The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-04-04
NYE's BRILLIANT CAREER.
fsIii Tells the story of His T.ise-ffow ne
Abolished Slavery.

+ Bill Nye was recently approached for
a sketch of his career. Unwilling To
trust TO the tender mercies of a biog-
rapher for a faithful presentation of
his noble deeds, the king OF humorists
issues the following autobiography:
Edgar Wilson Nye WAS born In
Maine in 1850 Aug. 20. but at two
years Of age he took his big parents by
the hand aud. telling them that Pis-
cataquis County was no place for them
he boldly struck out for st. Croix
County. Wisconsin,. where the hardy
Young pioneer soon made home
for his parents. The first year he drove
the Indians out of the st. Croix Valley,
and suggested to the Northwestern
Railroad that II would lie a good idea
70 build to ST. Paul as soon as the CONF
pany could get grant which would
pay them two or three times the cost of
construction. The following year he
adopted trousers. and made $i75 from
the sale of wolf scalps. He also
cleared twenty-seven acres OF land. and
raised some watermeIons. In 1854 he
established and endowed district
school in Pleasant Valley. Ii was at
this time that he began to turn his at
tentiOn 10 the abolition of slavery In
the Sot Oh and 10 write articles for the
press signed .'Veritas, = In which he adj
voeated the war of 1850 or as soon rs
the government could get around TO it,
In 1866 he graduated from the farm
and began the study of the law. He
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. a close student of
political economy. aud studied per-
sonal economy at the same time till
he found he could live on 10 cents a
day and his relatives essily.
MIR. Nye now began TO look for a
new country TO build up aud foster,
and as Wisconsin had grown To be so
thickly settled in the northwestern
part of the state that neighllors were
frequently found as near as five miles
apart he broke loose from all restraint
aud took eniigrant rates for Cheyenne
Wy. 4. Here he engaged board at the
lnterDeean Hotel aud began 10 look
abont him for a position Ia a bank.
Not succeeding in this, he tried the law
aud journalism. He did not succeed in
getting job for some time. lnt finally
hired as associate editor and jauitor of
the Laramie Sentinel. The salary was
small but his latitude great and he
WAS permitted 10 write ANYTHING that
+ he thou ght would please people,
whether II was news or not.
BY aud by he had won every heart
by his gentle. patient poverty and his
delightful parsimony with regard tn
facts. With hectic Imagination and
an cr,ler on restaurant. which ttlyer-
tsed In the paper. he scarcely cared
through the liyelong day whether school
kept or not.
s.IIe is the father of several very
beautiful children hy his first wife. who
is still living. She is Chicago girl,
and loves her husband far more than
he deserves. He is pleasant to the out
side world but perfect brute in his
home. He early learned that in order
To win the love of his wife he should be
erratic aud kick the stave over on
the children when he came home. lie
therefore asserts himself i'm this way,
aud the family love and respect him,
being awed 10y his greatness and gentle
barbarism.
lie eats plain food with both hands.
conversing all the time pleasantly with
any one who may be visiting at the
house. If 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 a bright and ever
flowing stream of bon mots whicl
please and delight those who visit him
to that degree that they almost forge
that they have had hardly anything te
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. anC
SO he has written it himself