Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-09-25

| mess, ana engaged young Daily a.
clerk. AdmOnished by late expe
rience, his employer became fear
fully economical, and after purchas
ing a boatload of oats that ha,
been under water, he violently exeI
cised this new trait in setting Jane
to VIC. < turning tanning mill, il
the top loft of four story building
Having raised the wind considerably
and cleaned out the oats, he wen
home to die, but eventually recover
ed, and in the fall of 1860 removed
to Danbury, Conn.
While in Albany, August, 1860
young Bailey first appeared in print
The Gossiper's Club of The Neu
York Mercury gave him this oppor-
tunity, and he continued a contribut
or to the club for year and a hal
after gong to Danbury. In this
and indeed up to 1870, although
writing with a free will, there was
little or no attempt at humor. In
Danbury he worked with his step.
father at carpentering and in the
summer of 1862, when the work was
scarce, he engaged with farmer
to bind oats at the exasperating rate
of 20 cents per day. On day suffic-
cd to fill his soul with the freedom
and independence of agricultural life;
but the voluminous pain in the small
of his back on the Governing of the
first day." he said would have made
dead man dissatisfied. Here, no
doubt, he CLEANED that aggressive
knowledge of agriculture, which SO
often gives body and weight to The
Ne,os He enlisted as private in
the 18th Connectic Volunteers. in
August 1862, and served until the
close Of The war unpromoted. At
Gettysburg, together with his friend
and present partner, Mr.. Donovan,
he was captured and imprisoned in
Richmond, where he was kept some
two months.
His letters from the army for The
Danbury Times gave him quite To-
cal reputation, but made it rather
warm for him in his regiment. He
was a good soldier, never Sinking
any duty. st length he was notified
of his appointments to a SCI geantcy.
Upon appearing for confirmation,
and securing his warrant, the colon
el Of his regiment happened to re-
member that private Bailey had,
like private Miles O'Reilly, been
"roiting" home, had abused him
somewhat forcihly in his home paper,
The Ddnbury Times. The colonel
gave him some excellent advice, and
ordered him back to his quarters
and at the end of the war be return
ed as privately as he had gone away.
In September, 1866, Mr. Bailey with
a fellow member of the regiment
with whom be was captured, Mr..
Thomas Donovan. bought out The
Danbury Times. March l, 1870, The
was consolidated with
The Times thus making The Ban
bury Ne,cs.
IL was not until 1870-in The
News-that Mr.. BaiIy began his
squibbing. He soon
found that he had struck a "lead,"
ana so quickly did the sleuth hounds
of the press discover it, that in three
months the exchange list doubled.
This he rather liked, and as be wrote
for the pure love of writing, be stuck
to it. His exchanges, not knowing
the name of the author Of the ex-
qusits humor so continually and
steadily creeping into The Ne,OS,
doubled him "Ihe Danbury NelcS
man." by which sobrlquet only he is
still known to a vast majority Of
those he has made healthier and hap
pier. Thus he went on, quietly sap
ping the very foundations of long
winded fun, until the entire press of
the country, including the great
metropolitan journals. fairly rocked
with his understanding "screeds"
and exalting narratives of men, wo-
men, and Other members Of the ami.
NAL and vegetable kingdom pent up
in Danbury. And so important
have the concerns Of the people, ETC.,
of Danbury become to the people of
this country, that it would be as inn
possible TO find whole copy of The
NelcS in an editors sanctum as to
discover the slightest remnant Of
conscience in a defunct railroad con-
ductor. On personal appearance Mr..
Bailey may be said to be o handsome
man, although he wears bis hair nat
III ally, and don't affect a lavender
necktie. His under lip indicates
man who will stand by all be has
said in The Nel0S, which is rather
bad for Danbury. Although he is
happily welded, the fact should not
be held from any large family of
grown daughters that Danbury is in
Connecticut.