Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-05
GLIMPSE OF HUMOR.
Bill APPS Erervescences OF GenialIty
His Early AssOcIations-A Bril-
liant C0terfe OF HumOrists-
Extracts from Bilrs
Book,
Written for the Atlantis Constitution.

1t can be lmpaled, 1t degenerates him into
mere wit or satirist. 1t is hard even to re-
produce from the writings of humorist
enough of his work to characterize his style
or set his pattern. The spirit of humor Is
lambent and soothing. Wit scintillates- hu-
NOR beams. Wit strikes like hghtning-hu-
NOR shines like the sunlight. You might as
well try to pluck the reddening particles FROM
the blood as to take the essence of humor
from book.
| shall not attempt then to give any criti-
cal analysis of Bill Apps work. | mean to
throw a small discourse at him merely for the
sake of old times, and as sort OF welcome
upon his emergence from an obscurlty Into
which he should never have gone.
/ consider Major C. H. Smith (who has
adopted and made famous the name of bill
Arp in many respects the purest humorlst
that the south has ever produced. IT he has
one superior in the south, it is Colonel w. L.
Thompson, of Savannah, who, IN Major
Jones's COvtship,. has managed to put broad
farce and burlesque In more delicate dress
than ever 1t wore before. | doubt if any hu-
morous papers ever produced more thorough
sensation than did the letters written by Ma
ior Smith during the war. 1t Is true that
they had certain local pungency that added
zest, and that pronounced sectional feeling
lnhamed their reception lato triumph; but
they were exquisitely funny IN themselves,
and they will repay perusal now just as richly
as when they were fresh struck from the coin
age of his brain.
NEST OF HUMoRIsTs.
No man living ever had better training
for humorous writing than Major Smith. He
lived in nest of the raciest, keenest and
pleasautest wits that ever chance threw to-
gether. 1t was impossible that he should not
have absorbed the sunny temper of his sur
roundings. A man might have sat In their
midst and become humorous by absorption,
just as the teetotaler was made drunk by
absorption, just as the teetotaler was made
drunk by sleeping with topper.
First, there was Bill Arp the original-an
uncultivated, ugly, shrewd fellow, full of
mother wit, and famous in the country for
his quick turns in fight as we'll as run
ming debate Around the little city of Rome,
Major Smiths home, and the stamping
ground of Bill Arp, there was a choice circle
of yaconters and wits. First, there was the
original sayings have gone into the Georgia
classics; the present Judge Underwood, who
inherits his fathers w.t. and is the most
companionable man In days ride; the late
Captain Gartrell. whose laugh was infectious,
whose relation of an anecdote was better
than the anecdote itself; DIR. 81. V. M. Mill
er, the most brilliant talker Georgia ever
produced; Judge A. R. Wright, inimitable
on the stump, handsome, alert and magnetic
in manner; Major Frank Aver, genial, So
ciable, and with an indefinite stock of old
stories that had gathered a bouquet"
from age, as wine does; Colonel Tom Alex
ander, ripping all over with a quiet humor,
and ready for an all day session whenever
the meeting was Called General George
Black, veritable genius who has mellowed
with age, and is now the stoutest talker, the
heartiest laugher, and the most lovable
friend in dozen counties-Colonel Joel
Branham, scholarly, refined and classical IN
his ultimate quips and quirks; the late Dun
lap Scott, a trif1e unwieldy in small talk, but
sure of a telling point when he did hit it;
DR.. Eben Hillyer, bra1ny and quick of per-
ceptloD, as his family Isl Big John Under
wood, the typical keeper of typical bar,
and the funniest man In speech and manner
| ever knew; Jim Perkins, so full of humor
and jokes he wasn't fit for any steady work,
but was loved by all who knew him-these
and score of others equally as good, lived
on the banks of the Etowah, and gave COM
partnership and inspiration to the coming
humorist of Georgia. The comradeship Of
this band was complete and sincere.
THEIR FUN-HUNTING WAS LEIsURELY,
but earnest and continuous. Many, many a
golden green afternoon did they wear out
with social converse. They were in easy Cir
cumstances, and they took things easily.
heir laughter never grated on their con-
science. Being lawyers, new joke was of
more Importance to them than a new case,
and being farmers the fall of laughter sweet
er to their ears than the dropping of rain on
a parched earth. Had a Boswell served
them their coterie would have been made IA
nous.
The shock of war scattered them-some fill
soldiers graves-some have fallen before the
scythe of time-those who still live, scattered,
impoverished and chastened, give their ener-
gies to bread-getting, and the old times are
t0 mr. NM INT la
fuence still lives, and the essence of their
delicious gossip has fallen into the heart of
many a youngster that sat On the outskirts of
their crowd in the days when the laugh went
round.
ABOUT BILL ARP's HUMOR.
1t is notable fact that through all of Ma
jor Smiths writings there runs strong vein
of common sense, and of shrewdness of OBJ
servation. They are lit up with a fire of
glowing patriotism that must have been in
spring when it was delivered. A certain
dauntlessness sustalns the utterances all
throughout, and no better defense of the
south is to be found than breaks out in lofty
defiance from under the rude pharse of this
unlettered countryman.
We append at random some samples Of
Bill APPS humor, as found in his book.
They can hardly be called samples either,
for it is impossible to catch the essence of the
book except by labolious reading of it. The
chief humor of his writing is in such little
things as these: He says, ''Man that is born
of woman land there Is no other sort that
know of has but few days and is full of
trouble" Referring to the war, he says:
swell, I've got one consolation-l killed as
many of them as they did of me-" Again,
he says: 81 had eaten some Strawberries and
cream which were holding secession meetings
within our corporate limits" Again he said ::
81 hear that General Johnston has still got
kl1oo 7 l. IL IL
that our troops are considerably ahead
This is one of his anecdotes:
"Well, you see old Scroggins got so drunk
in town he could not navigate his steers, so
he drove out in the edge of the woods and
got out of the wagon and laid down by tree
to sleep the drunk off. He woke up about
midnight and his steers were gone, but the
wagon was there. HIS brain was still so fud-
died that he did not know who he was nor
how he got there, so he thought it over as
best he could and finally extemporized: Am
| John Scrogglns or am not john Scroggins
If am John Scroggins I've lost yoke of
steers; but If l amt John Scroggins I'll be
id if haven found a good wagon Now
Jim, that's my fix. | don't know my situa-
ton, as the editors head their war talk.
Sometimes think have lost yoke Of steers
and then again | conclude that | have found
a wagon"
And here's another neat little bit:
eff Mr.. Shakespeare was correct when he
wrote Sweet arc the juices of adversely,
then it is reasonable to suppose that me and
my folks and many others must have some
sweetening to spare"
Here's a bit of gossip from his famous
"runa- gee' letter:
whats to day, nigger?' said a female
darky with hoopskirt on her arm. 'Taint
no day, honey, dat ever | seed. Yistidy was
Sunday and to-day is Runday from de way
de white folks are moving about. Yah, yah,
amt afraid of de Yankees myself, but dem
szzin bum shells kill niger quicker dan
you can lick your tongue out Gwine to git
away from here, l is "
And here's little point pretty well made,
even if it is a pun:
They took so many liberties around here
that there is nary liberty left"
In tine following he presents "drefful' al
tentative: "For several days we were en-
gagged as scouts, making sorter reconysance
to see whether Georgy were State or a In
gin Territory, whether we were In the old
Union or out of it, whether me or my folks
and Won and vour folk were somebody or no.