New-York tribune., 1921-11-27

e belief that zDe are a nation of hunaoris,
term them, meaning those dealing chiefly with
personal catastrophe. Nevertheless that
school Of humor rested on a solid foundation
for what is called the humorous sense is
largely a quick perception Of ones own su-
periority to the person getting the worst Of it,
But as far back as the SOS the proprietors of
"Puck" issued a ukase against acrobatic jokes
and thereafter the mother-in-law ceased to pay
unwelcome visits, the treacherous banana peel
no longer impeded progress; the stovepipe was
reared in the autumn and taken down in the
spring without disaster and the citizen return
ing from the lodge found the keyhole in his
door without any trouble. 1t is fact worth
noting that coincident with the effacement of
the acrobatic joke the goat whose antics had
yielded to the funmaker so many dollars, was
driven from his fastness in Squattertown to
end his days north of the Harlem River
When Mitchell began the publication of
Life" he created what we used to call the
"Butterick," which had at least the merit of
novelty, whereas, the acrobatic joke was older
than the Decalogue and immortal because of
its underlying principles. The "Butterick" was
presented in an environment of fashion that
caught the fancy at once. The ideal "But-
terick" represented young man and young
woman seated in the neghborhood Of potted
poI md tbor n
written on their faces. Their remarks might
be pointless, but their clothes were correct and
, the "atmosphere" of the picture was of
impeccable refinement. The caption beneath
the picture might be:
He-when is ajar.
She-When 1t is not a door.
The paucity of wit in the text was more
than atoned for by it's framework Of fashion.
We who studied the new publication with pro-
fessional interest were not slow to observe
that the persons who figured in these portray
ais of society were apt to stand with their
hands behind their backs, and some years
later l was told that young of inferior
station were lured into the belief that to be
really in style it necessary to conceal the
hands as much as possible when at social
gatherings. The real truth Of the matter
however, was that the group of artists who
were being trained for this school had not yet
learned how to draw hands. But, despite the
undoubted popularity Of the "Butterick," the
quick rise of "Life" was due largely to the
serious articles of Mr.. Martin and the broadly
comic Thompson Street Poker Club" sketches
of Henry Guy Carleton.
Hee- -Hawism must have had its origin in
bucolic circles, where it still retains it's vogue.
The country stores ring with it; the sback
room" Of the village tavern echoes, despite
prohibition, to the inane chuckles which ac-
company jocose allusions to Lsh Dusenberry's
amatory proclivities; knuckles still seek the
ribs at every festive gathering.
But, as one of the Tribune's correspondents
has already pointed out, it is just as prevalent
in the metropolis as at Beanville Four Cor
ners. We have not yet reached the stage Of
enlightenment that deprives the fat man, the
thin man, the bachelor, the married man and
the engaged couple Of their mirth- provoking
quality. 80 be in advance Of contemporaries
Gus thought or custom is even funnier than
any popularity of form, visage dress. When
Peter Cooper suggested the cable car as
solution Of the rapid transit problem eleven
years before the first one was installed in
New York he awakened chorus of Hee-H Haws
almost equal to that which later greeted the