St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-12-19
Josh BILLINGS"
Various Tributes to His Genial,
Quaint Worth.

A. aAAoAo o"SSo aSuu 0CAteutlui
than Josh Billings (Henry Shaw never
lived" says D. r. Locke. of the Toledo
Blade. in his editorial tribute to the
dead humorist- He was a singular
compound of simplicity and shrewdness.
He was more aphilosopher than humor-
ist. His sayings will outlive those of
Poor Richard and they ought to, for
his was pleasant philosophy that had
nothing of meanness in it.
He did not write as profession.
Writing adopted him. He originally
wrote his sayings because he had to.
The public got a taste for them and
compelled him to write them. He was
not q money-maker. and yet he was in
small way. When he found goodness
he made the public pay. He was very
shrewd IN his investments, SO that he
left bis family competency.
HE captivated on the platform be-
cause his manner exactly fitted his mat
ter. His lectures were nothing but a
collection of sayings carefully and
artlslically arranged so as to appear
without form. He was always popular
because his talk was like his writings
intended to discourage meanness and
10 be helpful to those who needed help.
There was not mean or selfish thing
IN him. and his work twas merely re-
fex of himself. He was an originator
and compressor. His great merit was
IN taking column and boiling it down
SO as to get it into two lines. His work
was converting ashes into potash.
BE was all in all delightful man.
and was in private life what he was on
the platform and in print. He never did
a mean thing, and never had an enemy
among good men"
He was a man.no one could know
well. said Milward Adams. of Central
Music Hall, Toledo. Il asked him once
why ne did not stand up and talk to his
audience. and he replied: Well. sir.
old as am. and as long as have been
before the public, l never go on the
stage but | am so nervous and fright
cned that don't know who I am for
the next twenty minutes Do YOU
know he used to conduct most all of his
business correspondence by postal card,
with his communication on it mostly
printed; and the characteristic thing
about this was that in the corner of the
card was good picture of Josh in chair
while beside him. with cheek against
his, was donkey around whose neck
Josh had an arm. He announced his
terms in this fashion: I will lecture
fnr finn onH I,1l Al
in. Aud that's what he got, unless
visiting some small place where they
couldn't pay as much. He picked up
his wisdom as he went. He told me
once. when l asked him where he got
ms ideas for all his sayings, that he got
them everywhere. looking at this thing
aud at that as he travelled from place to
place. de never seemed conscious that
he was humorist."
Some years ago there was published,
Tor advertising purposes. letter which
Josh Billings wrote to a gentleman in
the way of autobiography. 1t was in
part rs follows:
was born in Berkshire County, Mass,
curing the nineteenth century, of highly re-
spectacle parents. and owe what little sue
eess nave attained to the wisdom of my
tuC psCty OI my m0InGr. AT the
fragrant age of fifteen / set INV face vest.
ware ana followed it until stood upon the
panks OF the vide Missouri. without any
pans .or me, and but little better in feelings
tnan cheerful va2rant. For TWENTY-FIVE
years the various wander;ngs OF d border
ire made me acquainted with scenes and er-
per ences better calculated to cut the char
ac,er snarp than to refine IT. and il escaped
Mtaout sears II was simply because the
suscep.,piI1y OF my nature looked upon
most things in this life as simply a Joke.
In common with most Americans who have
20 push early to test their own wings / en-
gaged IN All the usual enterprises of q 'front.'
.ersman having been at times land hunter.
pioneer. for partially organized an enter.
prise as early as 1855 to cross the Rocky
Mountains. This iast-named enterprise was
profound failure. but its inception and
preliminary arrangements afforded me one
or me choicest relics OF nv early adven-
tcres. and that Is three letters, now in NV
possession, written to me personaIly by
Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams ana Martin
Van Buren,, recommending me and the