The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-08-09
JOSH BILLINGS.
A Man Who Failed in Everything Else, and
Succeeded as a Writer.

hundred to one that you would not h1
upon the right man. He is of the hui
morous tribe, and is generally known al
Josh Billings, though his real name is
Henry w. Shaw. Cultured people have
heard of him, of course !; many regard
him as kind of clown but they have
little acquaintance with his writings.
which are really to their liking. With
the masses, however, he is a favorite
they never tire of reading and repeating
his quaint sayings, often clever, but
oftener fiat.
He has had curious career, having
tried everything and failed before he
tried iterature-if his peculiar sort of
composition can be so designated-and
in that he has had exceptional success.
He is native of Berkshire county,
Mass, and So years old His father
was farmer, and, remembering that he
was a New Highlander, it is superfuous
to say he was poor. Considerable atten-
ton was paid to Henry's education until
he was IL, when he grew tired of re-
straint, and, DESTROYS Of seeking his
fortune in the far West, he jeurneyed
to the frontier. He seems to have en-
joyed rough life, though he did not
profit by it in a pecuniary sense. He
turned his hand to anything he found in
his way.
First, he opened a country store, keep
ing a stock of goods more remarkable
for variety than richness, including
grindstones. needles, scythes, cathartic
pills, calico, cheap confectionery, jews
harps, breast-pins and iuiube paste.
In year or so, he closed the establish
ment, but not without the Sherif's as
sistance.
Then he took farm on credit without
gaining any credit by farming, and was
obliged, at the end Of the third season,
to discontinue the noble occupation for
lack Of means to carry it on.
Next, he hired himself out to drive
cattle, and, having driven himself into
rags and semi starvation, he determined
to change his element.
Having obtained the place of master
of a small steamboat on the Missouri,
he navigated the river for two years,
having, in that time, sunk three vessels,
and lost, according to his own calcula~
ton, $4,000 or $4,000, which was all
the more deplorable, as he had no money
to begin with. How he made the loss
he could never explain except on paper,
and his arithmetic is so abstruse as to be
unintelligible to the common mind.
Teaching was his next enterprise, and
such was his success that at the close Of
the third term three of his pupils were
promoted to the county lunatic asylum,
and the remainder were pronounced de-
serving Of the honor, with a little more
encouragement.
Having convinced himself of his ca
pacity as public instructor, he decided
outsider, as man of genius would have
done-and opened one But, having
neither capital nor credit, he suspended
indefinitely after the second week, and
published statement, his assets and
liabilities both being represented by O.
He had expected the statement to create
| q sensation, but, as he had no creditors
except himself, whom he had no hope of
paying, he found that the public excite
ment very soon subsidized. Having ex-
hausted himself and his resources, and,
having attained his 10th year, when, ii
ever, a man is presumed to learn wisdom,
be decided that the West was not his
proper field, and so he set his face to-
ward the East. He made his new home
at Poughkeepsie, ON the Hudson, and
determined, as a last and desperate re-
source, to write wisely Judging that
man who could do nothing else might
prosper in literature, just as man who
prospers IN literature is usually disqual-
fled for any other occupation. He
was encouraged to this step by long OBJ
servation that his queer speeches made
people laugh, and he feltsure if he could
produce the same effect on paper it
would be better for him than to keep
store or teach school.
Turned of 45 he wrote his first things
for print, being some of the sayings by
which he has since made his reputation.
They were published in one of the city
weekies, and were not much liked, it is
said, until he began to nisspeu them.
Then they rose in popularity, and he
was set down as humorist. After two
or three years he issued Q volume emit
tied "Sayings of Josh Billings" Tt
had good sale in this country and q
moderate one IN Great Britain. His
next book, "Josh Billings on Ice, was
in still more demand, and put fair
amount Of money in his purse. Tt soon
occurred to him to get out an almanac
ne called it "Josll Billings Farmers
Alminax "-a and the almanac proved
highly remunerative. From 100, 900 to
1876, 900 copies have been sold annually,
and it is reported to be growing in favor
Shaw still continues his connection
with the weekly he began on. It is q
story paper, claiming circulation of
800, 900, and having perhaps nearly half
that. The proprietors give him ST., 600
a year for Els sayings, furnished exclu-
sively to that sheet He is in request as
a lecturer, his terms being from $500 to
$3.50 night
II Shaw is an ordinary clown, he is q
clown to some purpose. 1T is said that
/ by his newspaper contributions, his al
nanac his books and his lectures he has