Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-01-07
am Nv.,. Story Of fiis Own Life.

Bill Nye'S Story OF Ills OWN Lilo.
Bill Nye was once approached for
sketch Of his career. Unwilling to trust
| to the tender mercies of a biographer for
faithful presentation of his noble deeds
Nye wrote himself the following autobi-
ography:
edgar Wilson Nye was born in Maine
in 1850, August 25, but at two years OF
age he took his parents by the hand, and,
Telling them that Piscataquis County was
no place for them, he boldly struck out
for st. Croix County, Wisconsin, where
the hardy young pioneer soon made q
home for his parents. The first year he
drove the Indians out of the st. Crotx
Valley; and suggested to the Northwest
ern Railroad that 1t would be good idea
to build to st. Paul as soon as the COM
pany could get grant which would pay
them two or three times the cost OF con-
struction. The following year he adopt
ed trousers, and made one hundred and
seventy-five dollars from the sale OF wolf
scalps. He also cleared twenty-seven
acres of land, and raised some water
melons. In 1854 he established and en-
dowed district school in Pleasant VAL
| lev. It was at this time that he began
to turn his attention to the abolition OF
slavery In the South and to write articles
for the press signed 'Veritas,' in which
he advocated the war of 1850 or as soon
as the Government could get around to
it.
SIN 1855 he graduated from the farm
and began the study Of the law. He did
not advance very rapidly in this profess
sion, failing several times in his examine
ton and giving bonds for his appearance
at the next term of court. He was, how
ever, close student of political economy,
and studied personal economy at the
same time till he found he could live on
ten cents day and his relatives easily.
"Mr. Nye now began to look for new
country to build up and foster, and as
Wisconsin had grown to be 30 thickly
settled in the northwestern part OF the
state that neighbors were frequently
found as near as five miles apart, he
broke loose from all restraint and took
emigrant rates for Cheyenne. Hero he
engaged board at the Interocean Hotel
and began to look about him for posi-
ton in bank. Not succeeding in this
he tried the law and journalism. He did
not succeed in getting job for some
time, but finally hired as associate editor
and janitor of the Laramie Sentinel
"By-and-by he had won every heart by
his gentle, patient poverty and his de-
lightful parsimony with regard to facts.
With hectic imagination, and an order
on a restaurant which advertised in the
paper, he scarcely cared through the
livelong day whether school kept or not.
"Thus he rose to Justice of the Peace,
and finally to an income which is report
ed very large to everybody but the as
SCISSOR.
"He is the father of several very beau
tiful children by his first wife, who is
still living. She is Chicago girl, and
loves her husband more than he deserves.
he is pleasant to the outside world, but
a perfect brute in his home. He early
learned that in order to win the love of
his wife he should be erratic and kick
the stove over on the children when he
came home. He therefore asserts him.
self in this way, and the family love and
respect him, being awed by his greatness
and gentle barbarism.
"He eats plain food with both hands,
conversing all the time pleasantly with
any one who may be visiting at the
house. If his children do not behave he
kicks them from beneath the table till
they roar with pain, as he chats on with
the guests with bright and ever-fowing
stream of bon mots which please and de-
light those who visit him to that degree
that they almost forget that they have
had hardly anything to eat.
I'm conclusion, Mr.. Nye is in every
respect lovely character"