Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-12-04
THE WANT MORE PEOPLE IN ONE THAN A M

anecdote that ne was a regular at
tendant at the tavern known as tho
nlaok Jack Ia Portsmouth street.
Ctare market. then fnyogitc resort
OF the performers nj Drnry lane and
lincoin's inn Flelda lhcaiers and OF
the wits who came TO enjoy their so.
cicty. u IL said that at these meet
lngs Miller was remarkable for tho
gravity OF hia demeanor aud that ne
vas ~ completely innocent OF any.
thing Ike joking that his companions.
as Jest. ascrlbed every new Jest
that was made 10 him. Joe MIXERS
last benefit night was Apfii ~. HAS.
he died on August l5 OF the aanie
year.
The 'merry memory" OF inc COM
edian, The phrase used In one Of the
newspaper paragraphs announcing
Joe Miller's denth. and the vii and
hHinor nscgibed to him perhaps relate
especially TO his acting, or they would
seen 20 contradict the tradition OF
his lncapacity Tor making o Joke. n
wns after his death, however. that he
gained his fame rs q jester Among
the society IN which he usually mixed
was a dramatic writer named John
Mostley. the son oil a Jacoblte officer,
| This man was reduced 10 the position
OF living on the town by his wits.
ana In doing this he depended In
great measure on his pen. Among
the popular publications OF that time
VAS a kind easy OF compilation, con
aiBting substantially or the same tests,
ever newly yamped up. with a few
additions and varieties. II was q
common trick to place on the title
OF one OF these brochures the name Of
some person Of recent celebrity. ~
order 10 give Il an appearance OF
novelty. Thus there appeared In ne
sixteenth century Scroean's tests
and Skeletons tests; In the seven
soenth. TaFlfnn's Iesth, fioeson =
Jests. peele's Jests. Hugh letters
Jeste and a multitude OF others. aud
IN the century following. previous "a
the death Of Joe Miller Ia i73S. PIN.
| kethmnn's tests, Polly Pcachum' \
Jesis and Ben Jonscns Tests II
speaks strongly for tue celebrity OF
oe Miller. that he had hardly lain a
year IN his grave whom his name
was thought sufficiently popular q
grace the title Of n jest book; and Y
was Motley who. no doubt, preDsod by
luccefti>y. undertook 10 compiir rev
collection which was 10 appear under
In. The title Of this volume. which
was published In 1883, and sold gor
Ifhliling. was "ioe Miiier's Tests; Or,
the Wit'a Vsdemeeaia." II Was stated
lin the title to have been first care
fully collected IN the company, aud
many of them transcribed ltoia TIE
mouth they bear: and nov sat forth
land published by his lamentuhle
friend and former companion, Elijah
Jcnkins. Esq" This wes, of COURSE,
Ia fictitious name, under which Mot
leiny chose to conceal his own. II must
moi be concealed thai there il consld-
lefable originality IN Motteley's cal
Ileclion that Il IL not . mere reDn1ll.
cation. under q different name, 81
what had been published score 81
times before. IN fact. Il IL evidently
Il y selection from the jokes which wort
then current about the town. and
some OF them apparently new ONES
lThlk WAS perhaps the reason Of ~
lHndden and great popularity. A second
ana third edition appeared Ia tha
aalae year, and Ii was not only ne
n qnanllx reprinted during the eams
Iccnfury. but nuEsher Of npnri0u'
books appeared under the game tile
las well AZ similar collections. uDd@i
such titles as The New Joe Mll.et,
and the Iikc,