The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-23
BILL NYE is DEAD
FAMOUS HUM0RIST PASSES AWAY
IN HIS SOUTHERN HoaE.
His Last Hours Passed in Inconsistencies
Stroke of Paralysis Ten Days Ago
Sketch of the Man Who Made Every
body Laugh at One Time or Another
His Early struggles and His Friend.
Bill Roots, Advice-JOurnalistic Career
His Good Business Sense and How He
Became Prosperous as Well as Noted.

His Good Business Sense and How He
Became Prosperous as Well as Noted.
Asheville, n. c., Feb. 22.-Brl Nye
died here this afternoon. His wife,
two sons and two neighbors were pres
ent at the bedside when the end came.
Ten days ago he had a stroke of paral-
ysis. His daughters arrived from
Washington City where they were at
tending school, last Wednesday and
have been at his bedside since. No
arran gements have been made for the
funeral
THE HUMORISTS CAREER.
Mr.. Nye first became known as hui
morist of great promise about sixteen
years agi, when it was discovered that
he was the writer of certain capital
sketches published in a western paper
which was totally unknown except for
his work. Since that time he has
been one of the foremost humorists in
American journalism. He was born
in Maine, in the same neighbOrhOOd
that produced Josh Billings. His true
and full name is Edgar Wilson Nye, al
though many of his admirers have be
lieved for years that ii was 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 emigrated 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 1875, when he was about
% years of age and had already been
admitted TO the bar, he went to Lara
ME, Wyo., to practice. When Nye
got to Laramie he found the field pref
~ well filed with lawyers, and learned
that going out west to grow up with
the country would not do in his day,
because Of the fact that the country
had attained its majority. Having
failed in law, he did what everybody
else does when he fails. He tried
journalism. In those days there was
journal in Laramie called. the Senti-
nel-described by a rival journal as a
bluff" The Sentinel was printed by
man who was called doc" and "dea-
con-" Nye said the boys called him
deacon" on the principle of lucus a
non lucendo. The Deacon" said Bill
in after years, "was generous TO a
especially his own faults"
HIS CHUM, BILL ROOT.
1t was for this man and paper that
Mr. Nye went to work as city editor.
City editor Of the Larimie Sentinel did
not mean the same opulent and waXen
job that usually attaches to dailieS in
big towns. Nye was the entire staff;
wrote all the local; reported everything
''skirmished" for news, and read the
proofs, with occasional assistance in
advertisement solicitation. His sal
airy was $12 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, superintendent fof the
schools, postmaster. and member of the
city council Meanwhile he found
time to practice a bit of law.
There was in Laramie a contempo-
rary 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: II think you
would make a big success as a funny
writer, but you are the worst start for
a lawyer 1 ever saw
This angered Mrs. Nye, for the young
wife was ambitious, and she had never
dreamed Of the broad lands, the ample
income, and the wide fame which her
huband was destined TO make as one
of the foremost of Americas humor-
Gus writer's.
'fNye makes more money now" said
a Laramie man, lately, than all the
lawyers in this town put together. with
the salaries Of the judges thrown in, }"
And so he does.
LARAMIE BOOMERANG.
AS result of Roots goadings, Nye
organized a stock company and start
ed the Laramie Daily Boomerang-a
concern which proved in every way
worthy Of the fnsanely fantastic
name and title bestowed upon it by
IT'S witty founder But when the reac-
ton came II turned out the Boone
rang made return trip and brought
fortune and fame 10 its father Dur
ing the two or three years that Nye
wrote for the Boomerang-years which
ended IN nervous prostration-the or
iginalfty of his humor. the deliciousness
OF his style and the freshness and spon-
tena1ty of the matter he wrote at
tracted universal attention. Copied
in every paper in the land. these sketch
IS were read by everybody, and the
general reader always doubted the ex-
istence of a paper styled The Laramie
Boomerang" But the exchange edi-
tors knew its reality, and newspaper
men asked one another who was this
new genius of the Wyoming uplands,
whose humor was 10 be compared with
that of the Danbury News man, Bur
dette, Locke. Ward, and others.
Then an explanation appeared some
where that the name Of the writer in
the Boomerang was Bill Nye, and this
paragraph was scissOred out by 10000
exchange editors and printed in every
sheet that saw the light OF day. It
was said he was = relative OF United
States senator jim Nye.
SUCCESS IN THE EAST
When his health gave out he went
n Denver.and while recuperating there
his partners in the Boomerang got
control Of the paper and Nye came east
But he came east 10 fortune and sue
cess. His work was paid we'll for by
the most prominent papers in the COUn-
Try.
Soon after NJ. Pulitzer had made
his miraculous success Of the World,
Nye wrote a pretty sketch for that pa
per It was accepted, and he was
asked 70 join the staff. But Nye did
not accept that offer. L was here his
splendid business tact saved him. H
made the World proposition OF his
own. The upshot Of the negotiations
was that ne was engaged BY the paper