, 1902-02-17
BANQUET
TO BILL NYE HELD IN DENVER
TWENTY YEARS AGO
LAST SATURDAY
wye Was a Quiet and Comparatively
Unknown Citizen of Laramie, But
Was Brought Into Prominence by
by Thomas r. Dawson. Who Print
ed His First STORY and Paid Him
Seven Dollars for It.

John L. Leet, writing in the Denver
Times of Sunday, tells of a banquet
rendered by a number of Denver news
paper men to Bill Nye. then a strug,
Cling young lawyer in this city. OF the
eighteen men present nine, including
the guest of the evening. are dead. Mr..
Leet says:
The man who is not reminiscent is
unfortunate. The fleeing years slip
away from the grasp of his memory
and that much of his life is lost. He
more than twelve months ago is prac-
ticaly one year old. The Sorrowful
count in the Bohemian Girl sings pa
thetically that memory is the only
friend that grief can call its own" But
memory is also the most joyous com
Danion which a healthy mind IA
know. The wise man derives pleasure
from recalling ever his defeats. disas-
ters and follies. The memory of his
successes. of early days with friends
still living. of happy scenes with the
loved and lost. of youthful ambition
and high hopes. afford the reflective
mar with a bOuyant nature exquisite
satisfaction. There's nc money in
it." But there are some things in this
world that the better than money.
Twenty years ago last night the ia
mous Bill Nye banquet occurred in
Denver. 1t was remarkable in itself
as showing what a hilarious time a lot
Of Rock mountain journalists of that
day were capable of when they took
a notion to unbend. And it was nota-
Bile because it's guest and it's chairman
afterward filled the world with their
fame and wrote their names among
the immortals.
The following extracts from the Den
yer papers of twenty years ago this
morning give an idea Of the scope Of
the banquet:
The Denver Press club last night
gave a banquet to Bill Nye in the la
dies ordinary of the st. James. There
were present the following gentlemen:
General J. C. Wilson. Hon. Wolfe Lon
doner. F. ]: V. Skiff, John E. Leet. C.
o. Ziegenfuss. w. l.. Visscher, Eugene
Field. Charles A. Raymond, E. d. Cow
IN. Will E. Baker, Halsey NJ. Rhoads.
A. P. Waite, General R. NJ. Stevenson,
Fl. l.. Feldwisch, F. o. Dickensheets,
James Treadway, Hamilton S. Wicks
and f. w. Nye. the honored guest.
"Mr. Eugene Field was the chairman
and master of ceremonies and sat at
the head of the table with the guest
Of the evening at his right. Mr.. Zieg-
enfuss was to the right of Mr.. Nye and
General Wilson was assigned to the
first place OH the left of the head of
the table. The floral decorations were
elaborate and exquisitely arranged. In
the center was a pyramid, around the
base of which a large star of smilax
rested. At each enc of the table was
a basket of flowers. At each plate was
a pretty boutonniere and envelope con.
tanning the name of the person to oc-
cupy that seat, with the print
ed on colored satin.
Bill Nye, the distinguished guest Of
the occasion, was only two or three
years ago a quiet and comparatively
unknown citizen of Laramie City, Wyo.
A young man, making a living in the
practice of law. His peculiar style of
humor, however. began in a little while
to break sporadically in the neighbor.
ing newspapers, and soon Mr.. Rothac-
ker Of the Denver Tribune discovered
the germ Of genius in Nye and employ
ed him to write for his paper from
Wyoming. This was the zeal start,
and now, inside of two years, Bill Nye
has arisen to the foremost place among
western humorists. His brilliant and
swift success has not turned his head,
however. He is modest to a fault, and
in social life quiet and almost retir-
ing"
The second day after the banquet
one of the city dailies contained the
following:
aside from the regular toasts.
there were short speeches
made by all present, and no volunteer
sentiments were offered. Wit and song
ruled during the night-for the ban
quet lasted till morning-and it was an
occasion that will be pleasantly re-
membered by those present until they
can remember no mos. The banquet
was in every particular a superb sue.
cess"
Where are all those dear friends
gomez Who were those eighteen
banqueters, and where are they now?
Half of them are dead and half still
living, six in Denver. two in Chicago
and one in Manila. To muster their
names is somewhat akin to coming
back to life after having been twenty
years dead.
Bill Nye marched forward from that
banquet night into fame and fortune.