Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-11
A JOKE on ARTEMus WARN
me Humorfst Gets the Worst of Ii I'm
a hit Of HOrseDlay

Inc Bookman has an interesting article
on Artemus Ward, dealing at considera bic
ienSth with his experiences in London
when he made his first appearance in that
city he enriched his programs with a note
explaining that he would call on citizens at
their residences and explain any jokes that
they did not understand and it is said that
there was reason enough in such an offer
In view Of the fact that John Bright. the
eminent statesman, was reported to have
remarked, after attending one of the hu-
morists performances:
must say can't see what people fnd
TO enjoy in TINS lecture. The informa ton
Is meager, and is presented in desultory.
disconnected manner. In fact. 1 can't help
seriously questioning some Of the state
mentS."
Artemus Ward was fond of telling stories
and jokes at his own expense. and he had a.
haplt When upon the lecture platform of
purposely making people laugh at his own
awkwardness, but he had one experience
that he never referred to. During a part of
the time that he lived in Cleveland he lived
at fashionable boarding house on Seneca
street, and was In the habit of cutting I'D
all sorts OF capers there, to the amusement
sometimes, but as often to the consterna-
ton, OF the other boarders, most of whom
looked upon him as a '.half-baked fool
One OF his favorite jokes was TO scare
women nearly to death by pretending to
fall down stairs. The parlor where the
DoarderS congregated was connected by
large arch with the hall, where the stair
way was, practically making one big room
OF both. Every time new boarder or a
stranger happened to be present, Mr.
Browne, as ne was known around the
house, would cough, at the top of the STAIR
way, to attract attention then pretend to
trip on something, and go tumbling head
long downward, always managing to catch
the railing and thus escape injury. The
women would, Of course. yell and make a
great fuss over him when he picked him
self up, and he would generally manage to
get off some droll remark that would set
everybody laughing.
But this sort of thing got tiresome after
awhile, and one day some of the men board
ers decided to stop it. A young lady had
just arrived at the house and il was a
foregone conclusion that Browne would
take his customary tumble at the first OPP
portunity. So. promising the landlady that
they would have things properly repaired,
after the trouble was over. the jokers ene-
mics sawed the spfndles in the balustrade
almost in two, leaving the rail so that
slight wrench would break it loose.
That evening all the boarders copgre-
gated in the parlor. the newly arrived Young
lady, who had been let into the secret.
among them. They didn't have long 10
wait for their victim. In passing I'D to his
room, Browne saw that a stranger was
present, and. after making his toilet he
started to go down stairs. He coughed
loudly several times while passing through
the upper hail. and them when he saw that
everybody was looking at him. stumbled
and shot out into the air.
But when he grasped the rail of the hal
ustrade there was sharp crack, followed
by crash, and the man who afterward
became famous as A. Ward lay stunned at
the bottom of the stairs with a skinned
elbow and bleeding nose
Ihat ended the stairway joke. and Browne
soon moved to another boarding house