume national
character, and 1t was here that they called
him "lOol" when he mentioned the idea
Of taking the field as q lecturer.
Charles Browne was not successful as q
news reporter, lacking enterprise and
energy, but his success lay in writing up
in n burlesque manner well.knOwn public
affairs like prize fights, races, spiritual
meetings, and political gatherings. His
department became wonderfully humor.
ons, and was alwaysa iavorite with read
ers, whether there was any news in 1t or
not. Sometimes he would have whole
column Of letters from young ladies in
reply 10 ianCied matrimonial advertise
mrnt and then he would have column of
answers 10 general correspondents like
this: ... '.. ~
VERITAs.-Many make the same error
Mr.. Key, who wrote the "Star Spangled
Banner" is not the author of Hamlet"
tragedy. lie wrote the banner bust.
ncss, and assisted in 1.-THE Female Pirate,n
int dM not 'Orits "Hamlet." "Hamlet"
was written by talented but unscrupu-
lOus man named Macbeth, afterwards
tried and executed for numbering sleep"
lOUNG CLERGYMAN Two pints OF
rum, two quarts Of hot water, tea-cup Of
sugar, and lemon; crate in nutmeg, stir
thoroughly, and dring while hot. t
Ii was during his engagement on the.
NGHdealer that he wrote, dating from
Indiana, his first communicatl0n-the
first published letter following this sketch,
signed "Artcmus Ward" a So6riQWet pure
ly incidental, but borne with. the ~"
changed TO an "a" by an AmericAn Revo.
lntonary General. II was here that Mr.:
Browne became, in words, the. possessor
Of u moral show Consisting OF three
moral bares, a kangaroo Ia amOozing little
rascal, 'twould make you larf yourself to
death to see the little cuss jump and
squeaD, wax figures Of G. Washington,
NC, &c" Hundreds Of newspapers
copied this letter, and Charles Browne
awoke one morning to find himself IA
nous. no.. n...I...
In the PIdiadtdler office, his cOmpan-
ion, George Hoyt, writes; ellis desk was
rickety liable which had been whitfield
and gashed until it looked as fit had
been the victim of lightning. His chair
was fit companion thereto-a wabbling,
unsteady affair, sometimes with four and
sometimes with three legs. But Browne
saw neither the table nor the chair, nor
any person who might be near-nothing,
in TACT, but the funny pictures which were
tumbling out OF his brain. When writing,
his gaunt form looked ridiculous enough.
One leg hung over the arm OF his chair,
like great hook, while he would write
away, sometimes laughing TO himself, and
then slapping the table in the excess OF
his mirth." III
While in the Office Of the Paindealer
Mr. Browne first conceived the idea OF be-
coming Alecturer In attending various
minstrel shows and circuses which came
10 The city, he would frequently hear re-
peGted some story of his own which the
audience would receive with hilarity.
Ills best witticisms came back to him.
from the lips OF another who made liv-
lng by quoting q stolen jest. Then the
thought came to him TO enter the lecture
IleId himself, and become the utterer of
nus own witticiSms-thc moutli.piecc Of
his own iests.
On the 10th OF November, 1900, Chas.
Browne, whose lame, travelling in his let.
lers from Boston to San Francisco, had
now become NATIONAL graspcd the hands
Of his hundreds of New York admirers
Cleveland had thrnned him the monarch
OF mirth, aud u thousand hearts paid him
tributes Of admiration as he closed his
connection with the Cleveland Press.
Arriving in the Empire City, MIR,
browne soon opened an engagement with
VANITY Far humorous pIper after the
manner OF London PUneh, and ere long
he succeeded Mr.. Charles G. Leland as
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