The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-10-19

ecandalous low price" and has now gone |
to Europe to "jostle and junket around
with foreign dynasties."
Very different from the serene and
polished humorist of today was the be-
whiskered Nye of 1879. The struggling,
i'll fed, roughly clad editor of the from
tier, who eked out a subsistence by dis
pensing justice and distributing mail,
has developed into an accomplished man
of the world, a favorite lecturer and a
writer of international fame. But his
work is essentially the same. There is
the all pervasive good nature, and the
odd and homely characterization of IA
miliar things which is always entertain
ing and often irresistibly droll.
With the exception of Charles B.
Lewis, better known as M. Quad, prob
ably no newspaper humorist has had
such a long, well sustained and success
full career as Nye. And the reason of
his prosperity is not difficult to under
stand. His humor is wholesome, spon-
taneous and healthful. There is no bit
ter sarcasm, no covert malice. His
shafts tickle, but do not wound. He
does not hesitate to make himself the
butt of his own jokes, and with surpris-
ing insouciance submits his personality
to the >ludicrous libels of the carica-
turist. In this connection it is interest
ing to read what he says in 1.-THE Auto
biography of an Editor" published in
The Century a year ago:
There is a grim and CHASTITY humor-the hu-
NOR that is born of a pathetic philosophy
which now and then strikes me in reading the
bright and keen witted work of our American
photographers. 1t is a humor that may be crys-
tallized by hunger and sorrow and tears. 1t is
not found elsewhere as it Is in America. 1t is
out of the question In England. because an
Englishman cannot poke fun at himself. He
cannot joke about an empty -four barrel. We
can, especially IL by doing it we may swap the
joke for another barrel OF -four. We can never
be q nation of snobs so long as we are willing
TO poke fun at ourselves. 1t saves us from
making asses of ourselves. Today many a
well fed special writer goes on Saturday even.
ing to the cashier OF a prosperous metropolitan
journal for the reward he earned years ago OF
some struggling, starving, wailing bantling
that is now sleeping in the valley.
There are gray streaks In his hair and 9
wrinkle here and there that came when ht
walked the floor of nights with that feeble
pulling, colicky journalistic child, but with
&nOSS gray hhlTS NE RDt WlSdOHt, anu ne learned
patience. He learned to be more prodiga
with his humor and more economical with hi
means, and when he got a little grist of sun
shine he called in the ~neighbors, and when on,
woe came as the advance agent of a still great
er, allied woe, travelling by means of it's owl
special train, he worked it up into a patheti
story and made some one else the hero of 1t.
Mr.. Nye has a habit of using his kne'
for a writing desk. and many of the let
tiers which convulse the multitude ar
written ON railroad trains. On such &C
casions he uses a lead pencil and write
ON scraps Of paper. He writes a small
running hand, with the lines close to
gether, and makes very few changes il
his manuscript. His chirography is nc
calculated to diffuse joy in a composin
room, particularly after the copy" ha
been carried in the pocket of Artist M