The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-04-10
LEE FAIRCHILD.

We have thousand guns-what hsve we made
them for
II not in times like these to speak the speech
OF war!
Let's fight or quit our brag, and take our banter
back.
Paint white our ships again. 2nd paint the White
House black
Since the above lines were published
in The Times this office has been be-
sieged with letters asking for information
concerning their author. The Times con-
fesses that it was quite as anxious to
know somewhat of their author as were
its patrons. for no lines We're ever put
i'm cold type in Washington that became
at once so universally quoted and so
famous. They voiced in the most forcibie
and pat way the sentiment of a most
serious hour in the republic.
. Upon inquiry The Times learns that Lee
Fairchid is a young man from California
sojourning in Washington: that he con-
templates making this city his lecture
eadguarters.
Mr.. Fairchild is put down as a star
# '9S'99 by the Star Lyceum Bureau of
sew York. He has on file here over 200
quests to lecture coming from all over
he country. He is also under contract
speak at nearly all the Chautauqua as
emblies the coming summer. Such a ia
ious lyceum manager as is Major Pond
ronounced Mr. FairchiId to be the only
tccessor of Artemus Ward
The Republican National Committee
onsidered him the popular man on the
stump under its auspices. Having can
assed Washington, Idaho, California and
tab with marked success, Mr.. Fairchild
lme east in 1896 and was sent to speak
West Virginia on account of the visit
Senator Stewart to that state. Upon
mpleting his canvass of West Virginia
was sent to Maine and New York, in
til of which states he won great popu-
rity. In fact, he soon became a fad of
q New York newspaper men and they
;ed his quaint stories and experiences
brighten up their campaign pages. His
Iccess in New York state was even more
iarked than ii had been in Maine. The
natter state committee declared that no
man was ever in such demand in the
Empire State.
The lines quoted above are not the FIRST
verses Mr.. Fairchild has written. In the
April number of Current Literature The
Times clips the following delicate poem,
| kissed her and two roses red
Der her white cheeks their crimson spread
As spread the rosy light of dawn
The snowy hills Of Winter
And then I saw her soft blue eyes
Begin to cloud as April skies;
And 50, 10 stop the threatened rain,
! kissed the trembling thing again!
In Brooklyn during the campaign the
committee insisted on billing him as the
! "Depew of the West" Mr.. Fairchild' S
/ Congressional friends of whom he has a
/ host are begging him to give an address
! in Washington. If he does there will be
/ hundreds of people on hand to look at
1 the man who suggested either fighting
4 or repainting our ships white again and
/ the White House black.
The manner in which Mr. Fairchild s
famous lines came to be printed in The
/ Times is worth relating.
He had called on a friend who has much
to do with newspapers though not en-
/ tirely engaged in journalism. While al
his friends he scrawled the lines on a
blank sheet Of paper, and, perhaps an
. hour later had forgotten them. The
friend that same afternoon prepared
something for The Times and brought il
! in. On the reverse side was found the
/ lines beginning: I'VE have Il thousand
| guns" Their merit was recognized anG
they We're Immediately put in type, APP
pearing the next morning under the folds
/ of the American flag. Mr. Fairchild saw
them and had some little difficulty in re
calling when and under what circum
( stances he had written them.