New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-05
TTAR Y.
JAMES MONTGOMERY BAILEY.

D,nbprv Conn. March 4-Jamcs MONTGOMERY
p,ilev the "Danbury News man. dI'd ms
morning from pneumonia. His wife survives MIL
7 n r,iloy vas born in Albany. ~ Y, September
o. 1874. II. removed 20 Danbury in 1850 In MS
Youth he had learned the carpenters trade ana lo'
lowed that vocation UntI w. wheh he e''ls''" :"
the 17th Connerilcut Infantry. Nhle at the front
h,. wrote many graphic ana humorous ie''e'9 ~
tho local NEWSPAPERS. Returning to Danbury ai'er
,h i. ~ tb,. war he purchased The Danbury
,rin,cs" which h. conducted until he purchased
",rb. D,,burv Ioffcrsonidn' In 1870 These TWO pa
ners he consolidated under the name OF Inc IAN
h,ry Nous 20 This was the pioneer Of humorous
nevspapers in tine country and FOR 1t he wrote SNORT
humorous articles generally descriptive Of everyday
r,ishaps which we're reprinted In other Journals
,br,uohout ir. country Mr. Bailey was the iiSt
writer of short humorous newspaper Paragraphs III
1S73 4 demand for his paper was lound OUTSIDE o.
DAnburv ana its circulation rose uhU II r'"'''d
4 higher point than was ever attained Dy Il couHU!
weekly before or since. His quaint ana original
humor soon made him, his paper ana MS town Ia
nous TIE "Danbury News man was n new ana
striking factor IN American 4'''"'"e' anu '
had a score of imiiators
Mr. Bailey's first book was Life in Ddnbury'
n collection Of articles from his newspaper pup
lishcd in 1879. The same year he published me
Danbury News Mans Anrtnac, de wry'e no, Il
number of ofnrr bOpks which were immensely pop-
uiar. notably "IL"y All DO IT, MI PniIip ;
,;purn.S-" AMI "Inr Ddnputy looiH. Inc Si'S va
- H.. la D,ubufN.' reached .o.ipp copies
In 1871 Mr. Hail"ys health became impllTe,l an. ana
his uhv-,c.lus advised Europt IN tiP. Mhie
abroad he wrote weekly letters 10 hi5 Paper; ms
letters Werr IL popular as ms lo.", ct,,ri
haen and were w.!,iy copied. they were 4ltrf' ~
published in book form under che tiie lhS."nu
ir,n, a Back window" This book hal "IiH''t ~
largc a sale In England as ii ala In Am'rIi1 a''
cav. Mr. Bailey fame across the water y icc'
Win that dtlr was delivered by the author IN ne
princlral cities ami towns of the United StlieS III
recent years he had done little literary work nay
Ing reached POINT .. prosperity thit enaoIei mn
l., enjoy rest from business cares. lie was, now
cv.r 'iietfinal with The News IA It's propre tol
ND T., th, time OF his death. Mr.. BalIty che.
ch,ract,rlstics were his brneyOence ana tie hutgl
which was as sparkling In conversation ~ III llH
writings fIr Wa. genial, generous ana hosplGtDl'r
r. 80 IN. member Of the Connecticut Humane
society Tho Connecticut Historical S'oeoy %a
Fairfield County Historical society ana Il III
81 tha Connecticut Army ana navy '!ub' w
knights Tempar the Masonic fraterhi,y, .no
Grand Army Of the Republic. the Inion Net,ran
..csion. tho Authors Guil the C3nnGctlcut SlaJ, u,
Hnlfl OF Trade and the Union tN-l'I.sl,l'l9 "'
W,r He WIS also one of the founders or the 1al-
bury Hospital president ~ the local Ioard o tdn,
and of the Relief Society. and was an honorary
member Of a dozen othrr local organizations.