Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-11-29
NEEDED 4 HUMOREsT.
The Tribe OF Humorists Passing Away
"A Melancholy Vacancy to
be Filled.

New FORK Correspondence Chicago Tribune.
It must have occurred to you that We
are just now In want of popular humor-
ist--a man who makes himself and his
audience miserable by constantly striv-
ing TO be funny. Nothing is so misera-
bic as professional droll; nor is any,
thing more unfortunate for pOorfelloW
than to have the reputation of being a
wit. He is always expected to say some
thing ludicrous, and nobody ever i'm
agines for moment that he can be se-
nous. He carries about the memory of
his fame, and feels the urgent need Of
utterang something to keep himself up
to his own standard. When he wishes
to put of the mask of the mounfebank,
he is unable to do so. His earnestness
is mistaken for covert joke, and his
sincerity for delicate irony. To explain
his melancholy mood he says that his
mother has just died, and the announce
ment is received with bursts of laughter.
THE LINE OF OUR SUCCESSION
OF humorists has been for some years
unbroken. Before the war we had
Mortimer Thompson (Doesticks), whose
ment for a while, and furnished the ma
terial for half a dozen volumes. He
passed from public attention almost as
abruptly as he had entered upon it, and
many persons supposed him dead, when
he was only doing regular work. He is
now toiling at the oar of the journalistic
galleys in a Northwestern town.
Charles +. Browne lArtemus Ward)
sr.H
land PlGindedler, Though he had not the
slightest notion at the time that he was
doomed to create a sensation. He came
to New York; he grew famous; he lee
tured to audiences saturated with laugh
ter; his phrases passed into the cur
rency Of talk; he went abroad; he forced
even the English to appreciate a joke
without the aid Of surgical instruments;
and there he died, a careless, clever,
fellow TO the last.
Robert Il. Newall ("Orpheus G. |
herr'') hlOssOmed into cOnspicuousness
turing the war by his clever satires, in
4 city weekly, on the Army Of the PO-
lOmac and the mastery inactivity of
Mcclellan. When the rebellion ended |
lie devoted himself to poetry and serious
abor, and was almost forgotten in con- |
sequence. For some time past engaged /
Ip0n the World, he is rarely mentioned |
because he has abandoned the once no. |
oriOus "Mackeral Brigade"
d. r. Locke ("Petroleum Y. Nasby'') /
himself into popularity by /
the Bourbon Democrats, and |
he press bristled with his letters from /
he "CrOss Roads, In these DAYS he is /
neglected. Even the personal paragraph /
Olumn seldom mentions him, and he |
an afford to do without mention, since |
le has an annual income Of thirty or
Orty thousand dollars.
Samuel L. Clemens Mark Twain /
ickled theCalitOrnians amazingly: but
is first little book, containing "The /
umping Frog Of Calayeras,n - and other
had a very small sale. He
vent abroad with the pious pilgrims of
be Quaker City," as correspondent of
be Attd California, and on his Observa-
ions Of foreign lands founded "The In
ocents Abroad The volume has sold
ne hundred and twenty thousand cop
IS, and fixed his fate as a humorist
lis third book, "ROughing IT, has
cen extremely popular, but shows an
yident falling Off He is not likely
gain to do anything half so good as
The Innocents Abroad" >" itis unfair to
xpect man to be constantly repeating
is triumphs); but the reputation he
as acquired viii last him throughout
fe. He is now in Europe, seeking new
lateral for still another insertion be-
yeen covers.
Bret Harte revealed his deep fund of
lmOrtO the great mass by his '.Heathen
hinee," though it is insignificant COM ,
ired to much else that he has done.
reat things were expected OF him when
e came to the East; but, weighed down
? his consciousness Of reputation, his
gorous intellect appears to have been i,
capable of perfect exercise. He may
, collecting his forces for "a grand men
/ assault; or he may have won his J
ightest victory, and lost the old cum
ng of attack J
"Josh Billings whose name is
Jaw, still grinds away on his caco- )
aphic, and succeeds in putting them I
upon a large number of people as C
imor. Nobody can say be has failed,
cause failure presuppOses exaltation at
asst in attempt. He is no worse now :
an he has been at any time. He
light continue this writing for centu-
IS without the least variation. He de- 5
ares that he tried to be funny in good
lglish, and was pronounced a bore. Il
e tries now to be funny in bad English. d
ID, in my mind, he has improved in 0
3 capacity to bore. n
Our humorists are manifesdy y
ON THE wANE.
There is a vacant situation, and the =
veral thousands of them scattered
rOughOut the country, who think
born to awake laughter. =
ould all apply for the vacancy. Pos u
Wy some of them may secure it, and '
en- we can have a fresh supply of
eariness until the dull public discovers
at it has been, for the hundredth time, 7
ioled. i