New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-21
"A LITERARY NIGHTMARE"

MONsIGNOR DOANE RELATES THE ORIGIN OF
"PI'NcH BOYS. Pt'NCU WITH CARE"
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Some time ago there a quotation In
your columns from Mr. Andrew Lang. IN which
he attributed Punch. boys punch with care.
punch in the presence q the pass'njare, 70 Mark
Twain This brought my mind pleasant meet
Ing Of the Fortnightly Cub ia us city lest win
ter when the subject was "Nath Twain As -
our custom. one OF our meml'rs read paper OH
the subject and then each member pr SORT. except
the host. whose duties would come later IN no
evening made some remarks. When my turn came
spoke OF several matters connection with
Mark Twain-how the frog jumping story was said
10 nave been told in Greece two r. ns'nd years
ago; now hal crossed the ~ au't' Win MIN ana
listened to the funny stories h. told at me concert:
how had met him IN London. AZ the Athensum
club and then referred To the famous verse.
punch. boys. punch" which | supposed he had
written.
The words were hardly ont OF my mouth when
Noah Brooks a fellow member. told me was mis-
taken. and gave mos Interesting account Vi l'S
origin He said that one summer day In lsfo Mt.
Bromley and he were coming down TO their news
paper offices-one 10 The Tribune. the other 10
The Tirnes"-n an early morning car. when Mr.
Bromley called Mr. RrooEss attention TO the no.
tIce which formed the basis OF the verse. HiS eyes
were closed. and he said, Let ne alone am
burving Brigham Young" e. composing III MS
mind an editorial on Brigham Young. who mad just
died When he got through h. looked ~ me NOTICE.
and when he went to the Office n" wrote OUT '"e
varse which appeared In an obscure corner OF
o,,her Tho Tribune or THE Zines and Was very
l.t,e noticed until Mark Twain uuearthed II, ana
made IT the subject of an ari.c." ~ IN" ATTAIN"
Monthly" for February 1915, emitting his article
"A Literary N!ghimar-." In that way me word
got cogniZance Of H. and many ano,n"r BESIDES ar
Andrew Lang and myself nave been I'd 10 mo
belief that the Jingle WAS on % the best Things
,ba, Mark Twain ever did whereas - real author
or authors were Mr. Noah BROOKS. Mr.. Nyckon
and Mr. Handy FOR. It seems. snort as 1t is that
1t was tripartite anaf
Mr. Rrom.ev I'm letter when appeared IN
"Scribner's Magazine, old series 10y Ap'i, 1870
over the signature of "Winkelroid WolfganS
prowr Gives This account of II in brief lie speaks
- the early morning RTE In tn hois"'at. 80 w!
fourth-s,.e line. The notice 70 when MS at'eh'o"
.,rhe CONDUCTOR when he receives a fare. viii
punch IN the pres, noe OF the passenger. a o. .
trp-s.ip tor an eighteen M trl' a D,H tep,eot
A six-cent fare. a pink trip-shp TOT '"'ee''e"'
fare" -. ,.,l,,. T., o moment
Of inspiration hanged TIA" phrase VII punch. ia
tho urrsence Of the passenger. 10 al IN the pre-
ence OF the passen' are ana p nt III vvk,m and
If,ndv of the Tribune oIrice added the immortal
chorus Punch boys punch WIN Gre ,pT GroIh
itt.r was entitled The Horse car Poetry True
eenJ Won this as it may be Of interest 70 your
S'.'" I'D a. my rat. show that. whatever
other clever things Mark iwain has wriiten ne ald
not write this as has ben very Inv calling
ppnversal attention to il IN his articl, Il LII
erary Ngh,marc which 2ppts sIS "a also re-
fsrred to In the Editors Drawer IL harper
Monthly" for February. 80. .p,,o, hov.
m,nch is changed to Punch. brothers punmShn
Newark Oct. - 1898 w. -