St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-12-22
Robert Jones Burdctrc.
PBN-AND-INK PORTRAIT OF THE
HAWKElE HUMORIST.

A PEN-AND-INK PORTRAIT OF THE
HAwKEIE HUMoRIsT.
The famous funny man of the Bur
lington (lOwa) Hawkeye was born at
Greensboro, Pa, on the Both of July,
lol4. AT the early age of seven months
he went west with his parents to grow
mp with the country. They settled in
Peoria, ILL.,, where at the age of eight
cen Robert enlisted as il private. in
1862, i'll the forty y-seventh Illinois in
fantry. He served through the war as
private, was present ut the siege of
Nicksburg, and was IL member of the
famous Red river expedition. He
showed himself to he brave and fear
less man on various occasions, espc-
cially at the battle of Corinth.
Robert }. Burdette, at the close of
the war, found life's struggle rather
severe. He was the oldest son of the
family of nine, and aided them as best
he could. In after years he made the
remark CAS- the oldest son | saw it
was my duty to help pull the others
through" His facilities for acquiring
an academic education were limited.
and his ambition to enter college had
never been gratitied. While on IA visit
to New York he penncd several letters
from that city to the Peoria Transcript.
and the publication of these letters be
trayed his natural inclination for the
journalistic life. Upon his return to
Peoria he secured position as proof
reader on the Transcript. In the
meantime he wrote numerous sketches
for the different New York magazines.
hnf f,NN Of MI. IL
even accepted.
Burdette says of his life from this
time forward "Atter while started
a paper of my Own-the Peoria Re
view. | ran it two years. 1t was Il
comforting sort of Il paper. Ii brought
to me few cares but no uncertain
ty. | knew every Monday morning
that on the next Saturday night
would not have money enough to pay
the hands. During my career as editor
of that wretched sheet it never disap-
pointed me in that particular
once. Finally the sheriff took me into
partnership, and there was glorious
increase of activity. He was an enter
| prlSlng man, very. He realized more
in an hour than ! had done in two
years. Presently the partnership dis
| solved, and | looked around for some
thing to do. | thought would try and
! get on the Burlington Hawkcye. 1t
was sober, staid old paper, financial
ly solid. | was young and active.
! Thought |, Il think ! can do that paper
good. If | can get on the staff | am
sure it will do me good Well. | was
thinking of going over there, when
one day its manager, Mr.. Wheeler,
came to see me and offered me the po-
sitiOn of city editor and reporter.
Well, if live ten thousand years il
will not be long enough time for me to
be sufficiently thankful that | accepted
the offer, and besides that | am very
proud of the fact that they sent for me.
1t gave me an independence of person
al satisfaction that have never recOv-
cred from. | don't try to he funny in
my writings. have an idea occasion
ally, and when | get it loose people
laugh. Then | review the remark and
shake it out to find the fun. My per
ception Of the joke is not hung on Il
hairtrigger."
In 1870 Mr.. Burdette became atfi-
anced to Miss Carrie Garrett, of Pco-
ria, Ill. She was IA frail and delicate
young lady, and on visiting her one
afternoon Robert was met at the door
by her friends, who announced that
she was lying at the point of death.
The situation was grave one, but IN
fifteen minutes time he had procured Il
marriage license from the county
clerks office, and Miss Garrett became
Mrs. Robert j. Burdette, at "A tim,
when her responses could only he mad,
by slight motion of the eyes and 4
faint pressure of the hand. But littl,
hope was entertained of her life, but
she passed the ordeal, and after som,
length of time rallied sufficiently to 20
with her husband on short brida
tOur to their quiet home in a neighbOr-
ing street in Peoria. Mrs. Burdette has
been an invalid all her life, and TIA,
genial humOTist has been patient at
tendant and companion for her in hci
dreary hours of life. The major pOr-
ton of the rollicking humor that Bur
dette produces Is written at the bed
. side of his invalid wife.
1t was SOON after his marriage, wheT
he was doing editorial work OF the Pc
oria Transcript, that Burdette begaI
his humorous writing. He tells of it il
/ his own words as follows:
"When | was on the Transcript
would try to think of something pleas
ant to tell the folks when ! went hOm,
at night something that would make
tea-table lively. And when nothing
! of funny nature occurred | wOulr
make up something, such as one of Tia,
! burlesques concerning the Middle Ri
I Family They seemed to be enjOyc,
! around the teatable, and finally Mrs
:, Burdette urged me to write them up
= | told her that they would sound as fla
as dishwater in print-that it was moth
}, ing but tea-table chatter, and that sh