Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-08-27
CONFESSION OF BILL NYE.
BEING A TRUE AND AWFUL STORY

CONFESSION OF BILL NYE.
BEING A TRUE AND AWFUL STORY
OF HOW THIS BASE MAN CAME TO WRITE
THE POEM OF 'tBEAUTIFUL SNOW" wITH
NAMES AND DATES AND MUCH OTHER CIR
CUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
From the New York World
Will the World newspaper allow me
space in it's valuable columns to state fully
and finally under what circumstances
wrote the now famous poem callsd "Beauti-
full Snow?"
l had been reared in luxury, and as a
youth did not have to do anything but cut
cord wood and clear off timber land, but 10
an evil hour l was tempted to GO to the
great city, where folks did not readily fall
into my ways. So 1 left the clearing, and,
like Cincinnatus, l also left my steers
standing in the furrow, to strike out for the
rip snorting town. At first was afraid of
the cars and would shy a little when the
band played, but gradually / got used to
it, ard if things soit of startled me l con-
cealed it, and could almost fool some peo-
pie and make them think l was town-bred,
although / even yet hold cigar like an
immigrant and dodge when l sit by car
window and go past telegraph pole.
had not been in the city long before I
uoticed that though was observed, 1 was
not recognized as a general thing. Obser-
vation without recognition is metropoli-
tan peculiarity. 1 soon grew to be more
and more vacant, and the different coats of
| my stomach began to get out at elbows, for
had brought my sylvan appetite with me
| and also aglazed portmanteau, which would
not stay shut except when wanted to
open it to so see if my new kip. boots were
| still safe.
1 walked up and down the same street a
good many times trying to look like l was
really going somewhere, which, as heaven
is my judge, was not lstopped now and
| then to scratch my chilblain against the
curb and look at the most expensive
diamonds in the jswelry show-windows,
and, though my taste was pleased and
gratifed, it only annoyed and tantalized
my appetite.
For days and nights l did this, hoping
that some kind banker would allow his
team to run away near me, SO that l could
save his little daughter and get chance to
wet my finger on sponge at his counter
and count over his coupons for him. But
methodical way, you will see that it is a
most uncertain method for obtaining a
situation, for bankers are getting more
careful in selecting their horses, and also
the coachman generally takes his pick of
the daughters, thus leaving talented but
freekied young buckwheaters to marry
Otherwhere.
1 was so empty that when / buttoned
my vest in the morning | could hear it echo
along down my corridors. l thought of
begging, but could not do that. So I
said l must starve. If I had rot been SO
hungry l would have gone home, where a
barrel of picked pork and bin of atrophied
potatoes, with pale green sprouts yard
long, just fairly held out their arms to me.
But had put it off too long now I must
die on the streets of great city and be all
mussed up by an autopsy. put on q
clean shirt, SO that would not shock the
authorities too much, and then l composed
myself and waited for death. 1 waited
quite awhile and thought was going
Then the smell Of soft.shell crabs came to
my surprised and astonished senses. 1t
was awful. l rose up and tore out few
handsful or handfuls of hair, for I could
afford it at that time.
Suddenly came the temptation TO lead
an immoral life. l did not know whether
to do that Or write poem. l saw on every
hand how vice throve, while agr icultural
virtue stood around and chewed imaginary
victuals
Oh, it was an awful hour! In the midst
of it all said at last: mo, will not lead
a life of shameful / have tried literature
anyhow. / will compose poem, for ac-
cordiug to what l have heard I am just
about hungry enough now to do good
literary work." So seated myself by the
waning light and on a sheet of brown
wrapping paper, with little piece of keel,
wrote the words of sBeautiful Snow"
l can show you the spot yet. It is be-
tween the old Castle Gardens northwest
corner and pier 1 of the North river.
also have what is left Of the piece of keel
and my unsoiled character. Oh, how little
/ care for the honor OF writing beautiful
Snow" when / think that it saved me, for
took it to an editor and was going to read
it to him. He was Initiated, because it
wss Saturday and the business Office had
expressed wish to usurp the editorial
page for advertising purposes, and he was
so hot that he told me to go where it has
been the whole aim of my life thus tar to
avoid end escape, and he said also that if 1
would not read the poem and would go far,
far away and never come back any more he
would give me dollar. | closed with him
and with this generous start l rapidly rose
to where l now am able to keep a team and
dawdle through the day at the seaside.
This in brief is the history of "Beautiful
Snow" The idea of incorporating into it
Young woman who had led life of shame
was purely imagination on my part and not
in any sense a personal experience. The
poem was lost that evening accidentally by
me where I got something to eat, at the
Live and Let Live chop-house in the
Bowery. never saw it again till It was
printed in the newspapers and copied
broadcast over the world.
cared little for the poem and hated to
connect my name with it, fearing that my
folks might get hold of it and surmise from
it that as soon as got into town had
fallen, when such was not the case-at that
time.
It is beautiful poem and has tinge of
sadness in it that pleases great many. 1t
was seized upon greedily by the press and
recited in England by Prince Albert at a
bean-bag conversozione just before his
death.
Many, / know, will at once say, if you
wrote beautiful Snow" why do you not
write again something equally good? My
answer is that can do it at any time
when the conditions are right, and SONS
day, gentle reader, shall prove it to you
# get hungry enough.
In closing, let me say that my home is at
pkinsville, Staten Island, n. Y, and
though ] am away most of the year, l
shall always be glad to see those who were
the sole authors OF this beautiful poem, and
il those vho wrote "Beautiful Snow" will
come one at a time to my villa they will
find the most cordial welcome and thu most
pronounced case of exposed latchstring
they ever saw. Yours truly,
BILL NYE.
august IA, 1890.
sNATCHED FROM THE GRAVE.
In his testimonial attesting the virtues of
Radam's Microbe Killer, Mr.. NC. Battey,
we'll and popularity known from his connec-
ton with the Queen and Crescent Railroad,
presents picture of the results of blood