Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-21
GEORGE ABE.

For tne Register
George AIDE is the latesAaddition to
the list of American humorists. His
word mixture of everyday truths and
up-to-date slang in the modern Fables
have given him distinct place in con-
temporaneous literature. His Fables
in Slang" published year ago and
More Fables which came from the
press hardly a month ago have reach
ed a 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 char
acterizes so many of James Whitcomb
Riley's dialect sketches. Nothing
could be more hilariously American
than these Fables, and yet the author
is only one generation removed from
the south Of England. His father was
born in Sussex and came to America
when he was only 13 years old.
Mr. AIDE spent his early life in a
country town, then went to an Indiana
college, found his way to Chicago, re-
ceived newspaper training and deyel-
oped a taste for travelling. He has
been to Europe twice, the second time
going as far east as Constantinople and
last winter he journeyed to Japan,
China anu the Philippines.
His theory is that any one who
wishes to unite with truth an under
standing of the essential features OF
life in America should travel in other
countries, and then come back pre-
pared to receive fresh impressions and
make intelligent comparisons. And, al
though many Of his Fables poke fun
at our pretentions, customs and insti-
buttons, there is never any sign in
them of Anglomania or other foreign
diseases.
There is an amusing story in rela-
ton to Mr.. AIDES first book of Fables
in Slang" Neither the author nor pub
Usher anticipated the great success
which the book achieved 1t was put
out as a little flyer" for the holiday
trade, but within a month 1t was one
of the best selling books in the mar
ket and had beaten all records estab-
lished by the earlier books, "Artie"
Pink Marsh" and Doc Horne" When
Mr. AIDE saw his royalties accumulat-
ing and began to receive kindly men
ton 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 think
that the Fables had more merit than
he had suspected. But one fall day
the lady in charge of the Public Lii
brary at Indianapolis came out in a
proclamation barring Fables in
Slang" on the ground that the book
was 'inane." A considerable friend i'm
mediately carried the news to Ade
1T has come at last" he said sol
EMMY. Il knew IL they ever got on to
me anywhere, it would be in Indiana. :"
''But this is not right" persisted his
friend. Whatever the book may be-
it is not inane."
Il don't know what inane' means. -
said the author, but IL it means what
it sounds like, | think she's all right
But | don't think she ought to go and
tell everybody. This is a time when
Eoosiers should stand together"
In spite OF the unexpected setback
III HIS naive otdtS, MT. AGE little
book ran 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 the pub
LEGATION in book form.
Not long ago Mr. AIDE was asked IL
he found it hard work to turn out
these modern Fables. THE recipe Is
very simply" he replied Take one
portion of Homely Truth. one portion
of Story, pinch of Satire. and a
teacupful OF Capital Letters. Spice
with Up5to-date Slang. II you can get
1t fresh; garnish with Wood-cut Draw
ings and serve hot"
A great many imitators have tried
to follow his recipe with very indifrer-
ent success.