Connecticut western news., 1889-10-23
BILL ME AT HOME.

JILL lS l l. Al 11ONL. THE DOMESTIC LIFE OF THE
 GREAT HuMOKIsT. l He Owns House, Four Children, and a
 Big Barn.
 When Bill lSye isn't, as he himself says, 'jostling and junketing around with foreign dynasties," he lives on Staten Island. He owns large house perhaps half mile from the landing at St. George; has four children, equally balanced as to sex, solemn-- faced COW and q big barn. The house cost forty thousand dollars, but it feii into MT. Nye's hands at about one third of that imposing sum. The owner has dipped deep enough into the thirties to be pcriio,lsly close to forty. He has drawn his own picture too often to need the focusing of foreign lens. Now that he is recognized as peer of the realm of American humor- ists he has no trouble in defraying his expenses. Many exaggerated state ments concerning his earnings have found their way into print. They arc large enough, however, to obviate the necessity for infation. Last year his tongue wagged at the rate of about twenty thousand dollars for the lec- ture season, and with the receipt of about ten thousand dollars more his pen is to be credited. He is in plat form partnership with Whitcomb Riley, the "Hoosier Poet," for whose brother strangers usually mistake him. He is often supposed to be the poet of the combination, a circumstance which he explains by saying:
 "Riley is always saying something funny ill conversation, and 1 never do anything of that kind"
 It is only within recent years that tidal waves of prosperity began to roll over MT. Nye. Without straining his memory he can recall the time when his literary drudgery netted him a dol lar column.
 "The columns were short and the type large," he explains, "and l was glad to get the dollar."
 One hundred dollars is nearer his figure now. Most of the humorist's pen portraits represent him as perfect ly innocent of hair. This does gross injustice to the vegetation with which his scalp is fringed, though it is not luxuriant and though truth compels the admission that the crown is of the billiard ball variety. He is loosely built, large boned, six feet high and straight as a plummet line. The kind. Illness that is in him seems to find all outlet at every pore. It dances ill hi$ eyes, softcns the expression of his face and rings in every sentence tha he utters. He was born ill the woods near Moosehcad Lake, and his parents were school friends of the Browns the family from which Artemus Ware sprang.
 "We moved from Moosehead Lake when I was very young," he says "and I lived in the West among thu rattlesnakes and the Indians until I grew up. practiced law for about year fbut," he adds, without changing { muscle, "nobody knew much about it
 I kept it very quiet. was Justice of the Peace for six years. Yes I uset to marry people and try them for othel offenses."
 This comparatively innocent descrip. ton of his administration of Larami' law scarcely goes far enough. For in stance: In an evil hour tramp at
 tempted to steal Cayuse pony belong ing to his Honor. The pony wa chiefly formidable about the heels which moved with great rapidity, an< flew to fearful height. The tram] was caught in the act and was prompt ly arraigned before Judge Nye. H. was found guilty of stealing Q horse guilty of vandalism in trying to mak away with the bucking pride of al Laramie, and, for obvious reason guilty of contempt of court. Tn l sentence was that the culprit shoul' ride the peppery pony for thirty min utes in the public square of Laramie
 The court adjourned, and all hands
 including his Honor, went over to SC , the sentence executed. This is pub F lished account of what followed: I ssThe horse was bridled and saddle,
 without event, led out into the squar t and the prisoner lifted on it's back
 The animal stood still moment O. two, turned it's head clear around am l coolly viewed the rider, then took
 shoot forward, instantly plunged back
 ward, arched his back, jumped in tn - air and landed with four feet stiff
 The rider was shot over his head an
 landed on his back, four feet in iron s of the steed. He was picked up agai
 and placed in the saddle. The hors
 did not look at the rider this time, but with that exception, the performance
 was the same as before. The culpri f. was mounted and tossed five times