The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-02-28

MIR. CHARLES 3. LEWIS
(better known as M Quad is perhaps
the most unique and genuine humorist
this country has ever produced. x x
s M Quad is not humorous sar-
tist'- boss mechanic who manufact-
ures jokes as carpenter does packing
boxes, with saw and jack plane and
much exudation of perspiration. He
is naturally and spontaneously funny
Humor gushes from him like cham
pagne from an uncorked bottle, bub-
bling and effusive, and drenching us
whether we will or not, with laughter.
And there's wisdom in his wit-strong,
homely common sense mixed with a
racy unctuous humor which makes his
humor as grateful to our taste as whale
oil is to the palate of an Esquimau.
He is Of universal relish, as is wit
messed by the wide popularity that the
the Detroit Free Press largely owes to
his contributions.
1t is not generally known where he
was born, nor is that of much conse-
quencc, since his career did not begin
till he was blown up, some seventeen
years ago, On an Ohio River steam
boar. He is perhaps the only example
of a man who has been lifted into fame
by being tossed a hundred feet into
the air, and coming down more dead
than alive, to tell the story. He did
this Standing at his printers case,
when he was SO far recovered as to
limp about, he put into type elbow it
feels to be blown up" and the whole
West burst into laughter. That laugh
made M. Quad famous. He was
then transferred from the composing
room to the editorial department, and
ever since, short extracts from the
Free Press have been copied into ev-
cry journal throughout the country.
About ten years ago he invented
or rather created-sHis Honor and
sBijah' and Brother Gardener of the
'Lime-kiln Club'-character totally
dissimilar, but each as natural, original,
individual, and ludicrous as any in
American literature.
sArtemus Ward created one char
acter; M. Quad has given birth to
three, and each one has, during a pc
riod of ten years, given delight to mil
lions.
The man is precisely what we are
led to expect from his writings. He
is by turns His Honor 'BUah,' and
brother Gardener with the dry
humor and quaint wisdom that is pc
culiar to each character.
His sden,' as he calls his 'sanctum,
is an upper story of the Free Press
building, is curiosity shop fllei with
odd mementoes and knick- -knacks:
Here is bit Of rope that helped to
hang a murderer, and pair of shack
les of the old slave time; there are
bullets from Gettysburg, powder TASKS
from the Merrimac, and swords, sabres,
muskets, and shot and she'll from a
score of battle fields; while around
the wall, side by side with portraits OF
Sheridan and Custer, busts of Grant
and Lee, are pictures OF dozen OF
the most noted criminals. But the
oldest thing in the room is slender
man of about forty, with close-cropped
gray hair, heavy mustache, keen in
tent eyes, and an earnest, somewhat
eager expression, who sits at an old
fashioned table and looks up with a
smile of welcome as stranger enters
his apartment. This is M. Quad,
known among his personal acquaint-
ances as c. B. Lewis. He is modest,
and not at all puffed up By the fac,
that he has a weekly audience of 2
million, nearly one half of whom are
matter of-fact Englishmen, who take
him with their beefsteak and ale, as a
sure help to healthy digestion. He
is spoken of as odd and eccentric, and
| that he may be, but l incline to the
opinion that this popularity is due te
the fact that nature produced him il
one of her genial moods when she
would do the world a kindly turn by
bestowing upon it gentle soul, who
should do US good by spreading for u
a wholesome feast of mingled wit ant
wisdom.