Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1907-11-21

weekly publication of the time from
which he was later fired by the
far seeing proprietor as a colos
sal tailue- cause for which is prob
ably found in Bills own admission
that he was too cussed lazy to
make either decent loafer or
liar" But he had married mean
time as men will, and as seems
artistic temperament husband
under compelling stress of ma
terial needs, and threatening pater-
nifty. Nye did his first real liter
airy work.
Bill Root did not make Bill Nye !;
but the oldtime Laramieite still
insists that it was of Roots large
and often salacious fund of bar
room stories that a humorist was
born. Anyway it was one of this
village neer-do-weel's tales with
which Nye set new star in the
literary firmament-rebuilt and
adorned in rambling architecture
and grotesque creation until all
was new save the corner stone
but still recognized by we boys as
one of Roots best. The Denver Tri
bune, to whom it was submitted,
wanted more off the same, to which
appeal which was accompanied by
a more than welcome check. Nye re
sponded with another borrowed but
ldealized burlesque-and his for
tune was made. Nye's national re-
putation, however, may be said to
nave been founded on HE worl,
While running the Boomerang
established in 1881 by local admir-.
ers with desire for a party organ
and to boost their friend Bill
oil which l spotted the local pace
and on occasion his own durine
the years he filled the editorial
chair. Though an obscure country
utliy IL was quoted everywhere
me weekly edition jumpe ron
ten hundred to ten thousand. anc
ere long the eastern press woke
up to the fact that there was really
something doing in humor out IL
Wyoming. Nye's Tribune story
was written about the time the
Boomerang was born, and he con
trlbuted to its columns as side
line FOR quite while; but ere Ions
came requests from the Salt Lake
Tribune and Omaha Bee as l wei
remember, followed by the Bur
ington Hawkeye, the Danbury
News, Texas Siftings, Peck's SUI
and the entire contingent of ther
gong rib-ticklers About this tim,
too, he compiled his earlier worl
In two books under the titles Of
Bill Nye and Boomerang" anc
"Baled Hay" which found ready
sale i'll evD% Dibl cal museum
and livery stable in the land. Anc
then he hiked hence. The inevi
table had happened-Bill Nyt
had outgrown his environment in
Guiding his $1,000 job on the Boon
erang. He went "back to the
states just where we never l,4w
Thrown in his company more OIL
less during every day of our earl
Ter acquaintance, and by his side
through the working hours of two
years after, hi ~ him wel.-bct
ter, even, than my own wife think.
she knows me now. | was his con
panion and confidant yhen h,
first set firm foot on the Ladder
OF fame, and watched him climI
unit lost in the clouds. To attemp
to review or discuss here the pro
duct Of his maryellously greatly,
mind is not my purpose-only tt
tell something of who and wha
he really was. Edgar Wilson Ny,
was neither preacher, professor no,
poser, His profanity was as joy
Gus and musical as the gluck glucl
of moonshine getting away from
South Carolina jug-and INDUCED
in, Always, with all due respect tt
Deity He never aped the come
along yez of an educational cour
OF last resort; never claimed t,
have read and understood Brown
ing, nor to have anonymously
edited the Brittanica, And he wa
modesty personified I remembe
he made his first appearance a