The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-02-20
week and published statement-his assets
and liabilities both being represented by


ct the instance Of New York speculators
b whom he was sent to open . mine in
West Virginia. He 6eught steamboat at
Pittsburg and it took him three months to
9st it to Charlestovn, Virginia-the town
Dsds famous many ysars afterward BY be-
iag the scene Of John Browns execution.
His steamer piled between Charlostovn
and Gallipolis, until the company burst,
Josh in tho course OF his Western wander
| ings found himself in California in 1649-
he was one OF the Oldest and bsst-but he
did not stay on the coast for any length OF
time.
JOSH RETURNS TO THE EAST.
He married at the age of 81 on visit to
his father in Massachusetts. At the Age Of
40 he moved east in order to educate his
daughters. He found that thers were eood
schools 1t Poughkeepsis, on the HUDSON,
and he ssttlcd there. As he had no regular
profession, he took up the trades Of sac
tioneer and dealer In zeal estate. He kad
dabbled IN both these oallings In the west.
An English writer sought him out At his
eastern home after he had become famous.
"All could learn about him." he wrote,
was that he had been the auctionssr Of
very business-like person, and that hs wrote
-
agent for the transfer of real estate"
"From this date on, continued Mr.. Rad
path, II am familiar With his history from
bis own mouth, ss he has told it to me from
time to time. He had great success a. m
auctioneer in Pougbkeepsie but o. the
town is small one presume his probes
sional income was not very large. His
humor made him great favorite with the
great Toodles family.
"There was little nine by seven daily
paper published in Poaghkeopsie. The cd
itor called on Mr.. Shaw one day and aid
that the man who could talk as we'll as be
could talk ought to be able to write veil,
and he wanted him to contribute something
TO bus paper. Mr. Shaw told him that hs
he'd never written line for publication in
his life. But the notion pleased him and
he thoasht over it, aud wrote q series Of
between thirty and forty OF tho same short
pieces that have made his name = house.
hold word in America since them"
Rep.-Did he wake up and find himself
famoas"
J. R.-Not bit Of IL. For six months
bs continued his contributions every week.
Nobody notioed them outside Of Pough-
keepsie. Ose day Mr.. Shaw read oss Of
the essays OF Artemus Ward on the same
subject that he had treated in one Of his
short essays. He read it over and over
and over again; and the moro he read it tho
less he understood why Artemus had be-
oo~e famous and his pieces had fallen still
born from tho press. is 1t the bad spell
iyg ?" he asked himself. He made up his
nind thst it was the bad spelling and moth
ing else that had given wings to Artemus
Wards humor and that it WAS his own
loyalty to Websters Unabridged that had
weighed his humor down and kept him in
obscurity. So he took his essay on the
mule. "The mules o favorite animal with
me-" Josh once said TO me he has treat
cd me pretty rough and I've treated him
pretty rough; we understand each other"
and without changing word he "slewed
around the spellinR," as be expressed il,
and sent 1t to the New York Era. Before
mailing 1t he signed 1t Josh Billings"
" Josh |" was In honor of an old comrade
Zone Josh Carew) Of his Western life.
4" Billings came by inspiration, as 1t were."
His Poughkeepsie pieces were not signed at
all. The misspelled {" Essay on the Mule -
became famous before he had written a
single essay excepting those he had printed
in the Poughkeepsie press. He simply
translated them into his peculiar phonetic
system of spelling. As soon as he saw that
everything he wrote was widely reprinted,
be thought he ought to make money out of
his pieces, so he sent one of his very best
short essays to Boston paper. TIE edi-
tor wrote that he could not afford to pay
more than dollar and half for it. Josh
regarded this as rather small pay, "But,"
he added, 81 thought should like a nest
egg, and told him to send II on. Then
opened an account with Josh Billings, and
| made my first entry with this item: Es-
say in Boston, $3.50" won't give the
name Of the paper" continued Mr.. Red
path, "bccouse think IL got its moneys
worth, and does not deserve any free ad-
vertising thrown In."
Qep.-How much has Mr.. Shaw made
out Of his Josh Billings writings?
j. R-From newspapers, books, lectures
and the Allminax, nearly $100, 900, and he
has not exhausted bis bonanza yet. When
last heard from him he had lectured 81
times this season already, and had 20 more
lectures booked for January. After that
date he thought he would have to stop for
the season, as he did not care to run the
risk of breaking down his health.
Rep.-How is he paid now?
j. R.-AB soon as be became famous he
was engaged by the Eew York Weekly--a
rival OF Bonper's Leager-at $i0o week
for half column of his essays and say
ings. He has published his books with
rare shrewdness. No book-maksr / know
has ever turned over his writings into SO
many shapes and made money on every
turn. never met 80 strange compound
of Yankee shrewdness and child-like sim
plicity of character-of hard headed se nse
and simple e-heartednees. / admire great
many celebrities-slmost every celebrated
American has some one or two great or
strong traits; like Q good many, although
q much smaller number of them; but there
are three or four whom love, and Josh
Billings, Tom Mast and John B. Cough
head the list. They are very unlike In
genius and character, bnt they are all
genuine men.
Carleton. the publisher, had once tried 70
get Artemus Ward TO write an almanac, and
had made the suggestion to Orpheus G.
Kerr, Doesticks," and Josh Billings a
few years before, but none Of them took q
fancy to the work and now, when Josh
was ready, Carleton hung back. He didn't
see any money In il. Josh offered to sell
him the copyright of the book for 1870 for
$3.50, and to agree to write an almanac
every year for the next ten years for the
same amount annually. Carleton declined
the proposition. But he was persuaded to
try tho experiment, and issued IN edition
of z, 900 copies. For couple Of weeks no
orders came from the sample copies sent out,
but suddenly the demand began, and pres
ses were kept steadily at work until 90, 600
copies were sold. Carleton paid Josh Bill
lings $3, 500 for bis share of the profits on
the first issue.
Rep.-Was that all?
]. R.-No, it wasn't. Josh conceived
the original notion of selling . dedication.
At first he merely intended TO burlesque
dedications by printing within blank
ruled square IN offer 10 sell the dedication
to tho highest bidder. He mentioned the
notion to the publishers Of the New York
Weekly, and they offered him In earnest two
cents for every copy sold for the dedication
as su advertisement OF their story paper.
They didn't imagine they would have y
pay much-but Il cost them $500, which
Josh pocketed with philosophic placidity.
Between 500 900 and 600, 900 copies Of the
tan issues have been cold since the 6rst
number was issued. he has made ~, coo
ont Of it in one way or another.
Following the SUR and the Engliah drum
heat arouDd the world. 3 great thr0b Of Joy