The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-11
BILL NYE AS AN ORATOR.
Humorist Joked With Such Good e.
feet He Saved the pay.

leroy T. Vernon in Chicago News.)
The only time 1 ever heard Bill Nye
make a political speech there wasn't
line of politics in it, but il did the bus
mess. said Congressman Frank NJ.
Nye. brother OF the humorist. to
group of friends at the Washington
Press club.
"Bill Nye came to visit me once in
Minneapolis. about twelve years ago.
while he was making a western trip
Senator Nelson was governor of Mime
sofa then, and Joel p. Heatwole. who
served in congress from 1895 10 1902.
was running for election in the Third
district.
Governor Nelson had been billed to
talk at town in the Third district
but at the last moment il was deemed
advisable TO have him appear in Min
neapOlis. where the fight was getting
hot. The state committee picked me
out to fill the Third district engage
ment. and without knowing what
was getting into | prepared for the
trip.
My brother dropped into Minnea po-
lis just an hour or so before I was
ready TO leave town. | hadn't seen him
for about seven years. and | compro-
missed the demand for party loyalty and
brotherly devotion by inducing him TO
come along with me. We had the train
journey and the night to visit in. and
looked for no untoward circumstances
to interrupt our visit.
I'VE hadn't pulled into the depot
yards of the Third district town before
We saw trouble ahead of us. The magic
name of the governor had haen load
stone. Excursions from every part of
the district had been run into the town:
and there awaiting the chief executive
was reception committee. prominent
citizens in carriages and a section of
| a band.
ITO say that the reception committee
was disappointed would be to character
| ize its state of mind too simply. II was
! put OUT TO say the least. and it did not
attempt to conceal the fact. II heaped
| reproaches upon the governor for disap-
pointing such an aggregation of loyal
voters. and upon the stale committee for
| sending such poor substitute to keep his
engagements.
weren't going to get anything gto eat. ]
| told the chairman of the committee that IL
| wasn't my fault and that IL he'd give US
something to eat and then take us around
| to the hall we'd try our best to satisfy
the people
| I'm ready to make quite speech
| myself l modestly said. and my brother.
Bill Nye is here. and when / get through
maybe he will consent to say something.
! This didn't seem to impress the chair
man much and he showed no interest IN
the name of Bill Nye. But We were
taken to a good hotel and enjoyed an ex-
cellent dinner and when the committee
| came to escort us around TO the hall we
were both ready to attempt the pacifica-
| ton of the outraged voters.
1.-The opening of that meeting was not
| distinctly in our favor. The chairman rose
and. with a grave face and graveyard
| tone Gold of the bitter disappointment
| which they all must feel over the failure
of Governor Nelson to keep the engage
| ment TO address them. He stated this
! again, in different way. and again and
again. until the feeling OF depression De-
| gan to settle on us. too
We have with us Mr.. Nye of Mime
apolis.' said the chairman. who has been
| sent bv the state committee TO speak IL
! us on the issues of the campaign and we
| will listen TO him shortly. And there Is
! also here he added. as an apparent after
! thought Mr. Nye's brother-I believe he
is called Bill Nye-and he may add few
words
81 saw some Of the people down in the
audience begin to prick up their ears
as though the name of BIZ Nye was not