Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-19
"NYE's HUMOR."
A Good Musical Entertainment-Is tn
Humorist Humorous?

humorous!
Bill Nye" bad a very large audience at
the Congregational Church last night. 1t
was 80 per cent. benefit for the Towards.
and was worked up well by Mr.. Dale,
Mr.. Hopkins, Mr.. Medley and others
Messrs. Simpson, McCreary, Scheld and
Reith acted as ushers, and the Towards
were also aided by gratis services by many
in the promotion Of the entertainment.
Mr.. Nye has gained wide reputation as
hamorist by his writings in the press.
but the Judgment is ventured that be will
lose 1t II he long attempts to entertain
audiences. He is announced as the king
Of humorists-but he is not. He is a be-
nevolect, genial appearing gentleman
such man az will make and keep friends.
He enjoyed the advantage last evening of
meeting an audience that had come pre-
pared to be amused, anxious to laugh and
laugh heartily, and determined to get all
the mirth it could out of the humorist's
entertainment.
In his extended articles there is a gro
tesque aud ludicrous quality that is often
really mirthful, and they have given him
the notoriety he haz-it can scarcely
be said to be fame But upon
the stage Mr.. Nye falls short of expecta.
ton. Perhaps II is his misfortune that il
has been too much stimulated. In his
rostrum humor there Is nothing subtle. but
abs ,iute Yacu;ty of that sensibility which
Carlyle declared to be the essence of nunor.
Speaking nonsense is not talking humor."
wrote Addison, and it covers MIR. Nye's
case
As mimic, Mr.. Nye has far better
quality. He ought 10 take to the stage, as
has Sal Smith pFrcaaf Al. :,
would resemble him in some respects. For
Instance, his reading in imitation of the IL
trained country schoolboy was fine ex-
ample OF the mimic art; il was q grotesque
bit of satire, admirably done, as also his
assumption Of the manner of the old man
who was determined to keep his boys
grave green, if he hsd to painti it.
But true humor is never so weak that it
demands the aid Of dramatic art-in fact,
the two are disiiact.
The supposed extract Mr. Nye read from
the oidti@e school reader was a well.ar-
ranged satire, and the bsst Of his COMPOST
ton that be presented. But the humor, or
the wiz, il he prefers the term, of the short
stories told was not NJ to the level of, or
in Any respect superior to, the pleasaalries
and lests that appear by the column in the
weekly press, and that stand upon their
merits alone.
Mr.. Nye's manner is Whist saves him,
and that is comedy acting His deliberate,
half reluctant enuDc;slio1, his imperturba-
BILE gravity, contribute more to the enter.
tainmeat OF the sudience than anything in
the matter" he dishes up.
Com pared with the humorist, Bob Bur
oet.e, he suffers. The latter on the ros-
tram ''convulses' his audience-as the
phrase goes. Nye creates a ripple Of
laughter that speedily dies away, and the
auditor wonders Why he laughed at all
Nye tells Ct the "spee6inessn of the razor
backed hog, and the audience bubbles with
surface laughter; Burdette describes the
scrapes and escapes of boyhood DAYS. the
old time homestead and its quaintness and
peculiarities from garnet to cellar and
the auditors laugh clear down into the
small cells OF the lungs. He draws
graphic pictures OF odd people. which every
one rec 1gnizes, and that points lessons and
morals with the over-color in which be
INDUCES be hits of the diosyncrac;es Of
men and women, and piunges the lance OF
his wit into social fellies and absurdites.
and the people are shaken from sole to
crown with mirth. His humor is ali en-
brscing sunshine, and those who hear
him go away impressed With the truth that
ihey have been sitting at a feast of pless-
antry. Mr.. Nye ''ticSlss" his audience BIZ
odd comparisons aud iudlcrous contrasts,
but the subjects are trivial, and the auci.
enee goes home impressed with nothing,
carrying nothing away.
Josh Billings, in his philosophy of wit,
entertained his auiiences without aid Tor
an hour aud a half, ''elicited roars OF
laughter and sent the hearers home SEN
sibie of having heard world of old truths
pr scented in manner that gave them new
point aud pungsncy that clothed them
anew, though the habi. was that of gro
tesque humor. Mr.. Nye deals in nothing
of the kind on the rostyum, and the Wit
test thiDg he seid vas that boxer pu:
such knob Oh his head that he did no,
know where 20 place his hat, on the head
or on ;he knob which s of the order OF
wit tina, Billy Birch snd Charley B.ckus
Ere cmp,ed quarter OF a century ago,
But Mr.. Nye pleasantly entertained bis
audience, though any of them would con.
fess 10 certain superintendent
expectation bad been too great He was
rouudly appiauied aad twice recalled. HIS
assistants were excellent; Miss forfeit is
a roung violinist of ine ability; she PLAYS
with the enthusiasm of you b and the taste
and feeling 0. natural artist, for whom
there is splendid pramiss. Mr. Doyney is
a superior pianist. His execution is very
fine. and both won deserved and sincere re-
calls. Mr.. 1halbeTg has aserviceable tenor
voice of much sweetness, though not Of
great capacity. The three gave charming