Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-01-07
ABOUT ARTEMUS WARD.
How He Made His First APP
pearance as Lecturer.
Interesting "reminiscences Of One of
Americas HumGista

Speaking of O'Brien puts me in mind
of Artemus Ward, says a writer in the
New York Graphic. We were all init
mate friends, but there has been SO
much invention and nonsense written
about the latter that | almost tremble
to say word lest may be put down
among the fabulists. Especially an
Englishman by the name of Kingston,
trusting to his imagination for the
facts, and having been the travelling
agent of Artemus for while, got out
a book, in which the main parts of the
great humorist's life were omitted,
while other parts were purely imagin-
airy to fill in. The real story of Arte-
mus debut into prominence is this:
There was in 1860 a comic paper print
ed in this city by two brothers, Steph-
ems, called Vanity Fair, which blazed
up brilliantly for a while under literary
and artistic genius, but finally tlickered
and was likely to expire The editor
ship was offered to me but Isaw plain
ly could do nothing with it. l said:
"There are only two men in this
country that can do you any good.
Oneis John G. SAKE, and the other Ar
temus Ward" At that time l believed
this to be his real name. "SaXe you
can't have, for he is about to run for
governor of Vermont, so you'd better
get hold of Mr.. Ward as quickly as you
can"
My advice was needed, and l was
asked if l would write to Artemus and
learn his views. did so to Cleveland,
O., and made him the distinct offer of
coming to New York on a salary uf $50
per week, and an increase on the sue
cess of the paper. He was prompt,
arriving in New York almost as soon
as his letter of acceptance. He after
ward told me that he was getting but
$40 per week on The Plain Dealer, and
assumed the editorial chair of Vanity
Fair; but salt could not save the
paper, Notwithstanding its genuine
merit. The American public does not
want refined wit, though since that
time they have been partially educated
up to it; they want broad humor and
personal allusion. Punch never did
sell in this country, and if we want
anything outside of daily paper it
must be cheap and a great deal of it.
Witness our so called literary papers,
eight large pages running six contin-
ued stories, for 5 cents.
When Vanity Fair was sure TO 90
down Artemus was very respondent.
What should he do? One day walking
up Broadway said to him, Charley
why don't you lecture?' Why the idea
was absurd. lie could write, but he
could not talk; he was not able to say
ten lines on an emergency. l soon
talked him out of that by telling him
that he could read his lecture or COM
nit it to memory. That point settled,
now what should be his subject? At
the time the canard of the Twenty
seventh street ghost was in full blast,
and | suggested ghosts as subject
knowing that whatever he wrote he
would make it funny, and before we
parted it was agreed that he should
write what he could on this subject,
and on the next evening come down to
Pfaff's, the noted Bohemian resort on
Broadway above Blocker street, and
read it to the party that assembled
there every night.
This programme was carried out,
and Artemus duly appeared with what
he called "a Lecture About Ghosts"
and read it amid uproarious approval,
the main fun of which was that there
was not word in it about ghosts, and
it was settled on all sides that it must
be brought before the public. But
how? There was an actor and coca
Sional manager at that time playing
general utility at Wallack's theater,
the elder of tho name, on Broadway,
near Broome street, whose name was
De Walden. l went to De Walden
whom I knew, and talked Artemus
to him. He saw it and an introduction
followed. De Walden worked assidu-
ously, and the entire press helped him.
Every body was the friend of Artemus,
for more genial, jovial, liberal man
did not live. Alas. for himself, De
Walden took Niblo's saloon, now the
dining room of the Metropolitan, for
one night, with the privilege of six.
They ran the six nights, crammed to
the door, and l doubt if ever audience
laughed before or since as they laughed
that week. The financial result to
Artemus was 81 $50 and Artemus was
jubilant. From that hour his course
was one of uninterrupted success, and
lecture after lecture followed, each one
greater than the preceding, and fortune
lowed into the pockets of Artemus.
The Center of Population.
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