The Arkansaw traveler., 1882-12-31
Fer kk< .fyksssav Trssek<r. l0HN PHGNIx" AND HIS Hu- NOR. Ha
sY WILL. ss. crEMENs, AUTHOR or sFA-
 NOUS fuNNs FELLOWS x

OCtOES lOnu rusEuh- tHChC va, s,ascely any American humorist-no, o ,he distinctly literary sor-with whom ore could smile and keep his self re spe-t." says William Dean Howells, the noaelist. in a recent magazine article Fk.s may indeed be true, but there were osreis in the time of George H. Derby o-E.er known by his sem .ie tiHme o %Iohn Phornix,r who were of the same senool of humorists. yet they were far in- ie,.or as wits. Derby, had he tried vraid have become perhaps one of the ies4ing humorists of the country. As il was he was known to the public as hu- norous writer for enly few years before n's death.
 eorge H. Derby was born of poor bu, wei educated parents. in Norfolk count, Massachusetts,, in tS73. Little is known oi ais boyhood or early life. He entered n. West Point Military Academy while se' youth and graduated from that ln- s,'sation in IS4o. The same year he be- eane engaged in the war with Nteuco aae continued in the field during the .sIser part Of the year following Hewas a:-sent at the battle of Vera Cruz and Gsro Gordo. and was made brevet frs, .ie.:enent at the former place. He re- e'Ned severe wound during the latter engagement. He remained with the reg 2 T army at the close of the war and vas ses; upon various surveys and expedi- :.a.s from IS47 to 1852. During the two ,ss-z- salla&lng shs Last named date. Der; ay was engaged on the improvs ment oi S&r Diego. California, harbor. and the 5e-; year he was on the staff of the com .nding general and had charge of the II ii,ary roads department of the Pacific 1T fSsb he was on the coast survey. and T year following was lighthouse en- s,aeer.
 aiie so,ourning on the paeiie-eoas, 'efby frs, began writing for the San s;4ncisco papers and magazines. His astributions consisted mainly of humor- as sketches written under the signature m Iohn Ph9nix.' These sketches at ;@1;ed general attention among the Pa - L states. and 1855 .Mere published in 5cek form under the title of pha.nixi- anA. or Sketches and Burlesques.' The cook was we'll received and ten or twelve cations were exhausted. Four years later second volume was issued under tre title of "Squibob Papers" This vol s'ae also met with a large and ready sale. Early in 1861 Derby took up his gesidenoe in New York, and produced a number Of humorous sketches which were ncver published in book form He died slldenly on the Isth of May, 1861, at the age of 3S- Although young in years and nc: having reached the acme of his fame, 5 work still lives and is recognized as ore of the mos, prominent species of .slerican humor.
 $ hamor is something like that oi .Artemus Ward, yet 1t is peculiarly orig .u.i and is vastly differen, from the writ 'pgs of the so-called funny men of the arcsen. day. Among the many good l'ings from Derby's pen are the follow ing:
 LATE.
 Passing by one of our doggeries about a. m., the other morning, from which proceeded "a sound of revelry by night, hapless stranger on his homeward way ,-rried to obtain a slight refreshment, ard 10 the host he said, 1t appears to r.e your visitors are rather late tonight y 0h, mo- replied the worthy landlord he boys of San Diego generally run for icry7eigh, hours, stranger its q Hfttf iall far atghf before Lasf. but for tonight wty. it's just in the shank ofthe evening
 lumes could not have said more.
 FOR SALE.
 \ valuable law library. lately the prop e-y of a distinguished legal gentleman of San Francisco, has given up practice ard removed to the Farralone Islands . consists of one volume of Hoyle's ames,' complete and may be seen al ' $ office.
 WANTKD.
 Back numbers of the Dsmoeyafic Re. 1'.ear, speeches and writings of Jefferson Co.iroth, Calhoun, Bigler, Van Buren and o;hers. Copies of the San Joaquin Re easlIeaa, files of the 7iss<s and 7yas. s.ripfta few at time), and diagram representing the construction of the old United States bank for the use of young nan desirous of turning demoerat-apply a: this office (by firing gun, or punch lng on the ceiling, he being deeply en. gaged in study in the garretl to
 ]. PHHNIx.
 AN EFTAPH.
 This Is all, but writ a, the time cpl ,L.-l .~ T.