The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-06-06
A Monument to Nye.
American Press Humorists Will Aid in Rails
ing Fund for Building a Monument to
Bill Nye at Laramie, Wyoming.
[From the Los Ange les Herald

According to plans made by Frank
Thompson Searight of Los Angeles,
secretary-treasurer of the American
Press Humorists, that organization has
taken up the project of build ing a
monument to the late Edgar Wilson
Nye at Laramie, Wyo., and the fund is
to be swelled by proceeds from big
entertainment which the funmakers
will give in the week of September 18th
next, while their fifth annual conven-
ton is in progress in Los Angeles. Co.
operating with Mr.. Searight is the Rev.
Robert j. Burdette, Who, as "Bob" Bur
dette, the Burlington Hawkeye humor-
ist, was friend of Bill Nye. Mr.. Bur-
dette, as long ago as 1904, when the
American Press HumOrists held their
annual convention in St. Louis, favor
ed the monument project and not only
is he assuming a large part of the work
in connection with the project now, but
has agreed to act as one of the enter
tanners on a big bill in the auditorium,
for which arrangements with Manager
Sparks NJ. Berry have been concluded.
DISTINGUISHED MEN INVITED.
In addition to "Bob' Burdette there
already have been promised such well
known humorous lecturers as Melville
u. Landon eli Perkins) and Sam
Davis, editor of the Carson Appeal,
both humorists of the old days, and as
sociates of Bill Nye; Strickland w.
Gillian, former humorist of the Los
Angeles Herald, lecturer for the Stay
ton Lyceum bureau, Chicago, and ia
nous for his classic "Finnigan to Elan
nigan;" Edmund Vance Cooke, presi-
dent of the National Lyceum Enter
tanners, better known in Los Angeles
as the Ohio Philosopher, and favorite
here in his "Pot Luck with Poet;;'
Judd NJ. Lewis, author and lecturer
and humorist of the Houston Post:
Charles Battell LOOMS, Thomas Au-
gustine DAILY of Philadelphia, presi-
dent of the American Press Humor,
lists; S. E. Kiser, of the Chicago Record
Herald, and Wilbur D. Nesbit, of the
Chicago Tribune. Invitations also
have been sent Samuel L. Clemens,
Mark Twain), James Whitcomb Riley,
Joel Chandler Harris Uncle Remus),
John Kendrick Bangs, Frank L. Stan
ton and Holman F. Day, members of
the association.
PLAN INTERESTING TRIP.
The list of patrons and patronesses
for the entertainment is being prepared
and will include the most prominent
Angelenos and a number of the leading
people of surrounding towns. Several
OF these towns will he visited by the
press humoriSts as trips incidental to
the convention; also there will be day
at the home of Mr. and Mr.. Robert j.
Burdette, Sunnycrest, Pasadena: trips
to Mt. Lowe and Catalina, reception
ny the Los Angeles Press club and
banquet by the chamber of commerce.
Returning, the humorsts will go either
by way OF San Francisco or the gold
mining camps of Nevada, or both.
There are more than 100 of the
American Press Humorists. connected
with the leading newspapers and mag
azlnes OF the country, and their enter
tainment at past conventions has in
cluded high honorS, such as special
train to Atlantic City as guests of the
city of Baltimore; an official American
Press Humorists' day at the St. Louis
exposition and reception by John D.
Rockefeller at his Forest Hill home.
The convention last year was held in
Philadelphia and Los Angeles was
chosen as against four other cities
which made bids for the fifth annual
meeting.
Will BE NOTABLE GATHERING.
The Bill Nye monument project will
make the fifth annual convention more
notable than any of the preceding
gatherings. In letter being sent out
by Secretary Searight he says;
"For several years the humorists
have been considering the idea of build
ing monument to the late Edgar Will
son Nye, and, had the project been
carried through before the death of
Mrs. Nye, it is probable that, in respect
to her, the monument would have been
erected in Asheville, N. c., where Mr..
Nye died. Now, however, Laramie,
Wyo., is favored location, that hav-
ing been the scene of the humorist's
earliest efforts and some of his best
work.
eff every American who has laughed
at the keen wit and the drcll, homely
SMILES of the late Bill Nye would pay
tribute in the measure that that laugh
was worth, a monument of gold could
be built to the memory of the fun
maker of Laramie. That no monu-
ment has been raised is due, not to
lack of appreciation, but of concentra-
ted effort or suggestion of a satisfact-
DRY method of procedure; at least such
is the belief of the newspaper humor-
lists of today
''The American Press Humorists
therefore have taken up the subject of
a bill Nye monument, and, until Sep
TENDER LIST next subscriptions vii be re-
ceived by the members OF at convention
and fund headquarters, 1926 West First
street, Los Angeles.
''The faith of the humorists in Ameri-
can optimism and the American appre-
citation of laughter is such that they
believe the greater part of the fund can
be raised by September 1, and it is their
intention to conclude the project with
a grand public entertainment at the
fifth annual convention in Los Angeles,
September Is to %, 1907. The Ameri-
can Press Humorists' Tribute to Bill
Nye,' a book to be issued prior TO the
convention, will be presented as
souvenir of the monument fund to sub
scribers to the project
The Law Concerning Vital Statistics
Hereafter the returns of births, marriages
and deaths to the State Registrar must be
made MONTH y-between the 18th and the Goth
of every month town clerks must send
copies of the records made by them in the
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