Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-10-06
,ut CHy On Map But
Is Not Appreciated,
HumoriSt Declares
|ony yaluables.

/, aavs is to steal a few hours from the hish''
!. 80. tho wilkes Barre humorist, philosopher ane
m,onoire. fora day" Butch McDevitt, talking.
!. had us come into his offce-yes, he has an oiilce
u No., an editor-from his bachelor hotel quar-
~" No.a tho street The hour was O'Clock and ne
Rdnr had his breakfast. .,, nrno,;++ u,as
Red ..y oo tbose
ho Amt hate me in this town fear me, and nate anu
| ~ sa So akin one can scarcely tell the difference.
.pu Won know" he continued confidentialiy' thes
mr oute get me in this town. They don't appreciate
bumor and cannot quite kow-tow to the pump'ious
sfeeem Of our local would be aristocrats, puppets
ID supposedly important 1olk
"ym know il you should stop any dozen people III
Is town and say: Let's put McDevitt in JAIL they
uN all say Sure thing and then investigate af'er-
ktd But put him in they'd say.
tYou know, my humorous stunts nave put the haiiio
Wilkes Barre clear the map. Nothing mas given
h town more publicity than myself. And, honest ho"'
show you the smalness of some specimens ol .he
Iman race there was a town boosters banquet, "ith
BOO business invited. And L dlun I even set "'i
Eiation Isn't that gratitude?
Il don't know what it is but it seems as thoush 'heS
lack humor. I get invitations from other cltfes 10
ak banquets but in this town if were TO snow up
banquet they'd lock the door
John j. McDevtt started his plain Talk weekly
ns copy. He explained that he had job on locai
ply many years ago. wrote story of party wherein
me of the citys best girls at dance with Wel-
own town characters including one m with wood
. leg, and the editor had apopleXE
/ But he lived through that" said McDevitt. When
wrote another story about a certain banquet attended
some Of the local business men, wherein their antics
Re 50 described that their inebriated condition could
MY be surmised the paper came out next day with
eadme clear across the front page:
| AcDevitt--you are fred.-The Editor
But have my own paper and no one can ire
/ nave to ease up on the humor and sarcasm, now
II Our townsmen don't enjoy jokes on themselves.
4 nave column called Miners Bank Column our
Ehes' building, from where l presume to see every
II "hen said | could even see Attorney John
NIX gong into the courthouse with his hands in his
A pockets, this Mr. Blank could see fun in that.
"s strange city-Wlkes- Barre. You know l had
Z rev months schooling. Worked in the mines af-
my lather was killed there Got twenty-five cents
luas as breaker boy Walked through the snow
H. hles day in winter. Washed my work-day
k,h myself so could go to church on Sunday. My
m = uSeu 10 weep as she saw going to work at
A L,. Al ne morning i know now why she cried--she
@ You know, behind all these miners troubles
her. n u ueep-seated feeling of resentment-the
h.ia nav nave fecoectons of similar experiences-of
la s" 'athers and brothers have been manned and
po, h money was refused by operators for even
t trn' burial and the like
trains t serted TO tramp when l was twenty -one rode
eductian 1--WE years and among tramps 1 received my
Eyo uoh learning to read and write,
N h no"' am not bad man. I never drank
u os immoral habits but still I am not accented
Non bero W. Vsier cities. tried to broaden my edu-
name ora ".h' 10 Y. NJ. C. A. class. They asked
bw later ""en told them, said they would let me
ldemv ever heard from them Went to a private
Easnt 'Rutoh, lew lessons, the teacher asked me If
h prefar.s mcDeVitt I said yes And they said
cols "oulu not come any more. Ditto public
like tn h uHdh-all subject to fraiitfes-all VAIN
e humer ana very few of us really appre-
Some peono -,
how he era. uiihg Bernard Shaw is funny l don't
Is fau er @ got into the literar vcabhaoa match He
lcney;,. "hat has he createdpm
hopo, sreaty admires Mark Tur.;n- nh, =. o,a
e,oOe ana NE set to work after going broke for
w.. sud paid it back" so'e 'i'he ioi
y /" nat is your amhi,ioo,
esty. the been trying to be humorst to His
pson,as ,as oenerwise about i, D'' ms N."'-
Certain orsan;.. .onslstent in Jail and wrote
'as refused @ Tor membership in their society
I they bonos "aote back, saying the man whose
Likewise ,ai, Columbus died in iail
County treas', secured the democratic nomina t;e1l
y Persuaded me- uie party chairman, after several
20 so. had money 10 80, " IN consiuera
n 'he nominatior PpeIs came out and said l
oaHn it, I h' vr' |
did NO, wrote back to the editors .,.,,-
he fha seek to sell il theE oeught
,,p -e w lrlshman who, II,
I, 'O1'om they rr o "here you are at; if you are
s UP, and if at tn etop they runs
! through tno NE to see the humorous s;do 80 ,,to
/. But I'm No, + Oh pose insincerfty and boIIow
= s1fes 'ihuictive-I only want to r,aLa -,