The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-09-15
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Bill Nye Memories.

Bill Nye Memories.
Hon. John F. Sprague of Monson,
whose authority concerning affairs in
Plscataquis county is unquestioned, writes
to correct some misstatements made in
this paper concerning the life and career
OF the late Bill Nye, who was a native
of Shirley, Maine. Mr.. Sprague is right
as usual as to the person who occupies
the Bill Nye birthplace. Mitchell is the
station agent at the Shirley station on
the Bangor & Aroostook railroad some 10
years ago. He was, and no doubt cor
tinues to be, very gentlemanly young
man. 1t was he who informed the writer
of this about the cold lunch, which Bill
Nye took from the Bangor House and
ate above the alleged grave of Bill Nye's
mother. much to the disgust and dis
enlargement of the pa, ty who conducted
the hotel at Shirley village. If the es-
teemed mother of the esteemed Bill Nye
has been living all these years, it is very
plain that Bill ate no lunch over her
grave, and apologies are hereby tender
ed both to the shades of the lamented
Bill, and to his very good and living
mother, as well as thanks to Mr.. Sprague
Tor setting the case to rights.
Regarding the burning of Bill Nye's
birthplace enormously reported in this
paper-the authority for this statement
was from the columns of some Maine
newspaper published ten or more years
ago. Historians, like Mr.. Sprague have
a great advantage over newspapers, be-
cause historians have time to verify their
statements, and must not rush their copy
up to "catch an edition.
There are many persons conspicuous
tor their sanity who will differ from Mr..
Sprague when he says:
Plscataquis county has produced two
men who have been of world wide fame:
Bill Nye OF Shirley and Hiram Stevens
Maxim, now Sir Hiram Maxim of is
queen Gate Place, London, S. w. Eng
land.) The latter was born in the old
Nickerson house at Brockway's Mills in
South Sangerville."
Surely Mr.. Sprague has not forgotten
Sir. Hiram Maxim distinguished brother
Hudson Maxim, the inventor of smoke
less, nltro-powder, now in use by the
United States government, and the same
chap who once informed writer for the
old Cosmopolitan Magazine that the boys
OF his day IN old PlScataqulS county used
to attend the common schools in mid
winter in their bare feet for the obvious
reason that they had neither shoes or
boots. or moccasins to wear. Then there
are distinguished residents of the county
still living, who will live in annals and
story long after their bodies are dust, as
for instance: Frank E. Guernsey, Willis
Parsons, the brothers Owen-the drug
glst OF Milo and Editor Owen of the
Portland Press-and last. but none the
less important John F. Sprague of
Monson, historian, lawyer, sage and
farmer.
In passing it can be said of Bill Nye,
that in common with other natives of
Piscataquis county, he was born without
clothing of any kind, and did not seem
to advance his worldly condition greatly
by going West. He edited newspaper,
which was widely quoted, but was not
great financial success. He was taken
up forcibly by Western cyclone and
dropped with discouraging results. He
was never really discovered" until Gen.
Taylor of the Boston Globe wrote for
him to come to Boston, where arrange
ments We're made for weekly funny"
letter from Nye to appear every Sunday.
The Globe featured" these letters until
Nye became famous. Then Gen. Taylor
took Nye to New York and introduced
him to Joseph Pulitzer Of the World,
who hired him as a fancy reporter for
$4,000 year. And Nye made 'star"
reporter, making Coney Island and adj
joining amusement places echo with
laughter. 1t was then that Walt Nc
Dougall or some Of the Pulitzer artists,
made that intensely funny caricature of
Two 81 ,oI
,, while he lived and haunted him after his
syndicate, with the Boston Globe for
New England, the World for New York
and half dozen other papers for the
rest of the country, as Nye organs o
publicity; and Nye ceased to be repor
err, and took to coming money from the
lecture platform. For one summer he
took vacation abroad and visited the
Paris exposition as the guest of Colonel
Moses P. Handy. Then home again and
at it-speaking to delighted audiences in
all parts of the country, bringing his
syndicated letters out in book form under
such titles as ''Baled Hay, Hoop Poles, :"
etc. He spoke from the same platform
in conjunction with the Louisiana novel
list, George w. Gable, now an honored
resident and Sunday school teacher of
Northampton, Mass, and Whitcomb
Riley, the gifted poet of Indiana. Nye
was the leading feature, however, in
every place, and the man who won the
applause and the money At last stroke
of aopplexy laid him low, and he went to
his North Carolina home to die, much
lamented. He was still we'll under so
years Of age when he was cut down. He
and his predecessor in the field of humor-
GUS writing, ARENAS Ward Charles F.
Browne) were the most talked about
men Maine has ever produced. Bangor
News.
Itching, torturing skin eruptions, disfgure,
annoy, drive one wild. Doan's Ointment brings
quick relief and lasting cures. Fifty cents at
any drug store.
Among the books announced for fall
publication is Down Home with Jennie
Allen, by Miss Grace Donworth of Ma
chias. Miss Donworth's first book, The
Letters of Jennie Allen, is enjoying
long run of popularity and it is expected