Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-12-04
Professional Hum0rists.

N Y. Correspondence of the indianapolis Jour
nall
George Peck, the father of the "bad boy"
was here few days ago. In the past few
wears Peck has become one of the most sue
cessful of professional humorists. His in
come is said to be nearly $25, 900 year. In
1871 he was q reporter on the New York
Herald, several hundred dollars worse off
than when he was dead broke" He left
New York with I; resolve 'never to come
back until | had accumulated $13." Peck
originated and grew up in Wisconsin. With
'EBrick'' Pomeroy he went to New York to
start democratic paper. He was fortu-
nate, losing but 50, 000-all he had, however.
After reporting on the Herald for short
time he returned to Wisconsin, locating at
La Crosse, started Peck's Sun, which has
brought rays of brightness to many house
holds on dark and gloomy days. Five years
age he removed to Milwaukee, ard there
he has met with continued success. A
friend to him told me, q few days ago, that
ho owned the whole town. That's perfect
ly natural. It's way we editors have
The San consists mostly of real and spark
ling, wit and humor. Pick does nearly all
the editorial work himself. His expenses
are light and his profits large. The hui
morist is about 40 years of age, heavy set,
and wears an immense imperial. He has
fitted up an. elegant office and has beauti-
full home. He is very popular, and espe-
cially SO with the ragged newsboys. Not
long ago he gave several hundred of them
banquet, and they in turn presented him
with pair of diamond cuff buttons.
Bill Nye, another western humorist, and
the funny man of the Rocky mountains, is
bald headed, and the top of his head shines
like a shirt bosom in the hands of China
man. He is married. He is tall man,
with full brown beard and brown eyes, and
has the general appearance of prosperous
country merchant. He is quiet in his ways,
and to look at him one would not think that
he could cause his fellow beings to laugh.
But appearances are deceptive There's
Henry Watterson. People say he looks just
like the individual who is supposed to run
things in an excessively warm climate. But
he isn't such a person, Notwithstanding he
lives in Kentucky, and raises-the demo-
Gratis sometimes, Nye was Justice of the
peace in Wyoming. He wrotea number of
letters to the Denver Tribune They con-
tanned considerable exaggerated humor and
gave him some local notoriety A few
years ago he started the Boomeranq, and
has succeeded in making about $15 600 pro-
fits. He has long wanted to establish a
funny paper in Minnesota, and his friends
saw he will soon locate near ST. Paul
The editor of Puck, Joseph Keppler, an
Austrian with dark hair and eyes and mod
est and cordial in manner, formerly lived in
st. Joe and St. Louis, Mo. He was born
in Vienna about Al years ago. While in
his teens he became an actor, and played in
Austria, Italy and Switzerland. When he
was "a years of age he came to America
and went to Missouri to join his father, who
was seeking to make fortune. The latter
desired the son to become a physician, and
sent him to St. Louis to study medicine
But the young man took to the stage and
aspired to become manager. Fortunate
ly no one was ever killed by him as doc
tor, OR compelled to be tortured by looking
at him as an actor. His aspirations to be
stage manager resulted in Bankruptcy in a
very few weeks. If that kind of lightning
would just strike two or three hundred al
legged stage managers that are now loose
But lightning never strikes twice in the
same place. Keppler, after his bankrupt
cy, began drawing humorous pictures
Seven years ago, with his partner, Schwartz
mann, he was employed by Frank Leslie at
$35 week. The two saved and borrowed
ST, 500 and started Puck. Leslie prophesied
that the enterprise would fail. But it did
not, and in three weeks the paper was on a
self-sustaining basis Within year it had
a circulation Of 20, 900, and now, under