The Washington herald., 1908-06-14
Beginning with the Dean of Humorous Writers,
Mark Twain, Most of Them Have Arrived in
the Joe Miller Corps by Roundabout Ways
Many Received Literary Training on News-
papers Before They Developed as Fun-makerS

by his unconventional way of writing hu-
NOR. A native Texan, o. Henry-in real
life Sydney Porter-knows the strenuous
life Of the frontier and pseudo-frontler
from A 10 lizard
Tom Mason, a Yankee by birth. re-
ceived his business training in the Middle
West. where Ellis Parker Butler was
born. reared. and toiled until he struck
out for New York. hunted up his old
/ friend Mason. and asked him how 10 go
about getting along In the metropolis
The two had met years before in Iowa.
when Mason was keeping books and
Parker was a country newspaper worker
Champ Clark, born in Kentucky, has
worked out the greater part of his truly
picturesque career In Mississippi River
States. once he drifted as far West as
Kansas. where atmosphere" was about
the only thing he succeeded I'm taking
away with him when he shook the dust Of
the Sunflower State from his feet.
Product OF HoOsIer Belt.
George AIDE has been truthfully accused
of being a representative product of the
Hoosicr literary belt. Born therein and
therein a humble newspaper worker for a
number Of years, he at last became a
newspaper reporter In Chicago where. In
the course Of time. he garnered the first
fruits OF humoristic cultivation. Mr. Doo-
ley was Chicago trained as reporter and
editor. we'll as Chicago born and
raised Not until after he had won inter-
national fame as q humorous philosopher
did he leave the Illinois metropolis for the
national one. The Middle West boasts
OF the birth-town Of Mark Twain. and
the sagc-brush country Of the fact that
while he was one Of its pioneer settlers
he developed the humorous streak with
which he has convulsed the nations for so
many years NJ. Quad's characters were
created while he lived In Michigan. He
was born and raised in Ohio and Michi-
gan.
After the Wcst-near. middle, and far
New York City and its environs seem 10
hold the distinction of having produced
/ the largest number of humOrists now
prominent In the public eye oliver. of
dialogue joke fame has lived and labored
continually just north OF the city's bOun-
daries. John Kendrick Bangs Is also a
product Of Yonkers. where he has lived
the greater part OF his life Charles Bat
tell LOOMS born in Brooklyn. Is now the
/ first citizen Of HackensaCk the mere
mention Of which town arouses the risl-
/ biities Of the average New Yorker. Then
/ there Is Carolyn Wells, that rara avis OF
the literary world. a truly capable petit
coated humorist. Railway, y. J., was her
| birthplace. and in that metropolitan sub
| urb she makes her home.
Are Young I'm Years.
Perhaps all this is mere coincidence. and
/ perhaps. too. II is mere coincidence that
most Of the better known humorlsts OF
the pen are rather young in years. With
| the exception Of NJ Quad and Mark Twain.
who carries his seventy-two years with
/ the sprightliness of a load a third less
| Hight. practically all the men arc in Time
I "children's' class. Mr.. Dunno will not be
| forty-one till next month; AIDE. Burgess.
and Mason are each n year older Ellis
Parker Butler can qualify as the baby
OF the masculine Joe Millers. since he has
TO his credit only thirty-eight years. In
this connection Il is rather interesting 10
note that like Mr.. Butler. the majority
| OF the funny men" made their reputa-
/ tions such in the thirties, and most OF
| them in the early thir;ies. al that Among
| the women humorists. Miss Wells Mrs.
| Woodrow Wilson. a late conner in the
/ field and a former Middle West newspa-
| per worker, and Miss Beatrice HerfOrd.
! sister of the quantity humorous Oliver
| whose written and spoken monologues
/ have given her fame both here and In
| England, are all young, Of course. though
! the reference books are noncommittal as
| TO their years. which they should be.
! Though Miss Wells is Of the East and
| has never been Of the West. il is never
| theless true that she became "A humorIst Cf
| the nonsense verse type under the guild
ance Of Gelett Burgess while he was yet
| leading literary light Of san Francisco.
She had been trying without success. for
several years 20 break into print when
| she chanced upon a copy Of the Lark,
! Burgess magazine. and read therein his
| classic. beginning.
] never q purple cow,
] never hope % see one.
Straightway Miss Wells fired some Of
! her verse az the Lark. Back came a