Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1875-11-04
AMERICAN HUMoR.

OF late years new and prolific race
of humorists has sprung up, and GER
tain kind Of humor eliminated from funny
mems brains that is distinctiveIy Ameri-
can in its character. twenty-five years
ago we only had Joe Miller and bis anti
quated jokes and certain solid style OF
heavy English wit as solid and undiges-
tible as plum-dutf. Our American hui
morris are just beginning to be appre-
ciated over the water, their little subtleties
Of human nature and its foibles being
gradually understood. lis but few
years since Oliver Wendell Holmes, ohm
G. SAKE and two or three minor lights
were our only humorists. Holmes is the
prince OF lunorists, or rather was; in
his humor there is an undertone OF
pathos. an association of homogeneous
ideas, a touching Of the deeper springs
Of human feeling that SO works on our
common nature that We hardly know
whether TO laugh or cry. till brilliant
touch Of genuine humor~ starts all to
ha-haing. SAKE and his polished cpl
grams all are familiar with; likewise Josh
Billings and Nasty. who make bad spell
ing torturing specially. Bailey. of the
Danbury News, had his day, and is los
ing ground in the Same proportion that
Lewis, OF the Detroit Free Press, is
gaining. His humor is contagious
"Bijsh and His Honor are but the
reflex Of ourselves; he "holds the mirror
up to nature " and to us. and we all see
our little foibles and peculiarities re
| Elected. Mark Twain occupies peculiar
province of his own; tbs, ns IL were, I
mine; and, unfortunately for his reputa
ton as humorist, he. of late, see M
disposed to work over old claims and pu
his fun to be sort OF failing process, t
sec what it will assay, the result runnin
very low. His "Innocence Abroad
was superb in its way; his Rough
ing It" not so good, and hi
last rehash will, in our opinion, hardl
add fresh laurels to his humoristi
fame. Bret Harte gave promise few
years ago Of "panning out" very well
His Heathen Chinee" was an immens
hit. the Luck of Roaring Camp" an
"Outcasts Of Poker Flat" two of ii
best sketches we ever read, but he is d,
teriorating and has not given manly ev
dence of youthful genius as his frient
thought he would. Our American hume
differs materially from English or Frent
! wit. The English denoument is too plat
leaves nothing to the imagination. L
French bumor is more play upon wor
y and an incongruity Of ideas than an
Q thing else. Humor~is more of gem
/ ality among Americans than any 9th
% nation, every community has o few JOKE
oi o! local fame and celebrity and with
~ specially OF voice. trick or manner Il
D. often calls for appreciative applause mt
he than the wit or humor OF the rema
Do Humor is OF many grades or orde
We pure, unadulterated humor is spontal
Is GUS and bubbles up to the tongue or I
OF as airily as champagne. There is q c
tain hybrid sort Of pseudo humor I
is very good when caught on the W
:. and given instant expression, but VIII
81 falls fiat when studied or labored.
-, this class of humorists belong puns
~ and pot house wits. A pun is good WI
=. fresh and pointed but most execrf
-. if deliberately worked up and got off v
-. a sort of set effort to create lau
:. Shakespeare was punster. but his p
-, are SO neat and apropos that one nj
"a the play on the word and appreciates
!. point before the groundwork Of the
!. is pushed so far as to make the effort
Ridicule and sarcasm are both often l
A.. taken for humor. though distinct q
Ia possible for different phases of menta
- to be. A true humorist is as much oil
~ artist in his way as poet and his hui
- is of as vibratory q chord in the hear
o., any of the poets creative fancies.