Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-04-08
DRAWBACKS OF JOKING.
A New York Humorlst Falls Foul of q
Strange New Jersey Audience.

Strange New Jersey Audience.
Il confess that when man in my
line seriously sits down to measure
the length, breadth and exact number
of cubic inches to a joke, he comes to
the conclusion that joking by contract
has its drawbacks. So spoke Marshall
P. Wilder, the humorist, after his re-
cent trip to Tuckerton, N. j., where he
employed his varied talents in the en-
deavor to convulse with laughter an
audience composed of few hundred
farmers and villagers. He labored
under some disadvantages on the Oc-
casion. The members of the reception
committee who met him at the railroad
depot impressed upon him the fact that
many of the persons to whom he was
to address himself were church men,
bers of the strictest type whom any
thing approaching to levity would be
an objectionable offense. They told
him, too, that others of the audience
were worldy-minded people who had
been recently gathered to the fold, and
that they would lose cast with the con-
gregation if they were seen laughing
immoderately. Here was a state OF
things!
WELL" laughed Wilder, II was in
for it and could not shirk the response
bility. Half dozen local people got
on at the station this side of the town
to attend the entertainment, and
confess l had my misgivings, for never
a ghost of smile tlickered on their
faces. The night was chilly, and as
stepped on the platform saw couple
of figures looking anxiously into the
faces of the arrivals. They were the
members of the reception committee
but they looked like pair of under.
takers.
"I'll be darned if he's come, said
one; what are we agwine to do,
brotherp'
"'May be he's gone to the next sta
ton by mistake, was the grave re-
sponse.
Il took in the situation at once, >
pursued Wilder, ''and | thought IL
have my own joke if it wasn't on tn,
programme. Away drove the commit
tee in a buggy, and, stepping into 1
stage closely muffled, | followed. Tn,
buggy had the start of me by about tel
minutes, and when | arrived at tn,
hall heard the loud voice of the chair
man making an apology for my mol
appearance. Going around by th
back door, ! persuaded a small boy t,
call him off the stage. As he came ou
he scrutinized my diminutive tigur
and exclaimed:
"'WhO on earth be you?
"'My name is Wilder-Marshall z
Wilder, | replied.
"'Then where's your father?'
"'He's in New York, / guess
can where's the humoristp'
"T'm the humorist
"'Wall, I'll be gol-darned il thi
don't beat punkinsr and he burst int
such an uncomfortable fit of laughte
that l thought he'd never stop. Jus
you holt on mint while 1 fix things
Then he rushed onto the platform an
raising his hands as though about t
pronounce the benediction, he said i
loud voice:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the humol
list is come He couldn't get an
further, for he was seized with such
spasm of laughter that | began to fe,
the supply would give out before
could come to his relief. Lets us il
troduce you properly he added an
seizing me by the arm he almo
dragged me before the audience an
then roared:
"'This be the humorist.
''Some laughed and others looked il
credulous, but boy in front, who W;
apparently contrasting my small figul
with the tall, bony attitude of ii
chairman, called out; Don't step @
him or you'll break him up!'"
Mr.. Wilder thinks there is good M
terial for laughter in the town
Tuckerton, but it requires a little fe
tilizing and cultivation. He thinl
that in a second or third attempt
may be able to make some of ii
deacons and sisters smile.-M Y. No
and Express.