The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-20
AN INDIANA HUMORIST
BRIEF SKETCH OF GEORGE AIDE,
THE AUTHOR OF "ARTIE.-
In Spite of Bnckset i'm Indiana. He
Has just Published "More Fables
in SIang--Specimen Fable"


slang in the modern fables have given
him distinct place in contemporaneous
literature. His Fables in Slang" pub
lished a year ago. and More Fables"
which came from the press hardly month
ago, have reached total sale of nearly
100000 copies and are two of the books
most talked about at present.
Mr.. AIDE is a Hoosier, and his humor has
the same homely tang which character
ICES so many of James Whitcomb Riley's
dialect sketches Nothing could be more
hilariously American than these fables,
and yet the author is but one generation
removed from the south of England His
father was born in Sussex and came to
America when he was thirteen years Old
Mr.. AIDE spent his early life in country
town. then went to an Indiana college.
found his way to Chicago, received news
paper training and developed taste for
travelling He has been TO Europe twice,
the second time going as far east as Con-
stantinople. and last winter he journeyed to
Japan, China and the Philippines.
His theory is that any one who wishes to
unite with truth an understanding OF the
essential features of life in America should
travel in other countries, and then come
back prepared to receive fresh impressions
and make intelligent comparisons. And
although many of the fables poke fun at
our institutions, pretensions and customs,
there is never any sign in them OF Anglo
mania or other foreign diseases.
There is an amusing story in relation to
Mr. AIDES first book of Fables in Slang"
Neither the author nor the publisher antici-
pated the great success which the book
achieved. 1t was put out as a little flyer
for the holiday trade, but within month
ii was one of the best selling books in the
market and had beaten all records estab-
lished by the earlier books-"Artie, Pink
Marsh and DOC Horne" When Mr. Aoe
saw his royalties accommodating and began
to receive kindly mention from the critics,
and the book had been read by President
Mckinley at Cabinet meetings, and there
had been Canadian edition and some talk
of an English edition. he began TO suspect
the fables had more merit than he had
thought. But fell day the lady in
charge of the public library at Indianapolis
came out in proclamation barring Fables
in Slang' on the ground that the book was
carried the news to AIDE.
'1t has come at last" he said soemnly.
II knew if they ever got on to me. any
where it would be in Indiana"
'But this is not right, persisted his
friend. Whatever the book may be it is
not inane"
II don't know what inane' MEANS" said
the author but if it means what it sounds
like / think she's right But don't think
she ought to so and tell everybody. This
is time when Hoosiers should stand to-
gether."
In spite of the unexpected setback in his
native State Mr. AIDES little book went
through one edition after another. The
second volume, More Fables which has
just been issued, contains twenty fables.
most of which are entirely new, not having
appeared in any periodical previous to their
publication in book form. There is an up
to-dateness about THE Fable of the Michi-
gan Counterfeit Who Wasn't One Thing or
the Other" which keeps the readest of US
on the alert. 1t is printed her with by per-
mission of the publishers, Herbert 5. Stone
& Co.:
THE FABLE OF THE MICHIGAN
COUNTERFEIT WHO WASN'T ONE
THING OR THE OTHER.
Two Travellers sat in Sleeping Car that
was fixed UP with Plush and Curly-Cues
until it resembled a Chambernaid's Dream
OF Paradise. They were talking about the
Man who sat across the Aisle.
II think he is an Engllshman," said the
First Traveller.
why DO you think sop queried his
Companion.
"Wen in the first place his Clothes don't
ft him. replied the First Traveller It
observe. Also that he has piled all his
Luggage on Another Mans Seat, that he
1 oil
ing Permission, that he has expected the
Porter TO pay Attention TO him and no.
body else. and that he has Kicked at
something every Thirty Seconds since we
left Buffalo"
"You make out Strong Case" said the
Second Traveller. ,nodding, Il will admit
that the Suit is Fierce. Still, 1 maintain
that he is not Englshman. l notice
that he seems somewhat Ashamed of his
Clothes, Now, If ne were an Englishman.
he would Glory in the Misfit.
Perhaps he is a Canadian" suggested
the First Traveller
Impossible" said the other. HE may
ish to be Canadian If he were a Canad-
ian he would now be singing Britannia
Rules the Wave- No, l insist that he
is an American travelling Incog. 1 suspect
that 1 have Caught him with the Go9ds
While sitting here have had my Sherlock
Holmes System at work. A few Moments
ago he read a Joke in Comic Paper and
| the Light of Appreciation kindled in his
| Eye before a full Minute had elapsed"
Perhaps 1t was not Comic Paper at
ALL" said the First Traveller. 1T may
have been Punch. Very often an English
man will Get Next almost Immediately
| If the Explanation is put in Parenthesis
| You have to Hand 1t to him with a Dia-
| gram and Map and then give him little
Time, and then he Drops. This man Is
certainly an Englishman. Notice the Ex-
preston of Disapproval. He does not
| fancy our Farm Scenery Get on to the
| Shoes too. They are shaped like Muf-
| fins. Then if you are still in Doubt, pay
attention TO the Accent. Didn't you hear
| him just now when he was complaining
| to the Porter because the Sun was on the
wrong side of the Carr"
'Yes, but did you hear him use 'Cahn't'
and Glass both in the same Sentence +?
| When Man Plays 1t Both Ways it is
| a Sign that he was born in Wisconsin
and attended Harvard. l am convinced
| that he is not an Englshman at all He
| is probably American who takes a
Bahth in a Bath-Tub.
But the First Traveller persisted that
surely the Man across the aisle was an
| Englishman. they Jawed back and forth
| Traveller stepped over and begged the
| Strangers Pardon and asked him, as a
personal favor, TO Identify himself. Was
| he an Englishman or an American?
Really. that is Hard Question to an
swer," said the Surprised Stranger 81
| confess with some Modification that Faith
| er was an American, but he wore Detach-
| able Cuffs and talked about Live Stock
| at the Table, so the Heirs are trying TO
| Forget him As nearly we can learn.
| one of my Ancestors came 10 Shis Country
| from Yorkshire early in the Eighteenth
| Century and founded Tannery in Mas
sachusetts, so I feel that / can claim an