The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-11-12
-IgE,GIARIoN.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER l., 1894
-Arcmus ward

Early Ia the summer months u 1856
a tall. spare and rather scedy indiviiu-
nj entered the town q South Charles
ton, Ohio aud sought work as q Jour
ney man printer on the Standard. AZ /
that time the only journal 10 the place. /
He had none q The evidences u pros 4
porlty. On The contrary his clothes I
and general appearance Indicated that 1
he was in the same condition Of many I
81 BE- brethren busted. broken and /
dcpl0rabiy hard uu. De secured work I
on the paper az n salary o. five dollars /
a week. and settled down 90 dream Of /
cOnfentment "a life. This was Charles 1
D. Browne. better known a. 'Artcmus |
Ward. " who subsequently gained rec /
oguiti0n ~ tho FIRST American humOrist
and whose tour through England. made
under bitter Disadvantages, gained him
self and his nation reputation for wit
even among the sluggish intellects Of
that people.
Ia bis biography 10 Is told that no
grew discontenied with his home In
New Eagland. and came westward
with tho lido Of emigration Hearing
rum0rs that be had once lived IN South
Charleston, % NcWs reporter took occa-
NNNM 10 NN.hH NAAHH fHAANa ~ AAANA A~s-A a ~
facts connected with the case. He was
directed o. Mr. Russell Reeder, re-
tired grocer. as the person most likely
10 be- Informed upon the subject Mr..
Heodor is gentleman well advanced
IN years. but wearing his age we'll Az
tor o few unavoidable pleasantries
touching tho weather and crops, the
reporter proceeded 90 question him
with regard 10 his knowledge Of the
great humorisL
Were you acquainted with Arte-
mus Ward, or rather, with Mr..
Browney'
Eyes; / was his closest friend. lie
stuck typo Just above my grocery, and
Ga that way we became acquainted. He
was with mo more than anyone else
here"
"Do you remember and can you give
description Of his physiquog"
"Let me think q minute. lie was
tall, nearly six feet, / believe; he had
bright eyes, Roman nose, n very gen.
crOus mouth and was Of light COM
plcxiOn. lie was not q handsome man,
aud ho wasn't ugly, but ho had a gem
ticmanly bearing"
"You say he camo hero rather pow
orty stricken.
"Yef; and ho left that way, too.
don't think be had anything when ho
came here, and / know he went away
worse on yet lie got 4 to s. for sot-
ting typo on the Standard. but that did
not pay his expenses Ile was in debt
all tho time, aud he left owing $50 TO
tho lady whom no lived with. / re-
member that ho wanted 10 90 away.
but hadn't cent and couldn't get
any. $50 we raised q sum in my store
aud enabled him TO leave Charleston.
lit hadn't boon for our generosity he
would probably have stayed there
until hc received help from other quar-
tors"
$50 BIO loft a dobt Of sixty dollar.
hcroP'
eyes, but about tho close Of tho wal
no returned and delivered q humorous
lecture FOO Charleston. Tho next day
ho came round. visited us all, and paic
what he owed. 1 suppose no was get
ting 70 hundred dollars q night then
quito q jump from four dollars 1
week.
"Did you observe his great power
OF humor while ho was horoP"
IL never met him In my lifo but h,
had some Joke 90 get OIL io was al
ways laughing. and his genial manner
made him favOritc. / can't remcm
bor any Of his jcsts now, as il is tweHtl
years since / saw or talked with him.
"Can you give me any further remi
nisooncos?'
'Whilc ho was here" continued Mr.
Bccdcr. "ho had partner. or cOmpan
ion. whose name | can't now romom
bcr. 1hcy did tho work Of the Stand
ard. as the proprietor was general,
drunk. Getting tired Of this the,
watched for chance TO get even witt
the old man. Perhaps no ovorworke,
them too much, or refused them thoi
wages; anyway they determined TO re
Vcugc themselves on him for some
thing. Ono evening the owner and cd
itor Of tho Standard got on a gloriou
drunk lie became loud in his genera
10y, and. Ca usual, left everything {,
Browne and his partner. After bi
days work, the future Artomus War
sat down and composed some horribl
jokes on the absent proprietor, ridicul
ing him for bis empty head, and pre-
seutInv ludicrous pictures Of his drunk
ON antics. 10 was published In the form
Of % handful, and scattered broadcas
over the streets Of South Charleston
IL was cure for the proprietor. TIT
STANDARD soon changed hands, and no
long aitor Browne left"
Perhaps no left in obedience TO d
laws of hoalth?'
mo; his employer took It in tn
proper spirit Tho reason Of Browne
leaving was his unsettled disposition
Tie always wanted to travel, aud It wa
this dosiro that took him, when S
ypuu0r l., fha 1safVrfrfr fold ~
as the house standing yet where h
workcdP"
"Hos; here. TN show Il to YOU"
Mr.. BeCdcr, influenced either by
spirit OF accommodation or desire {
see his quostonor somewhere else
pointed out the Building. The reporte
followed the directions, and found tn
historic old house at the corner Of Mas
and ChillicOtho streets. II is sub
stantial frame. looking considerabl
bcttor for recent coat Of paint an
bearing few traces of its extreme arC
In the second story the immortal hu
morist worked at the case, and dream
cd perhaps Of his future fame. lilo wa
known then only as n witty fellow,
genial companion aud generous friend
Al this time no was just twenty-onC
Iwo-thirds Of his lifo had passed away
and he had yet 10 make his fortune
But from this time his star was in tn
asccndent He entered upon his dutie
rs an editor, and his rise was swift an
sure. Ho continued in this sphere M
I'll the lecture Geld opened for him
wider reputation and better emOlr
mcnt. As a wit his humor was dis
tinctively American. His manner weu
far towards this end, and while DO.
scSsing vast powers of sarcasm an
irony, his shafts were so barbed that
his whole life he never made an enc
my. During the stormy scenes of tn
civil war his pen was active on the sid
of the uuion-shown particularly in h
Interview with jefferson Davis and h
picture Of Richmond after the evacu.
ton. His powers were the gift Of nj
turo. receiving no education exceJ
what the occurrences Of ordinary Nh
afforded. Browne died at the early ag
Of thirty-one while on q tour throuu
England. The remains were brougl
across the Atlantic and laid beside thos
OF his father. His works have take
their place among the imporishable OF
spring Of genius. aud win continue
leave the impress upon the humoroI
productions Of his successors. Risin
from q more compositor to the for
front Of American humorists, Il is bl
natural tho South Charleston peop
should feel proud Of their fellow cit
zen. although a generation has passC
since no lived among them. -Spria
fcld fol Sunday Nc,cs.
A Deal In Futures
eyes. my dear. Won snail have n ne