The new North-west., 1885-06-26
NO. S33.
AMERICAN HUMOR.
DECLINE EVIDENCED IN THE PAUc!TY
OF FRESH SUBJECTS.
Presentation OF Statistics Carefully Pro-
pared-A Remarkable Falling Of
The Possibilities Of the Roller
Skate Very Encouraging.
Boston Transcript. !

that American hnmor was in as fourishing
condition as ever; that, notwithstanding the
heavy drafts which it has sustained during
the last decade, the supply was still abund-
ant, not to say inexhaustiblc. But such,
alasl Is not the fact, as can be conclusively
shown by the presentation Of statistics care
fully prepared, at considerable expense,
and which will be given in detail farther on.
The most serious evidence Of the decline
In national humor is shown in the
paucity Of fresh subjects: there nayi..s I-an
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 desue-
tude and are now no more heard than IL
they had never been. it is also true that
scores of other favorite marks for the
she its of the funny men have shown
gradual falling Off in photographic favor.
The stovepipe joke is a notable instance Of
the former class just alluded to, the class
which has utterly disappeared. This mirth-
excitant, which in the year 1875 reached the
marvellous proportions Of 2,764 paragraphs
per month, or 80, 16S during the entire year,
had fallen off in 1884 to 95 per month, or $50
during the first four months OF the year,
but II cases have been recorded, an average
Of only ~ per month. A similar, though
not so excessive, falling off is shown by
many other old stand-bys; notably, tho
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 mother
in.law formed the subject Of 4,9S7 para
graphs or articles, whereas the correspond
ing term of the present year can boast OF
but 2l5, and PA Of these are essentially rep
etition. Goat and the circus poster, 1884,
1854; 1885, "a Oldest Mason, 1884, Sal;
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 dur
ing the first four months Of the present year:
Mssse niger boy. 4,231-4, 200; oyster, LIZA
-7o7; dude, 5,649-34; hair in the butter,
1885 (which, by the way, Is six times
too many; big hat at the theatre. l,263-4s;
game Of poker, 1,Sl2-l35; whisky drinking,
4,S3l-3,56 boariing-hou hash, 3,1f2-
IA; strong butter, 2076-l11 (oleomar-
garine not includei); Chicago girls over
nutrition of pedal extremities, 8 125-2,0
cake OF soap on stairs, 4SS-2l; coal-hole
cover, 976-43; banana skin, Sl6-27; editor
and poet, 3, 3,265-2.0o3; green apple, Al
mot in season.; ice-cream, 1,74S-1,2A
trather early for this also); ice man, 4, 9S1-
2,6O5; plumber, 9,s7l-8. 43o; picnic, 1918
rush usually comes later; Niagara hack
man, 778-6l4; bent pin, 7,671-2, 44; UNI
brella, 7,s4i-2, 432; watermelon tout Of sea
SOM, 14S-l25
In almost every instance 1t will be seen
that there has been great disparity in the
present years figures as compared with
those of the year preceding. The messenger
boy, it is true, has very nearly held his
own, and no excessively marked falling of
Is noticed in whisky drinking or the Chi
cago 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 q 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, milli-
merry, twins, divorce, and kindred accidents
inseparable from ones earthly pilgrimage
hold their time-honored places They al
ways have been and always will be, world
without end; therefore, 1t has not been
thought worth while to collect data regard
ing them. And for other but equally cogent
reasons no notice has been taken of alleged
witticisms on deaths by drowning or other
adventitious means Neither has any &C
count been made of poronomasia. Punning
Is not joking, and new pun Is wellnigh an
impossibility.
From our statistics then, it will be seen
that there has been marked decline in al
most every department Of American hui
NOR; and we have by no means exhausted
the evidence which we have at hand. We
have only given few samples Of q very
large invoice, which we might draw upon
almost without limit.
But in this general decline 1t is pleasant
to know that there Is one subject at least
which has come forward to partially make
up for what has been lost. Need we say we
refer to the roller skatsl During the first
four months of 1884 the roller skate was the
foundation of but thre, paragraphs; dur
ing the corresponding period Of 1885. 1t has
furnished the raison d'etre Of 1884 With
cisms Of different lengths and Of various
quality. Therefore. providing there shall
be no increase In the monthly returns
land the probabilities all point in an opposite
direction) there will be, during the entire
year, 2l4, ,36S mirthful illusions to the skat-
ing-rink set before the readers Of American
newspaper l, n
d, Finally, then, while deploring the decline
Of American humor in general, let US thank
hea ven and take courage. in view Of tho
marvellous possibilities presented by the
roller skates. and let US pray that this last
bulwark of our nations wit may forever
withstand the wear and tear Of time and ths
strain of constant use. 81 ~ .r1