Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-08-28
THE GENIAL SNOWMAN.
Axrrxus WARDS CLEVELAND cAREEE
HUNoRIsT WHO ENJOYED HIS OWN
HUMoR-

George Hoyt, the associate editor OF
the Cleveland PLAIN Dealer, in casual
conversation with the writer gave some
unpublished points touching his friend
ship with Artemus Ward, when the two
worked together in the oil PLAIN Dealer
Office.
"In those early days. before Ward was
famous" said Mr.. Hoyt, "he was plain
Charlie Brown, and it was not until af-
ter he left US that the final 'e' was ad-
ded. He had been doing local work on
Toledo paper, and some Of his quaint
squibs had attracted the attention Of J..
W. Gray, editor Of the PLAIN Dealer.
Correspondence between the two soon re-
suited in Brownies arrival in Cleveland,
where he went to work as a reporter. |
was then a composition upon small news
paper called the Daily Re'Ie,r, and, nav
ing a taste for making cartoons, pro-
duced little cut representing the ideal
Snowman, Artemus ward, in the act OF
genial composition at his desk. 1t
pleased Gray, and he placed 1t at the
head Of each of Wards letters in the
Plain Dealer. 1t pleased Browne also,
and he adopted it as the only correct
likeness Of the Snowman, requiring his
subsequent illustrators, Mullen, Stephens
and others to reproduce it wherever they
had occasion to represent Ward.
IL soon changed my situation and held
a case in the Plain Dealer composing
room. Ward came up TO where l was
at work one day and said: 4 am glad
that you are here. Hereafter you shall
be my Cruikshank' shall never forget
how he looked on that occasion. He
was long, lank, and bore the appearance
Of q country gawk His hair was long.
his trousers too short at the feet and bag
ging al the knee. Before he went to
New York he was making plans for a
book, and made a couple of dozen
sketches for it, including an elaborate IL
tie page consisting Of a portrait of Ward,
surrounded by the accessories peculiar TO
his calling. Browne took them for sub
mission TO Derby & Jackson, his publish
ers, but through some piece Of his char
acteristic carelessness be lost the whole
10; before reaching New York.
II suppose" added Mr.. HOyt, that
no humorist ever enjoyed his own humor
so much as Browne enjoyed his. He
was always in giggle while putting his
jokes on paper. When he had partic-
ularly good one he would call on me TO
listen. remember especially the Nor
mon letter. which described Wards in
terview with Brigham Young, and his
making q note Of some Mormon stats
tics'-especially Of an item in regard TO
Brighams wives-some Of whom, as
Brigham declared Were sealed to me.
Whereabouts > asked the Snowman
and can still hear Browne laugh over
that conceit. Il seemed as though he
would shake himself to pieces. He was
in fact. nothing but wag, but in that
line he was genius. He could never
talk seriously on anything, and it was
not in him to see anything but the ludi-
erous side Of subject. Il was Browne
who frs. added the 'ist' to words desig-
mating a persons calling-a 'fghtist,'
'shootis,' and 'sculpist' The latter
title is the one be always bestowed on
me. His resources as a wag were bound
less. Once he burst into the green-room
Of carncross & Di1ey's minstrels at Phil
adelphia, and insisted upon going on
and on he went in spite Of everything,
guitar in hand, and in full cork.
"Some OF the funniest and oldest
things ne ever did were done unconscious.
ly. He was going to Detroit once on
abort vacation, and engaged me to do
his city work in his absence. OF course
! was new in that line, and in order that
/ nigh. fully appreciate my burdens and
responsibilities, Just before he left be
oroush. me tow string about foot and
. half long, and told me that must fur.
nish about that much copy each day, and
LEFT the measure on my desk as a remin-
der. II was all a serious matter with
him, as his idea was that so much copy
meant fulhllmen. Of his routine task.
no matter what that matter was nor from
what source il was obtained.
Paper and pencil were always a,
hand. and If happy thought struck him |
in the night he would jump gissling and
fas.en it. B. H. Barney, agent of the
Great Western Despatch. was Brownies
roommate at that time, and he tells
some extraordinary stories about his &C.
centric companion. / used to go to his
room to help him get up those tremen-
dous full page burlesques that Mr.. GRAY