Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-15
PLANS READY
FOR BENEFIT
PRESS HUMORISTS WILL
CONVENE
MONUMENT WILL BE ERECTED
FOR BILL NYE
Funny Men from All Over the Country
Send Suggestions for Perma-
nent Memorial for Lar
anie Man

The coming convention of the American
Press Humorists' association, which will
be held in Los Angeles in September,
will be practically one big boost OF the
Bill Nye monument fund.
Dozens of side trips will keep the
jokesters amply entertained and repaid
for their journeys to the Pacific coast,
but the whole convention will be to fur
ther the Nye memorial.
The plan to erect a monument to Bill
Nye at Laramie Wyo., where great
deal of his best work was produced, has
met with the hearty cooperation of al
most all the humorists and lovers Of
funny literature in the country.
Subscriptions are coming in daily to
swell the fund, and convention week will
include a. monster benefit entertainment
at which some of the best known humor-
lists in the Unitetd States will participate
Nobody seems to have conception Of a
serious prosaic monument of the veteran
laugh producer. Suggestions are already
coming in to the secretary of the associa-
ton, but all of them are of the humorous
type.
One Chicago artist has suggested Nye
astride his famous "kleptomaniac" gov
ernment mule, Boomerang"
Another chose as his concept Nye in the
role of peacemaker, with big six-shooter
stuck in a conspicuous place and labeled
"argument settler" All of the designs
received show the humorst as bald
headed. 1t is the Nye the public knew
that they wish to immortalize.
Sell Tickets This Week
For the benefit entertainment tickets
will be put on sale at a local music
store this week. The Auditorium theater
has been donated for the afternoon Of
September 20, and the most shining lights
of American humor will perform their
stunts.
Robert ]. Burdette will head the pro-
gram and will probably introduce the
other speakers. High on the list will
come Melville D. Langdon, known to
fame as Eli Perkins. Charles Battell
Loomis, the humorous lecturer and maga-
zine writer, will also take part.
Thomas Austin DAILY, president of the
association Edmund Vance Cook Strick''
land w. Gillian; the "Finnigan and
Flanagan" poet. will do stunts. Judd
NJ. Lewis. Wilbur D. Nesbit, S. E. Kiser,
Henry Edward Warner, Sam Davis, Ed
ward w. Miller, and Bide Dudley will
complete the program.
In addition to this the association will
issue a book, partly for the monument
fund and partly to pay the expenses of
ises to be new among publications.
Every one of the 113 members of the
association will contribute some literary
production which has never before been
published. The picture and autograph of
the writer will accompany each.
The members who knew Nyes and old
laramie citizens who associated with
him will contribute a series of anecdotes
and "reminiscences, none of which have
ever before been published. Hitherto un-
published pictures Of the Laramie writer
will illustrate this section.
Prominent Men Coming
Many of the most prominent members
of the association have already declared
their intention of coming to Los Ange-
les for the convention. Mark Twain, the
dean of humorists, will not however, be
one of them. In responding to an invita-
tion of Frank Searight, the secretary and
tree surer. to attend Mr.. Twain wrote: II
have resolved never to make another
land voyage that can be avoided, either
honorably or otherwise"
James Whitcomb Riley, an old friend
of Nye's, although heartily in favor OF
the monument scheme, will not be able
to attend. A telegram received from
him is as follows: Complex work and i'll
health deny my presence, but am with
your righteous endeavor in spirit and
perfect faith of it's success"
The city of Laramie has already made
q contribution to the fund.- as have the
Wyoming Press association, William Jen-
nings Bryan and other prominent men
of the country.
Association Membership
Membership to the association is re-
stricted to press humorists who edit a
column of humorous matter in a paper,
or who are humorous artists and writer's.
The 113 members of the association repre-
sent over 1000 newspapers of the United
States.
The association was organized at Balti-
more five years ago. At all it's yearly
conventions it has received extraordinary
attentions from the cities in which the
meetings were held, and the program as
already outlined for its stay in Los An
geles will not fall behind the efforts of
past years.
All over Southern California the NUM-
cipalities will provide special entertain
ment for the humorists on stated days.
Trips will be taken to Tonopah and Gold
field, where entertainment has been
promised. Individuals in these two places
will provide for free transportation to
their respective towns.
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