St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-07-18
AMERICAN HUMOR.
Statistics Showing the Decline 0f this
Peculiar Native Production.

AmcnISAN nOMOhs
Statistics Showing tho Decline Of this
Peculiar Native Production.
To the casual observer it might
appear that American humor was in as
flourishing condition as ever; that, not
withstanding the heavy drafts which il
has sustained during the last decade,
the supply. was still abundant, not to
say inexhaustible.
But such, alas! is not the fact, as can
be conclusively shown by the presenta.
ton Of statistics carefully prepared, at
considerable expense, and which will be
given in detail farther on.
The most serious evidence of the de-
cline in our National humor is shown
in tho paucity of fresh subjects; there
having been in the first four months OF
1885 but eleven new subjects used in the
construction OF newspaporial wit,
against forty-seven in the corresponding
four months of last year; and while
several topics which were once under
constant treatment have sunk into
desuetude and are now no more heard
than if they had never been, it is also
true that scores of other favorite marks
for the shafts of the funny men have
shown a gradual falling off in para.
graphic favor.
The stove-pipe joke is notable in.
stance of the former class just alluded
to. the class which has utterly disap-
peared. This mirth-excitant. which in
the year 1875 reached the marvellous
proportions of 2.764 paragraphs per
month. or 80. l6S during the entire year.
had fallen off in 1884 to % per month,
or $50 during the first four months OF
the year. while for the corresponding
period of 1885 but II cases have been
recorded, an average of only 4 per
month.
A similar, though not so excessive,
falling off is shown by many other old
stand-bys; notably, the mother-in-law,
the cake of soap on the stairs, the oldest
Mason, and so forth. But we have the
figures handy. Let us consult them.
During the first third of 1884 the moth
er-in-law formed the subject of 1887
paragraphs or articles, whereas the cor
responding term of the present year can
boast of but 215, and PA of these are
essentially repetitions. Goat and the
circus poster, 1884. 1864; 1885, "a. Old,
est Mason, 1884. s41; 1885, So. And
here are several more, the first figure
indicating the number of times joke
was utilized from January to April. both
inclusive, in 1884, and the second figure
referring to the number of appearances
during the first four months of the pres.
ent year:
Messenger boy, 1921, 1909; oyster
IVA. 1917; dude, 5.649, 81: hair in the
butter. 1,423. 6 (Which, by the way. is six
times too many; big hat at the theatre.
1852, 4S; game of poker, 1872, 135;
whisky drinking, 1881. $3.50; boarding
house hash. SIP, 124; strong butter,
2.O76, Ill (oleomargarine not included):
Chicago girls over-nutrition of pedal
eXtremities, 8. 125, zoos: cake of soap on
stairs. 488, 21; coal-hole cover. go, 43:
banana skin. SIG. 81; editor and poet,
3, POS, zoos; green apples, 4, l (not in
season.: iceman, 4,9Sl, 2.605; plumber.
9,87l, 6. 1872; picnic. 40l. 80 crush usually
comes later; Niagara hackman, 40,
GA; bent pin, 1911, 2,434; umbrella,
7.841, 2,432; watermelon (out of sea
SOM. 148. 125.
In almost every instance it will be
seen that there has been great disparity
in the present years figures as COM
pared with those of the year preceding.
The messenger boy. it is true. has very
nearly held his own. and no excessively
marked falling off is noticed in whisky
drinking or the Chicago girls feet. The
wonderful divergence which is shown
in the figures relating to the dude is to
be explained by the fact that he was
novelty in the photographic field last
year; but, thank heaven, he is short
lived creature. as our statistics show,
and haply after another year he shall
be heard of no more forever.
Jokes on love-making, matrimony,
millinery, twins, divorce and kindred
accidents, inseparable from ones
earthly pilgrimage. hold their time
honored places. They always have
been and always will be. world without
end; therefore it has not been thought
worth while to collect data regarding
them. And for other but equally cogent
no notice has been taken of
alleged witticisms on deaths by drown
ing or other adventurous means.
Neither has any account been made of
poronomasis- Punning is not joking.
and a new pun is well-nigh an i'm
possibility.
From our statistics. then, it will be
seen that there has been marked de-
cline in almost every department of
American humor: and we have by no
means exhausted the evidence which we
have at hand. We have only given a
lew samples of very large invoice.
which we might draw upon almost
without limit.
But in this general decline it is pleas.
mt to know that there is one subject at
east which has come forward to par
tally make up for what has been lost.
Need we say we refer to the roller
kate? During the first four months Of
1884 the roller skate was the foundation
# but three paragraphs: during the cor
period of 1885 it has fur
,ished the raison d 'etre of 1864 witt |
.isms of different lengths and Of various |
Iuality. Therefore. providing there
hall be no increase in the monthly re-