Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-09-13
DRIVEN INTO EXILE.
N. QUAD, 1T is SAID, DID 1T WITH HIS
Mr.. AND MRS. BoWSER.

An Interview With the Humorist, who
Talks Earnestly About His Famous Char
acters-Hundreds Who Have Thought
They Were Being Written Up.
WICHITA, Kan, Sasy k.-[Special. Mr..
and Mrs. George W. Bowser left here tonight
Tor q visit to their old home in Michigan. Mr..
boWser has lived here for ten years, being
driven into exile, as it were, by "M. Quad
they being the subjects of his humorous
sketches on Mr.. and Mrs. Bowser. They were
at q summer resort in Michigan and stopped
at the same hotel with t'M QUAD when he
conceived the Bowser stories. The notoriety
given them drove them to Kansas, as Mr..
Bowserc could not stand the jokes of his friends.
For years Wichita did not recognize them as
the originals of "M. Quad's'' stories, but a re-
porter discovered it accidentally last year,
and ever since Mr.. Bowser has had a similar
experience to what he had in Michigan.-Chi-
oago Tribune.
With the above in my hand I called on
M. Quad the other day and asked him how
near the Kansas mar had hit the truth.
"Well," laughingly replied the humor-
list, che didn't exactly hit the nail on the
head, but it will pass we'll enough"
"Did you have a Mr.. and Mrs. Bowser
in mind when you wrote your first
sketch?'
"No, I did not. I don't remember that
I had ever seen the name in print when I
adopted it. That was the chief reason
why I selected it,"
i "But the Bowsers have been cropping
up ever since the first article appeared, I
have been told"
cts very funny about it," replied
Quad, as he leaned back and pulled away
at the stub end of a cigar. "By the time
four Or five Of the sketches had appeared
two different MI. Bowsers, both residents
Of Detroit, called on me and demanded
that I write no more. Inside of a year I
had heard from as many as ten in the
state of Michigan alone. 1t is by no means
a common name, and yet I believe I have
heard from 100 Bowsers to date, and each
Il every one was satisfied that I had him
in mind personally as I wrote. They have
threatened libel suits and suits for DAM
ages and personal chastisement, but the
sketches are still running"
: "But did you lave a friend or a neigh
bOr-some crank of q husband-in your
minds eye?" I asked.
mo, Mr.. Bowser is not a crank. He is
simply an average husband. Many of the
things related Of him transpire in every
household. The number of letters 1 have
had from Bowsers do not begin with the
number of letters I have had from women
throughout the country, saying: Your
Bowser articles hit my husband so exact
ly that we call him Mr.. Bowser. When I
want to humble him I read him one of the
Sketches There are few towns in the
country where some particular husband
hasn't been saddled with the name. Only
the other day I received a letter from a
man down in Missouri who said he had
been held up as Bowser till he would cheer
fully travel 500 miles for the pleasure of
punching my head"
"Don't most people think Mr.. Bowser
al exaggeration2" I persisted.
II don't think so. If you won't give it
away, I'll tell you that I put on my day
shirt over my nightshirt the other morn
went home at night to pitch into Mrs.
all day. Bowser did that same thing in
the next article. I can't find my socks,
collars or shirts, though they are right I'm.
der my nose. Neither can Mr.. 'Bowser or
any other average husband. If I sit down
to play q game of cards with Mrs. Quad,
I'm all right as long as I'm taking all the
counts. When the thing changes 1 become
Mr.. Bowser."
"You always have Mr.. Bowser get the
best of an argument"
II always have him think he does, and
that is only striking astrong trait in every
husbands character. Let him think he
comes out ahead, and It's just as we'll with
him. Mrs. Bowser has always been por-
trayed as rather humble, but you'll notice
that under that mask of seeming humility
and submission she generally carries her
point"
"Wherein do you think lies the strength
of the sketch?'
SIN its being true to nature-a photo
graph, as it were, Of the average house
hold. There may be only 100 Mr.. Bowsers
by name in all America, but there are
thousands of Mr.. Bowsers under other
names. All husbands are very much alike
in certain things"
/ "And naturally you have become inter.
ested in your imaginary characters" ]
asked as the man who has made millions
laugh and weep sat with a smile on his
face.
every much So" he replied. eyes, /
like Mr.. and Mrs. Bowser. They are like
old friends when 1 sit down to write of
them. I can't say that I like Mrs. Bowser
better, and yet I instinctively find myself
taking her part when Mr.. Bowser begins
to bear down. I think I have had 1000
letters suggesting that I change things
about and let Mrs. Bowser boss the roost,
but that wouldn't do, you know. The hus.
band is the natural head of the house, but
when he begins to think he knows it all
and his wife doesn't know anything she
should have a pull to take him down a
peg"
"And SO you didn't drive Mr.. and Mrs.
Bowser out Of Michigan and into exile?''
I queried as I rose to 60.
II should be very sorry to find that ]
had" replied the humorist. sit wouldn't
be my fault altogether if such were the
case, as Mr.. Bowser ought to mend his
ways around the house and give Mrs. Bow.
ser a little better show. Think she's a de.
serving woman, don't youP"-W. w. in
Detroit Free Press.
Curious Mexican Jewels.
While COrteZ was in Mexico he came in.