Wichita eagle., 1888-09-25
HOW BILL NYE WORKS.
A Talk Concerning One Of tho Mos
Popular FUNNY Men of the Dax.

! HOW BILL NYE WORKS.
! A Talk Concerning One of tho Mos,
| Popular Funny Men Of the Day.
TX. Marvel says: "a man asks me t.
write something; he might as well ash
the skies to rain" Bill Nye says: ''If you
want me to write just tell me to write
something and then let me alone"
He generally keeps a supply Of some
twenty subjects pretty well in hand that
can be written up on short notice. He
keeps a note book just like the rest, q
literary rag bag into which lots and lots
| goes in, and nothing was ever yet known
| to come out" He thinks there is fortune
! in store for the man who invests manu-
! scripts with some property like a magnet
that by passing them over the rubbish OF
I q note book will attract to themselves
| just what belongs.
| p He cannot write ''in order" He has
attempted few times to write by meas
ure, so many words, SO much pay, such a
length, such subject. "Why, you might
as well pack me down into my trundle
bed and tell me to sleep. can feel the
cramp in my limbs yet" He cannot
even write under headings, as his subject,
like q stick IN water, is apt to turn all
sorts of crooks aud elbows before he gets
to the bottom
One Of The Worlds staff brought him
piece Of his manuscript the other day,
| his thumb resting on a spot of it that was
bursting with laughter. ''For heavens
sake, Bill, how did you ever get this
turn on thats Did you sit down in cold
blood and manufacture it, or did it come
on you all of a suddens' 1.-THE pen was
half through the joke before saw il, -
said he.
He never rewrites an article by any
chance. often interlines, crosses ont or
doubles up, but the copy goes to the Of
flee just that way. 1t all comes Just
about as he wants it, faster than he can
write it. He sometimes has to stop to
spear a word which is careening about in
vacancy. but never an expression. He
must finish one article while III that par
ticular mood. 1t Is useless to try to re-
call it In any particular shape if inter
rupted, and he has lost much valuable
matter in this way. He intends making q
study Of more continued writing, but
breads the attempt.
On his first writing he used high desk,
but later on, finding that height abso-
lutely necessary to composition dsliber-
ately broke himself Of the habit By writ
ing On his knee, which now constitutes
his desk on all ordinary occasions He
uses a little pencil, likes a very fine pen
point. He makes the finest copy Of any
writer he knows except one He hates
proof reading and says a man has to suf-
fer so little nowadays by mistakes, owing
to the excellent proof work done by the
that ba had
fer that little" than read the proof so
'1opg."
Much greater facility has come TO him
by practice. Also he has a consciousness
that there Is q marked improvement in
the pith and finish Of his work. In this
he is supported by the opinions OF his best
friends, who are always prompt to give
helpful criticism, and by the distaste he
now has for his earlier efforts, some OF
which are quite unpalatable 70 him now
He has no fear whatever Of running OUT
or becoming stale, as he does not claim TO
create, only to clothe old subjects Of Nv
ing interest in new form, and this can
walk side by side with humanity just as
long as 1t or he lives. He has written in
all only about twelve years.
He gives his best mind work 10 his
every day friends, saving nothing because
It is more valuable written Before writ
ing he was an inimitable story teller and
joke maker Of that delicious type that
shows the fun only with his eyes The
only reason that be In Less humorous now
IN conversation than In his writing Is On
the principle Of turning over On the
other side to rest q weary muscle" The
humorist, az the comedian, must turn TO
''the grave" for relaxation--Fannss Ed
gar Thomas In Inter Ocean.
Changes in National Drinking Habfta
Some important changes are now taking
place In the drinking habits Of several
great countries. China, for example, has
just ordered lot Of bottled beer for The
use Of the sailors who man her lately
acquired feet Of ironclads Japan, not TO
be behind her ancient rival, has sent .
professor Of Toxic university TO EzroDs
Tor the purpose Of 'sa-npiing' the various
kinds of bcer that Germany pred uces.
Thence he VIII 60 70 England, and CD his
return to japan h1 impartial majesty, the
emperor, VIII issue . decree % establish
beer a. The national drink THIS action Ia
taken On sccoua. Of the vicious habit os
gin tipping which has recently Obtained
fooshold In japan In England. too, tie
consumption Of ben II ca the increase,
whereas the British bal for hqaor 10
smaller this yeAr than u kss bern for
decade In France, On the other hand,
the usH Of brandy And Sin - much more
common and fre9nen. than IL was before
The BraoeoPrusa.an var.-1hs Eooch