Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-12-18
FUNNY JOSH BILLINGS.
4 Document Written by the Humorist
Over Twenty Years Ago.


Over Twenty Years Ago.
That quaint humorist, Josh Billings.
penned the following letter in Carleton'a
book store in this city more than a score
of years ago, says the New York World,
and forwarded it 70 his literary friend,
Mr.. Bowen, of Fort Plain:
"DEAR CHARLES: II you can git me a few
kalls to lektur out your way II viii be clever In
you. Sorry that have no pictorial biography
OF my face TO send you; the fact Is that am so
cussed humoly that can't be took. 1 have
sent to England for one OF the Book Billings.
Those publishers are worse than resurrection
ists-they steal a man while living. ought to
have had at least e5oO from the London publish.
ers, but never had a cent. My lektur on milk
has been skinned for lyceum taste. There
Amt any thing in 1t that need make any BODY
faint away, and believe there Is some nervous
truth in 1t.
"As regards the eatastrophys in nv btoe-
raphy thus far, can only state that was born
In Massachusetts, between two mountains I'm
the year 1870. At the age of IS the first busi-
ness l attacked was the wool business
driving sheep, i had never been away before
emo every body seemed TO know more than
did. Issved myself, but lost the flock Of sheep
pretty thoroughly. At 10 brought up On the
west bank Of the Mississippi, even In them
days quite stream. The past thirty years
have been divided multiplied and subtracted
IL oAiN hnionB Inc various ScQeE1eS OF TaRrant
temperament supplanted in q strong, natural
constitution, such as husbandry In the wilder
Bess, where there was more wild bees TO hunt
than oats TO cut; rchandzing at the forks
Of a mud turnpike with stock of brogan
boots, Lowell calico and whisky by the ouar1
running high pressure steam boat on the
Ohio rivera lively life, where man can see
human natur with the bark on and learn how
70 swear with great precision Also specuIated
IN west lndla stores and potash, the two FIRST
crops Of new country; an auctioneer, and for
eight years land hunter on Indian trails, and
maoe tough by riding q hog-skin saddle and
eating acorn.fed pork and corn-dodgers.
MY lie has been a success thus far for I
am stfil alive, but peeuniarily who ever made
money by playing the eccentric wanderer from
one rude vocation to another but little better
IMAM the common trapper and honey and pen
non nunterf have had much comfort out of
al this, and would not take the best farm in
the State Of New York for the sights 1 have
seen My literary raid has been short, but
sweet, have had sa much fun out OF Il ~
any man who ever lived, and when reflect that
1t Is but little more than five years since first
put comic on paper, I can certainly feel that II
1have not made much coin, have the quiet
satisfaction Of knowing that have never writ
ten line in malice against the truth or virtue
ef the world might have gained more wis
dom by sleeping In a cloister, but would have
missed the larks' wild song in the morning and
the sober boot Of the midnight owl in the VIII.
derness. was never sfck all dag In my life,
never saw man In . tight spot but what was
willing 70 loosen the screws; have lived amonG
the high ana the low, and never put in my pock-
ct knife or pistol. Excuse this II It looks
Ike egotfsm- only mean to brag on the 10y the
world has furnished me. Yours tenderly
HENRY W. SHAW, Josh BiilinRsI
New York, January %, 1872