Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-24
JOKEFEST is
DUE SOON
PRESS HUMoRISTS TO GATHER
AT HOUSTON, TEXAS
DATE FIXED FOR THE WEEK OF
MAY 3
President Frank T. searight OF Los
Angeles Accepts Offer to Man
age This Years Enter
tainment

Despite the illness of Judd Mortimer
Lewis, secretary-treasurer of the
American Press Humorists-described
as the most solemn body outside the
United States supreme court that was
ever discovered--the next (sixth) an
nual convention of the American Press
Humorists is scheduled for Houston,
Texas, the week of May 8.
This news is based on a letter re-
ceived by a member in Los Angeles
from Frank r. Searight, the president
of the organization, who left recently
to visit Secretary Lewis.
The latter is suffering from appen-
dicitis and has gone to hospital to be
operated upon.
The members of the American Press
Humorists' association were so well
pleased with the last years meeting
at Los Angeles, which was arranged for
under the direction of the then Secre-
tary Searight, that they have asked
him to take charge of arrangements
this year. A good salary also figures
in the scheme as well.
Thus the newly elected president will
have his own duties and those of the
secretary-treasurer, as well as pro-
moter of the convention to look after
as a. result of this new scheme.
Many Come by Boat
Most of the members of the associa-
tion are expected to make the trip
from New York to Galveston by boat.
But the California and other far
western humorists will have to make
the trip by rail.
Prospects are for as good an attend
ance at Houston as at Los Angeles.
writes President Searight, although
the personnel will be different to a
The proceeds from the annual enter
tainment of the press humorists given
at their yearly gathering are placed
in the Bill Nye monument fund. which
goes toward the erection OF suitable
shaft to the memory of the humorist
poet of Laramie.
Not only the "jokesmiths" but news
paper illustrators and poets are meni-
hers of this association, which thus
has q good personnel from which to
draw on for features of its entertain
ments.
Many Los Angeles newspaper men
are members of this order of the grin
and their interest in the forthcoming
convention is keen.
Hunorist Writes Book
Frank Thompson Searight, president
of the Press Humorists' association, mas
-
compiled his best experiences as
newspaper reporter The book Is en-
titled "Twenty Years of Police Re-
porting" and throws many new SIDE.
lights on this serio-comic branch OF
the profession.
Mr.. Searight, who is a resident of
Los Angeles and well known through
out the United States as a comic
writer aside from his present and past
affiliation with the Humorists' asso-
citation, has incorporated much of his
original wit in the work, and the book
will be issued shortly from the press
of prominent eastern publishing con-
Germ.
In the book Mr.. Searight. also has
revealed many tricks of the trade"
tIndreamed of by the average police
reporter, and tells of some clever fakes
and Jokes which he has seen perpetrat-
ed on CUBS and others during his
score of years as a newsmonger.
The book will be handsomely printed
and cloth bound, and its author has
been assured bv his friends that If 1t
doesn't rank as one of the "six best
sellers" it at least will run through
several editions.