The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-08
"JOsH BILLINGS.
sAsKING IN COLORADO SUNSHINE
TO REGAIN LOST VITALITY.
How He Began Writing His Quaint Phil
OsOphy - Adopting His Noted
Nom de PIume-In the
Lecture Field.
Denver Trfbune-RepubIican.l

Denver Tribune Republican,
"Josh Billings" the popular humor1st, was
one of the arrivals at the Windsor hoCel
recently He is accompanied by his vile
and has come west to spend a year Tor Ine
benefit Of his health on the advice OF ms
physician. He bears well his SO years, ana
one would not judge by any means that ne
has come to bask in Colorado sunshine 10 re-
store any lost vitality. His hair now
slightly tinged with gray, still touches ms
shoulders fro under a black slouch hat'
but the once fierce moustache, now gray, Is
clipped short, and conforms in its training
with the closely clipped beard.
ooh, no, this is not my first visit WesG'
said he, in answer to the reporters question:
II might possibly be called frontiersInan-
I was in this region of country when JnS s1Ue
of Denver was occupied by some men living
in a wagon. That vista It's long story.
I was a shiftless boy; my parents sept me
to college, but didn't learn anything while
there I didn't like it and ] went home.
They started me back. On the way l met
a party who were westward bound and
Joined them. I was Is then. was2O years
older when next saw my parents. / first
went to st. Louis, then a mere frontier
town; could kill buffalo on the outskirts
There later Joined some sort OF scientific
expedition which was coming west don't
know what it was really for. We had
'bug" professor along, and probably some
of the man had some business. never
fouiN out. We rummaged around out here
a long time and then went back Then
was out here thirteen or fourteen years ago,
at which time delivered the same old lee
tuTe that have now"
HIS QUAINT PHILOSOPHY.
"When did you begin writing your quaint
philosopher
GsTha a. ooDoo q hort in q vary 1Inexnected
| way. There was an editor in the little east
| ern town in which then lived who was
continually troubled about filling up his
paper. He wanted me to write something
| for him. I told him 1 never had written
| anything in my lie, and I wouldn't do it,
| however much ! wanted to- He said that
man who was continually saying such things
| as 1 was, could certainly write something.
| I concluded to try. thought from my ex-
perience in the west and other places that
| knew about as much about mule as any
| body; had studied q mules characteristics,
| and so I wrote a little essay on the mule
| and gave it to the editor. I wrote perhaps
| fifteen or twenty similar things, and all OF
| them the editor seemed anxious to print, as
| l supposed to fill up with. Then the paper
went under, and ceased writing. was 40
| years old then, and my business was an auc-
| tioneer.
Some time after that, when Artemus
| Ward was coming into prominence, was
very careful reader of his grotesque sayings
spelled Theoretically. / had saved in scrap
| book the things the country editor had pub
lished for me- and thought some OF them
| at least possessed as much merit as some Of
| the things on which Artemus Ward was
| fast gaining q reputation. / studied that
| phonetic business Of Wards, and wondered
If there was really anything humorous in it.
! experimental. took my mule story and
1 --,H,/1 f%aol
| I had previously become acquainted with
an editor in New York, and sent the pho.
| netic business to him.
HIS NOM-DE-PLUME.
"And right here I will tell you how came
to adopt my monde plume. did not know
how to sign the article. During my travels
| in the west had met man named Josh
! Crenaw, and I became so personally at
| tacned to him that / resolved should op-
portunity offer to somehow perpetuate his
| name in my memory. was going to sign
his name to that article but the last name
did not jingle with Josh. / experimental
| on Josh this and Josh that, and finally
stumbled on Billings / signed the article
Josh Billings 1t appeared that way, and
/ ever since that time Josh Billings has got
| the credit.
"The articles seemed to please and were
freely quoted. I got an offer from The
| New York Weekly to write for that paper.
! They gave me $40 week. After year or
| SO told them that guessed would quit;
| $40 week wouldn't do. They asked me
how expected to get any more If [ didn't
| ask for it. That was a sumner, land ever
| since I have remembered those words and
| applied the precept. From that day to this
| they have paid me 500 week-for nine
| teen years on the Both of this month.
| And lust before 1 left New York / sent
them enough copy to last them for year to
| come.
IN THE LECTURE FIELD.
"For twenty-four years have been in the
lecture field, and have got the same old
| lecture started out with; the only change is
| that it has been dressed and redressed, until
| every word and sentence in it not really
needed has been expunged. How did come
| to lecture? Well, that too, is an incident
| Some people in the town lived in said they
admired my writings and they wanted me
to collect the pith of them, condense them
into lecture and deliver it. It really did
take coaxing, but finally consented. When
| read to those few people in parlor was
| really ashamed. They said they admired it,
and fortune in it was assured. hadn't .
! cent, but some capital was secured, and
| second time failed.
| "a year or so later two gentlemen very
| kindly volunteered the capital and the third
| attempt was made. 1t was losing business
| from the start, and when we reached Pough-
| keepsie we only had enough money to bill
| the town. Our hearts were broken when
only twenty eight men and solitary woman
made their appearance in the hall took
the stage and announced to my few patrons
that undoubtedly had lecture that would
keep and had better keep tiff they would
| kindly take back their money at the door
would personally see to it that the lecture
| did not get lost A year after that re-
ceived a telegram from the Young Mems
Christian association of Poughkeepsie to de-
! liver my lecture before that body. did so.
My share of the receipts was $toS. That
was more money than had ever earned at
one time before In my life, and | was de-
lighted. That was the starting point OF my
| success. began driving the dollars in and
| clinching them on the other side, and now
| have all want"
| v..- rxa,, 1,o4o.&