Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-26
EARNINGS OF HUMOR.
N. Quad Will Go 10 New York on a
Salary Of Ten Thousand a Year.
AN EXPLOSION BROUGHT BIN OUT.
James Whitcomb RlIsys Money Trouble
Would Drive Anyone to Drink.
TIE ESTATE 0F PETROLEUM '. NASBY
IcoRnlsPoNDENcr OF THE DISPATCH

tcoRHlsPoNDENcE OF THE pIsPAroH.I
DETROIT, April 24.-For the past deoad
Detroit has been famous as the residence O
the most prolific funny man In the Unit e.
States. Here, surrounded by the cold breeze
Of two great lakes, his ears dinned by tn
whistles oi the hundreds OF mighty steamer
which plunge their way past Detroit iron
Montreal to Duluth, he has poked his stee
stub pen into the sides of the great Amer
lean public, and tickled them into convul
sions of laughter.
Here the Farmers Lime Kiln Club wa
born with him a. its father, and out OF hi
brain sprang the old negro Bijah, who vii
60 down into literary history as one of tn
strongest characters of American humor. I
was he who originated the terrible Mr.
Bowser, and who keeps our digestions il
order still, by retailing his troubles will
his wife. 1t is he who writes all the widel!
copied translations from the Arizon,
Kicker, and IL is he who for dozen year
and more, has been the author of nine
tenths OF the humorous and patheti6article
which have given his paper . mighty cir.
culation in the United States, in England
and in Australia.
NJ. Quad Is Going to New York.
This mans name, as far as the world
| knows him, is NJ. Qnad. His real name il
Mr.. Charles Lewis, and his individuality is
| all the more interesting just now that he il
about to leave Detroit tor the wider field OF
New York. His last contract of five years
here expires in May, and he has received
two offers from New York OF $40, 400 year
each. am told his salary here mas been
only 50, 900 year, and in moving he will
have twice the salary, and what he cares
more for, new field.
Mr.. Lewis greatest horror IL that he may
get into rut He has seen the other funny
men of his generation rise and fall from not
varying their fields and subjects, and he
has learned lesson by their example. Bob
Burdette was great man TOR q time, but
he, to a great extent, wrote himself out.
Petroleum ". Nasby's funny business
practically stopped with the war, and even
our own Bill Nye has but one field. M.
Quad can write story that will make your
eyes water, and with the same pen on the
same day be will describe q dog fight that
will make You roar with laughter.
STRIVING Always Tor variety.
When he had the Lime Kiln Club. at the
height of its popularity, he dropped it for
fear he would tire his readers, and I am
told that he adopts all sorts of methods of
life to keep himself fresh. IN. Quad"
said one of the Detroit editors to me last
night sis one OF the best detectives in Mich
igan. He knows all about the cases that
come before the police here, and he has q
wide knowledge of all classes OF people.
went into . store the other day and found
him behind counter selling hats. The
halter told me he had sold there for an hour
and had done better than any of his clerks.
HE is one of the most prolific writers in
the country, and he turns out from 10 to IL
columns every week. The most Of his mat
ter is unsigned. but 1t il all widely copied.
In addition to this he writes for other par
ties, and has for years written the advertise
ments Tor one of our largest firms here, He
does the most OF his work at home, writes
rapidly and makes lew corrections in his
manuscript. Both his offers are 5000 week
on yearly contract, but one was from q
leading New York newspaper, and the other
was from big newspaper syndicate. He
il not q rich man, though he has saved
money since he came to Detroit, and he is
worth, judge, something like $50, 000."
A Steamboat Explosion Made Humorist
"Where did he come from7" asked.
1.-THE story of NJ. Quad's life is curious
one," was the reply. "He originated, I
think, In Michigan, and like Petroleum ".
Nasty, started as printer. He set type for
some years on weekly paper in one of the
interior Michigan towns, and saved enough
to buy q weekly paper that was offered for
sale in one of the back counties of Tennes-
r-cA
natl, intending to buy this paper. At Gin
cinnati he took the boat to 60 down the
river. He had never been on steamer be-
fore, and before taking passage he went up
to the Captain and asked him if 1t was safe.
The Captain replied that it was, and upon
his assurance that there was no danger of
the boat blowing up, N. Quad took his stand
near the engine and watched itl workings
with big and fearful eyes.
"This was Just about the close Of the rao-
ing days on the Ohio and Mississippi, and
shortly after the boat left it got into race
with q rival steamer. Bacon and oil were
thrown into the engine, the fires were made
as hot as those of the Shadraeh, Meshach
and Abednego furnace, and just a. the boat
was passing its hated rival, the boiler ex-
ploded, and M. Quad, with tho rest Of the
passengers, were
Thrown Into the Water.
HE was dragged out insensible onto the
shore, but he had been 30 near the engine
that his face was blackensd, and it was some
time before he was attended to, as it was
thought he was q negro. He was, however,
finally picked up and carried to the hospital
at Cincinnati, where he lay for some weeks.
In the explosion he lost, think, the
money with which he intended to buy the
Tennessee paper, and he worked his way
back to Michigan and to his old case in the
composing room.
"Now, the editor of M. Quad's paper.
like many of his kind, had failing OF
drinking too much at the wrong time OF the
week. This prevailed to such an extent, SO
the story goes, that he did not have enough
copy to fill his columns, and the selection of
miscellany was left to NJ. Quad. Upon one
such occasion NJ. Quad set up from the case
the story OF his experience on the Ohio.
The article was headed, How it feels to be
blown up It was full of the humor that
has since made its composer SO famous, and
it was copied far and wide. Among the
other papers which copied it was the De-
troit Free Press, and its editor was so struck
with 1t that he opened up correspondence
with the editor Of the paper, and finally Of
fered NJ. Quad a place as legislative re-
porter at Lansing.
He Writes Up Dog Fight
''M. Quad took it. When the Legislature
adjourned he was ordered to come to Detroit