Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-11-08
Decline Of Popular Hum orists.


Decline Of Popular HumOrists.
We can easily recall the wide. popularity
Doesticks Mortimer Thompson} gained ssi a
humorist. His Dam phool was ip, everybody 4
mouth, and in rha6y persons characters, His
sketches were cepied all over; The land, and
laughed at atimmoderatelyA He came from De.
troit, Michigan, to New orr ana the Tribune
and scintillated tor year"or tive? "e4hen b:
was pronounced wearisome, eand.1ers long be
sank out of sight. He, wrote for. the cweeki5
story papers, but he had Lost his attraction
and recently went to Minneapolis, Minnesota,
to assist in editing 3 daily, .;,, ..I1sm pt;t =
Artemus Ward fGltowed. From h, an humble
rose to more than national reputation His
phrases were quoted By the people, and his
lectures drew crowds He suffered an eclipse
He went to England because, asSis was said,
his Jokes were, all known here. He died ea,fd
the encomiums that had been suspended were
revived over his grave. ,,,o.,t, "a yo.rd -
'sNasby" Locke) rose to fame immediately
after the war; had his elimination and decline.
You seldom see his badly spelled screeds now,
though he lectures with pecuniary profit !;
edits the Toledo Blade; and isEworth' $3.50, 900.
Orpheus, G. Kerr Robert III. "NeWall) was
highly commended for his olsvery satires on the
Army of the Potomac in a New Yerka weekly,
but became invisible with the returnsof peaer:
He is attached at present to the staff of the
World, and does the, Social Studies" I'M the
Sunday issue. .,.,,....t,>.t,..A,;S !"
Marx Twain samuel L: Clemeus) was
brought to the surface By his jumping Fog, >:
and universally advertised by his extremely
ludicrous ,"Innocepts Abroad AS the funny
man on the Galaxy he was pronounced such q
failure that he retired from his department. iu
confusion and panic. His "Ronehing IT, rs
wholly inferior to his other book. though it
has sold largely The pubic are, wearEtg Of
him a little, and he must arouse himself if he,
cares for bis aurels" '.'f 2,'i', i4a. , Il II
Bret Harte conquered attention by Ris.extra.
ordinary tales In the Overland, and grew cefe,
brated by his trihe, "Tbe Heather Chinee,"
Cities and publications bid for him, and 'Bos-'
ton and the Atlantic carried Him off. Since
then, he has been stifed almost We, have
had no really clever thing from him. according
to the critics, who consider bis reign .at an end.7
John Hay came. home from Europe Wrote
Little -Breeches" :; and .S.lim :Bhdsoe,,s a.
and was made theltheme. Of countless para
graphs His admirable book, CastilHan Dayss,3
gave him reputation among the cultivated,
but they are the few. Hell }, doipg fine
and strong work on the Tribune, but he ls slip.
pug Out VI luS puUuErEfCsaa :! -'+'1 -,
Even Joaquin Miller, the poet OF the Sierras,
has almost had his day. His. songs are pro
nouuced monotonous, and his genus q manu-
tactured article. >'.' '"@ ''.'' 4u:- 4yd!n: Dn
We await, at this moment, another coming,
man-somebody to put up and, rpuA down.
He will be along anon. The: question. is, DO
our humorists and literary lights decline, or do
we get tired Of saying kind things of@them Z
Do we declare them exhausted because they
are such, Or because. We reneerely hek!e'l--Ssts
Louis Globe. .,.l3,.s,. lsj .lyo" e'd'
CRUMBS OF CoMroRr. There has, been no
time, until now, within the last, twelve years,
when the Tribune was not supposed TO Keep,
for the benefit of the dlaand7incapabler r. sort
of Federal employmenti ageIey estabhshed TO
get places under gevesBnaent FOR th6see who
were iodisposed to work for l.theif living, Any
man who had ever voted the. KepNbl ticket
believed that it was the duty and the privilege
of the editor of this papeEto get hrm1 a'piaee
in the Custom. house. I, Every pee. .hosed 'pohtl;
clan who had beenin the Caucus and fought at
the polls, looked 70 theeditor Of the Tribune to
secure his appointment as gauger, 9r as army
chaplain, or as minister 10 France. Every cam'
paign orator came, upon. us after the battle e was
over for recommendation aslSecretary OF tne
Treasury or the loan of bafla dollar. Ii one q
our party had an interest pending at w ashlng-
ton, the editor Of the Tribune was telegraphed g
this bill, crush that one, promote 4ona PROJECT
or stop another He was. to be. .Everybedy
Friend, with nothing to do but to itaRe care or
other folks business, sign papers, write Letters,
and ask favors for them, and to get: 40, thanks
for it either. Feur!fffhs Of these people were
sent away without what they wanted. only to
become straightway abusive ,enemlesi-..it was
the worry Of life to try TO pgrahty one demand.
in dozen for the othen 6fth.ti" nv .,s,
The man with two wooden legs c6ugratqlatss ss q.
himself that hejeould never be troubled WIN
cold feet. 1t is source Of profound tsatistac.
ton to us that Office seekers will keep; Aioot
from defeated candidate who has not tnauenee
enough at Washington OF Albany TO-, geo 3
sweeper appointed under the Ssrgeans,saEsiaS iaSlyns
or deputy sub-assistant tempSrafy cisrk. l1lQ
the naste bet sectionuf uf the f1idl0g. ro2p, At
last we shan be let saose W mind otf 6%h at
fairs and manage onr Own newspaper without
being called aside every hour to help lazy peo-
I p)e whom we don't know and to spend our
Strength in efforts that only bene6tpeqple who
1on't deserve assistance. At last we shall keep
m,r Office clear of blathef- sixties and p0ttlcal
begeers and 20 about our daily work with the
/ satiisfaction of knowing that not the most cred
alous of place. hunters viii suspect nsot ihaylng
ary credit with tho appointing powers. = nst .
1 one of the results Of Tuesdays eleetto1 TOT
/ which we own ourselves profoundly gratefp. - :
a Eao York Tribune. .....H ~ .n,s'"';
"a ..:l.I--...---.-- ------ IA.
4 WASH FOR THE HA1RTTWhen the hay v
r allipe off, the. following tonic wash will BE- =,
ound very useful Take half al fluid is o1nSs 81
cncture of quinine one drachm OF bcareeInaes
d ammonia, aud ;6ve and a.hslf Ounces OF rose
& 'ater; first dissolve the ammonia in water, ts ,
: hen add the tincture. Apply it'gedtiy to tne
bots of the hair twice a ~eek,sos' ofteser a ~ y
4 Dund to be beneficial. A'h" '.,,'''.nt,1 ''n,1'n y
i WHlsKEY GoR CHICKEN CH0EEMRAA p - Z. m Writer
4 Naes that, after faiiihg a@ith.,red peppeE,. .he
gave awo tablespoonful Qf gQ asr sani.. 1s.c
1to chicks badly reduced by: chfckeA snele.if,