Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-04-17
ARTEMUS WARD.
The Story of How He Became a Lee
turer.

The Story of How He Became q Lee
turer.
From the North American Review.
Artcmus Ward was undoubtedly the
greatest humorist America has yet pro-
duced. He was genial and companion
able, but not a great onversasionalist,
nor did he scatter the scintillations of
his wit and hImor broadcast, but, on
the contrary, was modest and retlcent
in company, and only once in a while
set the table in a roar with some dry
joke, at which he never laughed him.
self. In fact, Artemus could not make
an off-hand speech at all, even, and
be written out and committed TO mem
DRY. -
1t may be interesting to know how
the great humorist came to take to the
lecture platform, when, before his great
success III that line, he had confined
himself exclusively to the pen; and as /
had a finger in the pie | Will relate it.
About thirty years ago there was 8 pa
per published in this city by several
brothers named Stephens, called Vanity
Fair, having ior contributors such men
as Thackeray, Fitz-James O'Brien,
George Arnold, Henry Stanley, and, i'll
fact, all the literary talent in the coun-
try, with editors such as Charles 6.
Leland, Henry Clapp and Frank Wood;
and yet it was plain that the public did
not want it, and it was about to give up
the ghost, when the publishers con-
suited me as to what they should do.
My advice was to get an editor who
ties, and advertise him as connected
with the paper, and [ declared that
there were only two men in the whole
country who filled the bill-John @.
SAKE and Artemus Ward, whose real
name [ did not then know. I knew
that SAKE could not be had, as he was
a candidate for governor of Vermont;
therefore the publishers empowered me
to correspond with Artemus, and offer
him $50 per week and travelling ex-
penses to come to New York as the new
editor. The response was immediate
acceptance, and $25 and two weeks sal
airy were forwarded-he afterward told
me the offer was godsend, as he was
getting but $40 week on the Cleveland
Plaindealer, as a reporter-and in
few days Browne arrived in New York
and assumed the chair. The paper
languished on tor a few months, and
then went the way of all funny papers.
L
was walking up Broadway and regret
ting the result, for l had become very
much attached to Browne He was
talking about going back to Cleveland
and resuming his old position, when I
suggested to him that he try lecturIng.
At this he laughed, declaring himself
totally unfit, not being able to speak in
public at all, and having no subject. [
insisted, and gave him, as subject,
Ghosts" New York at the time being
very much exercised over a foolish
humbug got up in the newspapers, and
called THE Twentv-seventh Street
Ghost" Before we parted Artemus
had promised to write such lecture,
and to meet knot of literary and artist
friends the next evening at Pfah's, on
Broadway, near Blocker Street,
noted restaurant and resort of Bohe-
mians, and read what be had written.
He came with about half his effort, and
for three-quarters of an hour the party
was literally in roar. He called it "a
Lecture About Ghosts" and no small
part of the fun was that there was not a
word about ghosts in it.
The next day he finished it, and then
the question was to bring it out. | knew
an actor, and sometimes manager, by
the name of De Walden, then part of
the old Wallack company, who had
some money, and managed to get him
interested. He took Niblo's saloon, now
the dining-room of the Metropolitan
Hotel. for one night, with the privilege Of
six. The first night, with the help of the
press, who were all friends of Artemus,
was a triumph. and he ran a week,
clearing for himself and his manager
1900. From that time his lecturing
was grand success, and, while Artemus
was more than liberal, he saved money,
or, rather, he made it so fast that he
could not help it's accumulating in lis
hands. He died worth almost $780,
of which he left the income to his aged
mother, and, after her death, to found
an asylum for old and disabled printers,
to which craft he originally belonged.