Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-07-07
MEN WHO AMUSE US.
Leading Humorists Of the Amerl-
Can Press.
EVERYDAY Workers Whose Fun Travels from
Ocean to 0cean-Those Who Get
Large Salaries and those Who
Own their Papers.

year, says the Philadelphia Press, has 8
short road to certain fame and compare
tive wealth. A small host of American
humorists of this generation have risen
to q rank and Opulence never before en-
jOyed by more than three or four of
their class at the same time. Their
sayings not only have the prompt pub
LEFTY that thousand different publica-
tiOns give to them in this country, but
there is hardly journal in England,
Ireland or France, outside OF the great
London dailies, which does not, by
judicious extract and generous credit,
add to the reputation OF the American
humOrist. AT least two American pa
pers have profitable European editions,
which circulate in England the rough
fun of the West and the keen satire of
the South. The protitableness of the
business may in some degree be appre-
ciated by the statement that of
Peck'S Bad Boy
whose humor is coarse ami often ex-
tfemely vulgar, $4,000 copies have
been sold since lis publication few
month ago, and the circulation of
Peek's Sun has reached nearly 100, 900
copies. The author, who was once
newsboy, now owns real estate, q pro-
fitable newspaper and is building one Of
the mostly costly residences i'll the
West.
To Robert j. Burdette the Burling.
ton Iowa Hawkeye owes more of its
fame than it does to its distinguished
editor, the Assistant Postmaster Gem
eral.
m Bob Burdett,
as be is familiarity called, was born in
Pennsylvania, but when four years old
moved with his parents to Ohio, and
for some years lived in Cincinnati.
About fifteen years ago he went to
Peoria, ILL.,, and entered journalism in
that city. He also began the publica-
ton of literary paper while there,
which proved failure, after abandon
ing which he went to Darlington, Iowa.
Bob is said to be the most successful
of our funny men. In addition to q
handsome salary from the Hawkeye
and good pay for all the matter he furn-
ishes magazines, he receives from 500
10 500 night for as many lectures as
he is willing to deliver. His life has
been q romantic one. At twenty-SiX
he was engaged to Miss Carrie Garrett,
of Peoria, H., frail and delicate
young lady, and one evening he was
called to her bedside to see her die.
| There was apparently no ground to
| even hope that she would recover, and
at the request of both they were mar
| ried. So weak was the bride that she
| was only able to respond to the minister's
| Questions by motion Ofthe eyes and
| a pressure of The hand. To the surprise
! of every one she, in a few weeks, so far
| recovered as to be able TO be taken to
| the comfortable home her husband had
! provided for her. But she has been an
| invalid all her life, much ofthe time con-
/ fined to her room and unable to walk.
! Burdette is completely wrapped up in
his wife, and she usually accompanies
| him on his lecture tours. She is to him
| an inspiration, and much of his success
/ in life is due to her encouragement and
! help. She first discovered the richness
| of his humor and its heart-reaching
qualities, and suggested to MIN the idea
| of lecturiBg.
.sBili Nye." the Famons Funny Writer
/ OF the Laramie WY. t. Boomerang,
! is known to his family and those who
/ make out checks payable to his order
/ as Edgar Wilson Nye. This genius
was born in Maine, and is about thirty
| three wears old. When an infant his
| parents moved to the West, and he had
not been east Of the Mississippi for
thirty years until a month ago. He
was raised and educated at River Falls,
Wis. He studied law, and about eight
wears ago he moved further west, stop.
ping at Laramie, where he hung out
| his sign. His business not consuming
all his time, he occupied u part of it in
! writing for the local papers. His ar
! ticles, by their originality and humor,
| so pleased the editor OF the Denver
Tribune that he engaged Nye to write
] weekly letter upon any subject he
! chose. This was Nye's formal entry
into journalism. In March, 1881, he
founded the Daily Boomerang, named
after a favorite mule which had died in
his service. Both the paper and the
editor soon became famous, and the pa
per is so universally popular that 1t IS
said it goes TO all parts Of the civilized
world. In loI7 Nye married Miss Fan
ME Smith, his purpose being, he says,
TO decrease the number and name Of
the Smith family. In politics he is a
thorough-dyed Republican. Though
not an Office-seeker, he is somehow al.
ways an office-holder; has been mem
Der of the Territorial Legislature, JUS
tice of the Peace, and is now Postmas'
ter of Laramie. His newspaper is worth
probably $4,000 year to him.
Alex. L. sweet,
the keen wit of the Texas Siftings, was
born in st. John, y. B., and spent 8
large part of his school days in Ger
many, where he married q German
lady. He returned to America in 1867,
and during the last year and half oil
the war was . soldier in the Confeder.
ate army. After the war he studied
law, but soon abandoned it for journal.
ism. He spent nearly two years as
editor of the San Antonio Express and
then returned to law, and for several
years was city attorney of San Anto-
Mo. In 1875 he accepted the position
Of city editor of the San Antonio
Herald, and its highly humorous storie
about life in Texas soon began to be
copied by papers all over the country.
After awhile the San Antonio Herald
ceased to be quoted, and people Won
dered what had become of its funny
editor, until they observed that an
other Texas paper, the Galveston News,
had taken its place. The character OF the
News articles plainly showed that they
were written by the author Of the hui
morous tales in the Herald. In the
spring OF 1881 the News was supplanted
by the Taxs Siftings, published at Aus
tin. Each paper with which Mr.. Sweet
has been connected during his career
increased enormously in circulation,
and began to decline as soon IS he left.
The Siftings il wholly humorous, and
has circulation of nearly $1,000 copies,
which are sold in every locality in the
| IvOion