Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-05-11
J ENGLISH HUMOR
rand Of Laugh Extractors
ysej Two Centuries Ago.
II ~JoE MlLLER's JEST BOOK"

tae NCneraoie so'uWc sn@t warn
I'm Was Moved TO Call the Alpha
.r3 Omega of Detected Humor.
.,.. ~Ioe Miller Jest Book"-it Is
,,m,us. Mark Twain mentions Il "a
,hs alpha and omega OF detected hui
,,,r II is unrivaled. Incompatible,
mart Further. IL Is Engiish-very
English.
Possibly the latter phenomenon Is re-
snousible for the difficulty a searcher
,,d IN finding an unreyised copy. Aft
up an afternoon OF search a second
saud but scarcely worn copy finally
w,s discovered In little bookstore.
The bookseller eyed the buyer curious
4, Int with some awe. and seemed
very glad TO get rid OF IL for % cents.
twenty-five centsl How instantly
reminiscent OF one OF the Joe Miller
iokes-beg pardon. jests:
THE LIGHT SUBJECT.
To government. having threatened to
nroceed vigorously against those who re-
oused 10 pay assessed taxes. offered to
nom a remission OF one-foerth. This at
,east." said one sufferer. may be called
giving them some quarter.
You can get that OF In your very
next after dinner speech. You can put
a little accent on one-fourth and quar-
Ter and Get quite as loud laugh
Second specimen III must be remem-
bered that the jest book was complied
IN the early part OF the eighteenth
century. when there were litenriuns:
therefore the jests that aren't blamed
ON lords are mostly charged to writ
ersl:
A DIFFERENCE.
Jcrrold one day met Scotch gentleman
whose name was Leitch, who explained
that he was not the popular cartoonist
Iohn lecch I'm aware OF that" said
Jerroid You're the Scotchman with the
itch IN your name"
There, Just think OF the triumph with
which Mr. Jerroid later related that Qusp
10 his friends
Specimen:
THE CoNNoISsEUR-
person 10 whom the curiosities. build
Inss. etc. in oxford were shown one very
bot day was asked by his companion n
he would see the remainder CT the unsver-
city My dear sir" replied the connois-
leur. "a am stone blind already
Whether the friend expired In
spasms Of mirth or subsequently was
hanged for mayhem the Jest book
doesn't say.
The wit OF the Irish Is called In too.
Specimen:
SPRIG OF sHILLALAH.
fellow on the quay. thinking 20 quiz
poor Irishman. asked him. How do tie
potatoes eat now. Pat7'' Tho Irish lad.
who happened TO have n shiiialah I'm his
hand. answered cleverly: ''Oh. they cat
very well. my Jewell Would you like to
taste the stalkg'' And. knocking the tn
cuirer down. he cooly walked on.
Probably IL was n good thing be
knocked him down first
Turning TO the middle OF the book
there are 400 pages-Joe breaks into
verse:
on THE LATIN GERUNDS
When Dido mourned. Aeneas would not
come
She wept in silence and was DIDO Dumb.
Classic:
Here's
A BAD END
II was told of Jekyil that one OF his
friends brewer. had been drowned In
hs own vat. An he exclaimed. '.fioat-
ins IN his own watery bieri'
Right of the bat that.
There's little Johnny also. He drops
in during jest:
THE sEAsoN-INGS.
Come here. Johnny. and tell me what
the four seasons are
Young Prodigy-Pepper. salt. mustard
and vinegar.
Here's little shot at politics and
the peer system:
EPIGRAM
'on Alderman Woods being afraid TO
pedse himself to even the principles he
has always professedD
Sure In the house he'll do but little good
Who lets Il dare not" wait upon ~.
Wood" a would
Oh. listen. Talk about your origi-
nality:
a SHORT JOURNEY.
POUNDS. fellow!" exclaimed a choIeric
od gentleman 10 a very phlegmatic, mat
Ter OF Tact person. II shall so out or my
Wits
Well. YOU won't have far to co." said
The phlegmatic man.
Yes. and here's n small ebullition
from q dramatist:
OLD FRIENDS.
Coleman. the dramatist. was asked IL
ne knew Theodore Hook. Yes. rcoiied
the VT Hook and eye are old associ-
Rtes
Hook was not present at the time.
The courts alsc come through with
q few gems:
NEW RELATIONSHIP
stranger TO law courts. hearing a
juHse call a sergeant brother" expressed
MS surprise. oh. said one OF the by
s'~nueFs. they are Observation-Disclosures In
And speaking of repartee:
SHuFFLING ANSWER
Two Oxonians dining together. one of
mem noticed grease spot on the neck
v'o'h OF his companion and said. ~ see
you are "A Grecian."
fetched
No, indeed" said the wit: II made Il
on the spot
Nighl back at him. you observe.
VI coarse there are some better ones,
out there are also some that are worse
la1en as whole they don't add any
Aure'S TO the English reputation for
uu"or nor detract any from the opin-
ION OF Mark Twain. Kansas City
Zines
MaeMahon and orevy.
III fariS In the revolution Of 1890 n
N" student was soundly kicked by
que OF the kings officers for tearing
oS"p copy OF the ordinances placard
WI tue wall. The officer was armed
"e student was not, so the Iattar rau