The Lincoln County herald., 1873-03-12
American uumOriSts,

American uumorists,
We enjoy having . new name 10 ad
mire and laud, and after little while We
enjoy its depreciation aud denunciatiou.
We all seem willing to lit q person TO a
certain height, and We relish seeing him
there ss soon as We can deludc ourselves
with the notion that we aided to put him
in the position. Hearing Others extol
him we grow envious aud cynical fall to
piercing him with the arrows Of satire,
and are delighted when be is down, never
to rise again.
A slight retrospect will prove the
truth of tho statement. We can easily
recall the wide popularity Doesticks
(Nlortimer Thompson) gained as q hu
morist. His Damphool was in every
bodys mouth, aud 10 many persons char
acter. His sketches we're laughed at
immodcrately. lie came from Detroit,
Michigan, to New York aud the Tribune,
and scintilated for year or tWo. Then
he was pronounced wearisome, and ere
long he sank out of sight. He wrote for
the weekly papers, but lost his attraction
and recently went to Minneapolis, Mime.
sofa, to assist in editing daily.
Artcmus Ward followed. From .
humble local on q Cleveland, Ohio journal,
he rose to more than national reputation.
His phrases were quoted by the people,
and his lectures drew crowds. He suf
fered an eclipse. He went to England
because, as it was said, his jokes we're all
known here. lie died, aud the encomi-
ums that had been suspended we're re
vived over his grave.
"Nasby" (Locke) rose to fame imme
diately after the war had his cumiua-
ton and decline. You seldom see his
badly spelled screeds, though he lectures
with pccuniary profits; edits the Toledo
Blade, and is worth $3.50, 900.
Orpbens g. Kerr (Robert II. Newall)
was highly commended for his clever
satires on the Army Of the Potomac in q
New York weekly, but became invisible
with the return Of peace. He is attached
at present to the World, and does the
Social Studies" iu the Sunday issues.
Mark Twain (Samuel l. CIements)
was brought to the surface by his Jump
ing Frog" and uuvcrsally advertised by
his extremely ludicrous "Inuocerts
Abroad" As the funny man on the
Galaxy he was pronounced such failure
that he retired from his department in
confusion and panic. His "Rouahine
) 1t" is wholly inferior to his other book
though it has sold largely. The public
are wcarying Of him little, and he must
arouse himself if he cares for his laurels
Bret Hart conquered attention by bis
. extraordinary tales in the Overland and
grew celebrated by his riAe eth.
o Heather Chince." Critics and publica
tious bid for him, and Boston and the
, Atlantic carried him off, Since then he
has been stiflcd almost. We have had nt
really clever thing from him, according
to the critics, who consider his reign u
an end.
John Hay came home from Europe
wrote "Little Breechss" and "Jim Blud
soc" and was made the theme of countless
paragraphs. His admirable book, "Cas
= tilian Days." gave him reputation anon:
q the cultivated, but they are the few
He is doing fine stroug work on tb'
o Tribune, but he is slipping out Of th'
I public eye.
Joaquin Miller, the poet of the Sierras
has almost had his day. His songs ar
4 pronounced monotouous, and bis geniu
q q manufactured article.
a We await, at this moment, anothe
coming man-somebody to put up 40,
; pull down. He will be along anon
:, The question it: Do our humorists an'
- literary lights decline, or do we declar
them exhausted because they are such, o
r because we are merely fckleY IN. Y
. Correspondent St. Louis Globe.
WHERE DICKENS SLEEPs.-Edmuu
Z Yates writes the following after visit t
q the tomb of Dickens: Death too
J, Charles Dickens suddenly, but who shal
II say no seized upon him unprepared
. Our shaft may bc swift as the lightning
% fash, or We may humble over our bead
T. for fourscore years, and die unresdJ
u 1t ia sufficient for US to know that Go
D. took him in his own good time and tha
be had been permitted to gil place y
:. |. the history Of his age, to enjoy a career
q and to accomplish q life-work whic
u kings and conquerors might envy. Tba
- life work accomplished, he sleeps i
Westminster Abbey. There was prop
g osition that he should be buried i
u Rochester Cathedral, Rochester, whic
70 10 the Cloisterham Of Edwin brood, clos
y to bis old Keutish home but the voic
T. of England spoke out, demanding ths
. her great son should be laid among th
u ashes Of the dead 10 that poets corne
u which has been consecrated by the grea,
y est, wisest and best Of our countrymeu
Aud there he lies, at the foot of Hande
. :. and at the head of Sheridan, with Rich
~ ard Cumberland resting on bis right hant
'" aud the grea. historian Macau'ay on h
7. laGN Hia nraua Ia naas Tho cnnf. nH A Z