The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-03-15
NovELLI, THE BOOTH OF ITALY"
JAMES W. FOLEY
...Hamorist and Poet.

Few legislatures can boast of hav-
ing as an officer who is a humorist as
versatile and as bubbling as was
Mark Twain in his palmiest days. Yet
such is the record of that of North
Dakota. James w. Foley, secretary
OF the senate and for several years
prominent figure at the state capitol,
holds place second only to the great
Twain in his wit and captivating
humor. There is usually little in the
proceedings of "a dignified senate to
furnish food for such things, yet
Foley managed to get abundance of
humor cut Of the situation. 1t was
he who SO numbered the senate bills
that the anti-pass measure of Senator
Young became known as "23", and
during all the session, and especially
during the last few days when it was
known that the bill had gone to the
legislative happy hunting grounds, it
was the butt of no end of humor from
the secretary of the senate.
During these few days the members
became interested in the final passage
of bills in which they were personally
concerned had the official and formal
announcement Of the secretary that
the president is about to sign" a cor
tain bill was always sufficient to Sc
cure the attention of every member.
1t was at this time that "23" died in
conference the last day of the ses-
sion the secretary would rise in his
place at the desk with a number of
engrossed bills in his hand and with
solemnmein announce that "the pres
ldent is about to sign senate bill-"23"
The grim humor of the thing was so
contagious that visitors at the capitol
and members Of the house spent con-
siderable time in the senate chamber
for the purpose of hearing the joke.
In the evening while the senate was
making a social and fun-making visit
to the house. the secretary appeared
IN the house chamber and had the
sargent-at-arms announce officially
"a message from the senate" Speaker
Twitchell bit at the fun and officially
received the message. Foley then
proceeded to read the message as fol-
lows: "Mr. Speaker: l have the
honor to inform you that during the
absence of all the members of the
senate except Senator LaMoure. SEN
ate bill % has been Indefinitely post
poned." The humQr of this was the
more apparent because of the fact
that Senator LaMoure was the only
member who was not participating
In the round of fun which was then
being INDUCED in by the members Of
both branches of the legislature, and
the further fact that he had been
accused during the session of being
the representative of the railroads.
Foleys humor comes like the bub-
bling OF mountain spring and is as
ripping as the meadow brooks be-
side which lovers delight to sit and
dream. He is versatile, terse and con-
else. When he says a thing in print
you at once wonder If it could be said
in any other manner without destroy
ing the beauty Of the expression. AS
poet he plays on the heart strings
and reaches the same emotions that
made James Whitcomb Kelley an idol.
He understands human nature in its
most delicate sense and he has the
happy faculty of reaching that nature
with an ease and grace which capt.
Yates ere you are aware. Foley is 4
'humorist and a poet of more than
ordinary ability and his lines will
live between covers as the melodies
OF one possessed Of the highest poetic
| al temperament,