The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-02-02
JOKES AND JOKERS
Mrs. George v. Redeker Reads
an Interesting Paper Before
kenosha Woman's Club
THE HUM0R OF THE NATIONS

''Humor and Humorists'' was the
subject of very delightful paper
read before the Woman's club at it's
regular meeting at the Library build
ing this afternoon. The essayist was
Mrs. George V. Redeker and she GER
tainly presented the funny side of the
literature of the world in a very at
tractive manner. The writer of the
paper had threshed well the field of
the joke and the joke maker, and
from the grain she had brought forth
a story of rare interest.
Mrs. Redeker opened her paper by
telling of the joke and it's purpose,
and the great influence that the HUI
morist had welded in every period of
the worlds history. She spoke of
hur1or as something that has its
foundation in truth.
She found that humor had been a
characteristic of every nation from
the beginning of civilization. In a
historical way she traced the growth
of the joke and the iokers. Begin
ming with the early Greek civilization
she told of how Aristophanes had
brought the smile to the faces of the
ancient Greeks with his funniest of
all comedies, of how the old Roman
senators had laughed at the subtle
humor of Juvena1 and Horace, each of
whom had represented a distinct
school of humor.
Coming down to more modern times,
she spoke of the humor of the French,
as represented in the works of AL
phonse Daudet. She spoke of Heine,
who had made the Germans laugh,
and then branched out into discus
sion of the English writer's who had
right to the name of humorists.
Beginning back with Chaucer and
his Canterbury tales, she saw the
funny side of the writings of Charles
Lamb. She smiled with Thackeray
over the doings of Cheeky Sharp"
and with Dickens, as she told of
"Sarah Camp" and ''Mrs. Harris,
and half a dozen other characters
which had been the creatures of the
fertile brain of the famous English
writer. Mrs. Redeker also discussed
the humor of Swift, which she found
coarse and not of the nature that en-
dured. She spoke in passing of the
humor of Shakespeare.
In touching on the humor that had
been seen in the writings of Ameri-
cams che hona%o 111S+L, +L,o Eo41,o1,e eo y,
ings of Mrs. Darlington and found in
them worthy example of the work
of American humorists. Touching at
length on the dignifed humor of
Washington Irving, Oliver Wendell
Holmes and Charles Dudley Warner,
she came down to the more recent hui
morists and spoke of the works of
''Josh Billings" and Stockton. She
told something of the sweet story of
Bret Harte, a prophet of the west,
who was not without honor save in
his own country. Riley and Field
were given their full need of praise
and some of the more interesting of
the humorous poems of the Hoosier
poet found place in the paper. She
spoke of Field and gave view of him
as seen by Francis Wilson.
In closing she discussed Samuel L.
Clemens MARK Twain, and she found
in him the first humorist of the age.
She spoke of the life of Mark Twain
and his writings and showed that it
had been the manly gentleman which
had made the humor of Mark Twain
| SO acceptable, not only to the people
of America, but as we'll to the people
of the entire world.
| She spoke with sigh of regret Of
the fact that there were no women
humorists, and for this reason she
could not give any place to woman as
a producer of hlmor.
At the close of the paper the ladies
engaged in general discussion.
The afternoon closed with the us
ua1 cup of tea and social hour.
Nathan Allen went TO New York
Il