The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-10-31
DEATH OF JOSH BILLINGS.
Workers Gazette.l

lYonkers Gazette.
 Henry Shaw, better known to the world as the author and lecturer Josh Billings, died at Monterey, Cal, suddenly on We'd nesday morning, October IA of apo plexy. MT. Shaw, whom we knew inti- mately for over thirty years, was born in Lanesborough, Massachusetts, in ISIS. He engaged in farming and auctioneer- ing for twenty.6v years at the west, after which he settled at Poughkeepsie, N. Y, where, after he was forty years of age, he commenced to write for the press under the nom de plume of "Sledlength," but without attracting any great attention. He then changed his methods of literary work, commenced to spell badly and adopting the signature of Josh Billings" soon made his mark. He wrote for some time for the Poughkeepsie Daily Pyess, of which we were part proprietor and one ofthe editors, and afterwards for the Yon kers Gazette, after we assumed charge of this paper. Then, for many years, and up to the time of his death, we believe, he was regular contributor to the col umns of the New York Weekly. The revenues from this, from his comic alma macs and from his lectures made him a rich man. He had his home in New York for some time past. The deceased leaves wife and two daughters, both married. His body has been ensalmed and will be sent east. MT. Shaw was a philosopher as well as humorist, and be- heath his queer spelling and outre ex. pressions there often lurked fine senti- meAt or grand idea. We received letter from Mir. Shaw only few days before his death, which will be found of interest in this connection. 1t is below. Little did he imagine, when penning this letter, that his eulogy of Artemus Ward would, through his suggestion, become part of his own obituary
 HOTEL DEL MONTE, l
 MONTEREY, GAL, Oct. 3, 1885 |
 DEAR HOLDEN: Some twenty years | ago was asked to write something in re- of Artemus Ward, who had then just died in England. It was sug- gested that my style be preserved, and still the matter be somewhat pathetic knew that humor and pathos were closely allied, and drew off the enclosed with pencil, and gave 1t to the party who re qnested 1t. It first appeared in the Troy Budget, and l never saw it afterwards until last week, in paper on the Pacific coast, where l have been since last May, and intend to stay un,il next May. Will you allow me to ask you to reproduce the enclosed tribute to Artemus with any introduction to it that may please you hope you will not look upon me as a vain man, when tell you that am not only delighted, but astonished at the vi tality of the old "lektur," which I have read for the last twenty-three years on the road. In the first place, every line in it was published in the New York WeekIy and the Poughkeepsie papers; then 1t was put into three different books; then it has been put into more than one hundred newspapers as have delivered it; then have read 1t in every city on this conti- nept that has fifteen thousand people in 1t, and hundreds of towns that have not two thousand in them, and it never has had any thing added to it, but much cut away from it, and it is now read from the same book it was first written in; and 'ull the brave old manu. .cript fights a good light. have read it six nights in California during the last seven weeks and been paid for ii S75o It seems to me that there must be some sand in the old words.
 Excuse what looks like vanity, but all this only proves what have never doubted that the man who has fair brain, un doubted courage fearless truth, and hon. esty, can get all he should have in this world. Enclosed send short criticism rom small town up the coast (Dt- aluma), which supports what have just written.
 With kind regards to yourself and fam. ty, am yours without struggle,
 JOSH BILLINGS
 Here is the remembrance of Artemus ! Ward referred to, and it well fits also, the , writer, now passed to the other shore:
 JOSH BILLINGS ON ARTEMUS WARD
 Deth hez oone cluei thlng lately . )eth seldom iz imparshall; this lz all tha. len be said in his favor He moves his | ithe awl round the world, nov in this | ield, now in that; wheat, flowers and T weeds drop, wilt and wither, for he s,thes s ;arly and late, in citi and town, by the $ laithstun and away oph where the wan lerers are.
 Deth hex done cruel thing lately )eth iz seldom kind. Here f.ther. 1 mother, wee small thing but month n visit; there Mary and Charley go 1, own in white clothes. De,h moses: nenny fields are all bare, for Deth cuts f. luss as we'll as cruel. 2
 Deth luvs to nov; tis his stile. He iz h Id and slck with his sickle; he moved s pr Able uv old and for Able uv yester- Q ay
 Deth mows strangely, and round fall I,