The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-07-12


Bill Nye was recently approached for
a sketch OF his career. Unwilling 10
trust TO the tender mercles OF a biog-
his noble deeds. the king OF humorists
issues the following autobiography:
Edgar Wilson Nye was born in
Maine in 1850. Aug. %, but az two
years of age he took his big parents by
the hand aud. telling them that Pts
cataquis County was no place for them
he boldly struck out for 81. Croix
County. Wisconsin. where the hardy
young pioneer soon made a home
for his parents. The first year he drove
the Indians out Of the 81. Croix Valley,
and suggested 10 the Northwestern
Railroad that IL would be good idea
10 build 10 ST. Paul rs soon rs the COM
pany could get a grant which would
pay them two or three times the cost OF
construction. The following year he
adopted trousers. and made $l75 from
the sale of wolf scalps. He also
cleared twcnty-Seven acres OF land. aud
raised some watermelons. In 1854 he
established and endowed a district
school in Pleasant Valley. IL was at
this time that he began to turn his at
tention 10 the abolition of slavery in
the South and 20 write articles for the
press signed ''Vcritas.n in which he adj
yocated the war of 1860 or as soon rs
the government could get around 10 IL.
I'm 1855 he graduated from the farm
and began the study OF the law. lie
did not advance very rapidly in this
profession. failing several times IN his
examination and giving bonds for his
appearance at the next term OF court.
He was, however. close student of
political economy. and studied per-
sonal economy ut the same time till
he found he could live on 10 cents a
day and his relatives easily.
mir Nye now began TO look for a
new country TO build up and foster.
and ms Wisconsin had grown to be so
thickly settled in the northwestern
part of the state that neighbors were
/ frequently found as near as five miles
apart he broke loose from all restraint
and took emigrant rates for Cheyenne.
Wy. Il. Here he engaged board at the
Interocean Hotel and began 10 look
about him for position in bank.
Not succeeding in this. he tried the law
and journalism. He did not succeed in
getting job for some time. but finally
hired rs associate editor and janitor of
the Laramie Sentinel. The salary was
small but his latitude great, and he
was permitted TO write anything that
he thought would please people,
whether IL was news or not.
by and by he had won every heart
by his gentle. patient poverty and his
delightful parsimony with regard to
facts. With a hectic imagination and
an order on a restaurant which adyer-
tised in the paper, he scarcely cared
through the livelong day whether school
kept or not.
''He is the father OF several very
! beautiful children by his first wife, who
/ is still living. She is Chicago girl,
and loves her husband far more than
I he deserves. He is pleasant TO the out
side world but perfect brute in his
/ home. He early learned that in order
: 10 win the love of his wife he should be
I crratic aud kick the stove over OH
/ the children when he came home. He
/ therefore asserts himself in this way,
and the family love and respect him,
being awed by his greatness and gentle
4 barbarism.
"IIe eats plain food with both hands,
convcrsing all the time pleasantly with
any one who may be visiting at the
4 house. II his children do not behave.
/ he kicks them from beneath the table
till they roar with pain, as he chats on
with the guests with bright and ever
/ flowing stream of bon mots which
please and delight those who visit him
/ TO that degree that they almost forget
that they have had hardly anything to
eat.
I'm conclusion. Mr.. Nye Is in every
respect "A lovely character. He feared
that injustice might he done him, how
ever. in this biographical sketch, and
80 he has written il himself