The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-21
"BILL NYE" SINKING
THE NOTED HUMoRIsT STILL IN An
UNCONSCIOUS CONDITION.
Slowly Dying at His Home I'm Buck
Shoals, n. C.-His Long, Successful
Career as n Funny Man."

ASHEvILLE, N c., Feb. 20-Tne condi-
material change tonight from that of last
night He remains in an unconscious con-
dition and appears to be slowly sinking.
Mr.. Nye first became known as humorist
of great promise about sixteen years ago.
when it was discovered that he was the
writer of certain capital sketches published
in Western paper which was totally un-
known except for his work Since that time
he has been one Of the foremost humorists
in American journalism. He was born Aug.
10, 1850, at Shirley, Me-. in the same neigh
borhood that produced Josh Billings. His
true and full name is Edgar Wilson Nye.
although many Of his admirers have be-
lieved for several years that ii was a nom
de plume. 1t is contended that he is the
man whom Bret Harte mentions in the
Heather Chinee.' AT any rate, Mr.. Nye's
father emgrated from Maine to Wisconsin
when the humorist was but two years old,
so that Bill was never an Eastern man.
His education was given him in an academy
at River Falls, and in 1876, when he was
about twenty-five years of age and had
been already admitted TO the bar, he went
to Laramie, Wyo., to practice. When Nye
got to Laramie he found the field pretty
well filled with lawyers, and learned that
going out West to grow up with the coun-
try would not do in his day, because of the
fact that the country had attained its ma
jority. Having failed in law, he did what
everybody else does when ne fails He
tried journalism. In those days there was
a journal in Laramie called the Sentinel
described by rival journal as ~bluff."
The Sentinel was printed by a man who
was called doc" and Deacon" Nye said
the boys called him Deacon on the prin-
ciple of lucus non lucendo. ''The Deacon"
said Bill in after years, was generous TO
a fault-especially his own faults
1t was for this man and paper that Mr..
Nye went to work as city editor. City edi-
tor of the Laramie Sentinel did not mean
the same opulent and waxen job that usu-
ally attaches to dailies in big towns. Nye
was the entire staff-wrote all the local, re-
ported everything. -skirmished" for news
and read the proofs, with occasional as
sistance in advertisement solicitation. His
salary was sl2 per week
Nye, being a lawyer, of course got into
politics, He was elected justice of the peace
and retired from the field of journalism He
was also from time to time notary public,
United States commissioner superintend
ent OF schools, postmaster and member of
to practice a bit of the law.
There was in Laramie a. contemporary of
Bill Nye whom Bill loved. This man was
Bill Root. Root was born a humorist but
he couldn't write. He said TO Nye one day:
Il think you would make a big success as
funny writer. but you are the worst start
for a lawyer / ever saw
This angered Mrs. Nye, for the young
wife was ambitious, and she had never
dreamed of the broad lands, the ample in
come and the wide fame which her hus-
band was destined to make as one OF the
foremost OF Americas humorous writer's.
Nye makes more money now," said a
Laramie man lately. than al the lawyers
in this town put together, with the salaries
of the judges thrown in And so he does.
AS a result of Roots goadings Nye or
ganized stock company and started the
Laramie Daily Boomerang-a concern which
proved IN every way worthy OF the insane
~ fantastic naine and title bestowed upon
action came II turned out the Boomerang
made a return trip and brought fortune end
years years Il that Sye wrote for the the Boo Boomeran anr~e
years which ended in nervous prostratiorl-
the originality OF his humor, the delicious
spontaneity OF the matter he wrote attract
ed universal attention. Copied in every
paper in the land. these sketches We're read
by everybody. and the general reader al
ways doubted tle existence of a paper
styled The Laramie Boomerang" But the
exchange editors knew its reality, and the
this new genius of the Wyoming uplands.
whose humor was 70 be compared with that
of the Danbery News man, Burdette. Locke,
Ward and others.
Then an explanation appeared somewhere
that the name Of tle writer in the Boomer
ang was Bill Nye, and this paragraph was
scissored out by 5000 exchange editors and
printed in every sheet that ever the
light of day. 1t was said he was a relative
of United States Senator Jim Nye.
When his health gave out he went TO
Denver and while recuperating there his
partners in the Boomerang got control of
the paper, and Nye came East. But ne
came East 70 fortune and success. His work
was paid we'll for by the most prominent
papers in the country.
Soon after Mr.. Pulitzer had made his
miraculous success of the World Nye wrote
a pretty sketch for that paper. Ii was ac-
cepted, and ne was asked TO join the staff.
But Nye did not accept that offer. IL was
here his splendid business tact saved MIN.
He made the World a proposition of his
own. The upshot of the negotiations was
that he was engaged by the paper to write
what ne chose, as ne chose, over his nom
de plume, TO be subject TO none of the re-
strictions or discipline of the office, at. il
was said. the good salary of $500 a year.
This connection firmly seated Mr.. Nye in
mis- fame. and in the course of a yea. or
so ne had doubled his earnings by syndicat-
ing his letters. For the past few years report
has had it that mis- profits nave been from
So ,0o0 TO &0,00 year. He has a fire home
in Staten island. and another in Buck
nent residence.