The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-06

Who is Winning Literary Fame and
Fortune.
Copyright 1897
NEW YORK, Oct. 5.-When Bill Nye
isn't, as he himself says, ''iostling and
junketing around with foreign dynasties,"
he lives on Staten Island He owns a large
house, perhaps half mile from the landing
at st. George; has four children, equally
balanced as to sex, solemn-faced COW and
big barn. The house cost $4,000, but it
fell into Mr.. Nye's hands at about one
third of that imposing sum- The owner has
dipped deep enough into the thirties to be
perilously close to forty. He has drawn his
own picture too often to need the focusing
of foreign lens. Now that he is recog-
nizsd as a peer of the realm of American
humorists, he has no trouble in defraving his
expenses Many exaggerated statements
concerning his earnings have found their
way into print They are large enough,
however, to obviate the necessity fer infia-
ton. Last year his tongue wagged at the
rate of about $50, 900 for the lecture season
and with tie receipt of about $1,000 more
his pen is to be credited. He is in platform
partnership with Whitcomb Riley, the
'HoosIer Poet,n for whose brother strang-
ers usually mistake him. He IS often
supp }sed to be the poet of the combination.
a circumstance which he explains by say
ing
II conversation, and l never do anything of
that kind"
1t is only within recent years that tidal
waves of prosperity began to roll over Mr.
Nye. Without strainlng his memory he
can recall the time when his literary druid
gerry netred him 81 a column.
1.-The columns were short and the type
large" he explains, land was glad to get
the dollar"
One hundred dollars is nearer his figure
now. Most of the humorist's pen portraits
represent him as perfectly innocent of hair
This does gross injustice to the vegetation
with which his SCALP is fringed, though it is
not luxurant and though truth compels
the admission that the crown is of the bill
lard ball variety. He is loosely built, large
boned, six feet high and straight as plum
met line The kindliuess that is in him
seems to find an outlet at every pore. 1t
dances in his eyes, softens tine expression Of
mis- face, and rings in every sentence that he
utters. He was born in the woods, near
Moosehead Lake, and his parents we're
school friends of the Brownsville family
from which Artemus Ward sprung.
"We moved from Moosehead Lake when
was very young" he says, land lived in
the west among the rattle-snakes and the
Indians until / grew up / practiced law
for about year, but" he adds, with
out changing a muscle, nobody knew
much about it; | kept it very quiet. l was
justics of the peace for six years. Yes,
used to marry people and try them for
other offenses."
This comparatively innocent description
of his administration of Laramie law
| scarcely goes quite far enough For in
stance: In an evil hour a tramp attempted to
| steal Cayuse pony belonging to his honor
| The pony was chiefly formidable about the
heels, which moved with great rapidity I'd
| few TO a fearful hight The tramp was
| caught in the act and was promptly ar
raigned before Judge Nye. He was found
| guilty of stealing horse, guilty of vandal-
| ism in trying to make away with the buck
| ing PRIDE of all Laramie, and, for obvious rea-
sons, guilty of contempt OF court. The
| sentence was that the culprit should ride
the peppery pony for thirty minutes in the
| pubic square OF Laramie The court ad-
| journed and all hands, including his honor,
went over 10 see the sentence executed
| This is a published account of what fol-
| lowed
The horse was bridled and saddlsd with
out event, led out to the square and the
st1od still moment or two, turned its
head clear round and ceolly viewed the
rider. then took a shoot forward, instantly
plunged back, arched his back jumped in
the air and landed with four feet stiff The
rider was shot over his head and landed on
his back four feet in trout OF the steed. He
was picked up again and placed in the sad
die. The horse did not look at the rider
this time, bat, " it'll that exception, the per-
fOrmancA haf Tha
culprit was mounted and tossed five times
to the delight If the crowd and the Judge
and then allowed to depart"
Some OF the stories told of Nye's expert
ences on the beach have fairy tale flavor
about them, "but," says Mr.. Nye, 1.-THE
worst about the tale of the turbulent
trotter is that it will stand any amount
of cross-examination and won't impeach
itself. 1t is unfortunately true"
The same serious charge of absolute
veracity can be maintained against an
other of Nye's judicial rulings, the criminal
in this case being wifeb beaten. When his
honor examined the statute book he failed,
or said he failed, to find anything about
wife-beating. 1t might be legal pastime
for anything he knew in che statutes to the
contrary, but he would take the chances
and assess penalty to fit the CRIME. There
were several owboys in the court, and they
were requested to use their rawhides on the
pris oner. The wife-bsatsr's shoulders were
soon artistically adorned with black and
blue stripes, and, as he yelled like Co
manche, he was fined $40 for being verbally
indscorous.
Whatever misgivings may be enter
tanned regarding Nye's qualifications as an
exponent OF law, there is no debatable
ground about his capacity for the mission
which is bringing him fame and fortune.
He must have been singularly retiring and
unobtrusive in his early days. Even the
friction of the platform, with all that it
invoives-constant travelling, contact with
every type of human being and the crucible
of critical assemblages in every big city on
the continent-has not worn away the fine
delieacies which commend him to those
who know him well and those who
know him little. 1t is easy enough
to pluck out the heart Of Nye's mystery.
He can be comprehended in a moment and
initiated not at all. Those no try to fol-
low in his footsteps will have a hard road
to travel They would rise to the hight OF
none of his excellsncies and duplicate
and emphasize every deficiency he
has. OF course he is not man to rhap-
sodize about. He Is the first to smile whfn
ford things are said about him. To fall
down and worship himself will be the last
Of his follies. Perhaps no better evidence
of his simplicity of character than one
which he himself affords can be given.
mo one could be more surprised than I
Of,