New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-11
DEATH OVERTAKES
MARSHALLP.W WILDER
Noted HumOriSt and All
thor SuCCumbs After a
Short Illness.
WON HIS SUCCESS
DESPITE HANDICAP
Crippled by Fall When a Child,
He Made Himself Known
Around the World.

81. Paul, Jan. 10 Marshall ?. Wild
er, author and humorist, died at
hotel here early to-day from heart
disease, complicated by slight at
tack Of pneumonia
Mr.. Wilder had been in poor health
for the last two weeks. aud on Friday
was forced to cancel his engagement
az a vaudeville theatre. The body was
sent 10 relatives in New York tonight.
Since the death of his wife, more
than a year ago. Mr.. Wilder had been
visibly depressed. his friends said, and
this had affected his health. Two
weeks ago he caught a cold, which de-
yeloped into pneumonia yesterday.
Marshall Pinckney Wilder was one
of the most original American humor-
Ists since the days of Artemus Ward.
Crippled carly I'm life, when he fell
from the arms of his nurse. and SUI
fering from impaired health so that
his schooling had 20 be curtailed. the
prospects for the boy were anything
but encouraging. Yet at the age Of
twenty-four years he had won an IN
ternational reputation as an enter
tainer.
A few months ago Mr.. Wilder con
vcrted his jests and drolleries into a
$4,000 apartment house on Washing
ton Heights. In the fifty-hve years of
his life he earned fortune, wrote
several books, contributed TO many
publications and scattered smiles from
one end of the earth TO the other.
Marshall p. Wilder was born in
Geneva, n. Y, on September 10, 1859,
the son Of physician. When he was
q year old the family moved 10 New
York City. Such education as the boy
picked up was OF little account, for
the condition Of his health prevented
attendance at schools. Three or four
terms sufficed. and when he showed
little inclination toward learning IL
was decided not TO force books on him.
With his infirmities, however, came
a peculiar face. touched by an ire
sistible drollery. Coupled with such
features was rare talent for mimicry
and a natural gift of elocution. In his
teens Wilder set his heart on amusing
people. He memorized jokes and stories
10 relate at his fathers dinner table.
with the result that from the lads
high chair flowed a stream of dry wit
and jest which made the board a merry
one.
The physician encouraged the son in
the study of elocution. which was en-
tered upon with avidity. But the out
look for profit in such an enterprise
was doubtful. and so the youth, ambi-
tious 10 do something TO earn a living,
took charge of the bowling alleys and
store room of a summer resort hotel.
Then he entered Bradstreet's Agency
as a file boy. Here, however, he spent
more Of his time amusing the other
clerks than attending TO business. His
advance along commercial lines was
distinctive in no way until he decided
to get up little entertainment among
the clerks and charge admission. The
affair went off so smoothly that more
entertainments were arranged. and
Wilder was successfully launched on
professional career.
To introduce him as an entertainer
friends of the young mans father gave
receptions, and it was not long before
he was flooded with invitations TO pro-
vide the merrymaking at dinners and
parties. The quaint appearance he
made standing on chair TO increase
his height, the wonderful cOntOrtlons
and grimaces Of his features, the facl-
ity with which he initiated various
sounds and his knowledge of many dia-
lects made him a great favorite with
the general public.
Young Wilder was at length encour-
aged to try his luck abroad, and in
1883, when twenty-four years old, he
went to London Here he won popu-
laritv. and was taken up by the Prince
of Wales, who later became King Ed
ward VII. Under such patronage Wild
or grew more and more in demand as
an entertainer for the aristocracy, and
after remaining in England for some
months he returned 10 New York with
all the prestige of London reputation.