, 1923-01-18


.an6er former Governor Carey. has
,Vritteu . very Interesting article on
.lBill Nye at Laramie" Nj. Chaplin
va well acquainted with the famous
humorist and gives = wealth OF In
formation concerning Nye and his
career during the time he was en-
xased In the Newspaper business In
wyoming.
the start - . writer OF humorist
columns, times were often hard and
The following extracts taken
from the article as printed In the
Second Biennial Report Of the State
Historian, contains q sample Of Bill
Nye's refreshing humor:
Bill Nye started the second year
OF his newspaper management in
Laramie under rather adverse cir
-cumstances. He was over the livery
stable. was without a Job office, had
= questionable makeshift OF a press
and business was poor. There was
n part of the business, however,
that was going ahead rapidly. The
circulation of the weekly. Subscrip-
lions were coming in from every por-
tion of the nation. His fame as q
humorist had become national and
the people were anxious to read all
that he wrote. Even Charles A.
Dana of the New York Sun sent ten
dollars for the Daily Boomerang.
bse the term of DR.. Hayford as
-<6stmaster and Nye strenuously OPP
sDosed his reappointment. Frank
Hatton. for many years connected
with the Burlington Hawkeye and .
hamorist Of rencwn, was first as
sistant postmaster general. Nye was
personally acquainted with Hatton
and . war; friendship had sprung
up between them. He therefore had
Deacon Eayford on the hip. One
afternoon Nye -ece..ed . telegram
IN Hatton advising him that Hay
ford would not be reappointed and
that he would see that any person
Nye might favor would be made
postmaster. He called me into the
business office and asked me what I
him frankly that believed It would
DO the best thing for him to take the
office himself. He had a short time
before employed Mr.. c. w. Spalding
to look after the business office of
h paper and he was a postoffice
man OF ripe experience. having been
In the office .at Laramie during the
time that T. d. Abbott was post mas
ter. Eye concluded to take the
Dostoffice and put Spalding in as
chief clerk. That night he wired
Frank HattOn to hat effect, and
thereafter he accepted the place by
letter in the following language:
office OF Daily Boomerang. Lara
mic City. Wyo.. Aug. 9. 's2.
Ny Dear General:
Il have received by telegraph the
newS OF my nomination by the presi-
dent and my confirmation by the
senate, Is postmaster at Laramie,
and wish to extend my thanks for
the same.
have ordered an entirely new set
OF boxes and postoffice outfit. In
GLIDING corrugated cuspidors for the
lady clerks.
look upon the appointment Of
mySelf - . great triumph Of eternal
truth 0ver error and wrong. II Is
ono OF the epochs. I may say. in the
nations onward march toward po-
lticai purity and perfection. do
not know when I have noticed any
stride In the affairs OF state which 40
thoroughly impressed me with its
Wte0Om.
Now that we are co-workers in the
k@e department. l trust that you
feel shy or backward in con-
ng me At any time relative to
f-Akeoss concerning postoffice affairs.
he perfectly frank with me and feel
perfectly free to just bring anything
OF tho kind right to me. Do not
feel reluctant because I may At times
anN0aP naughty and indlffaront An1A
o. reserved. Perhaps you do not
tAink I know the difference between
. geucfal delivery window and q
thres-sm quad. bat that 10 . mis-
take. Ny general Information ID
Tar beyond my years.
With profonndest regard and q
hearty endorsement OF the policy Of
the president and the senate, what
evee Il may BE-. I remain.
Sincerely yours,
BILL NYB. p. ~"
0ea. Prank Hattoa. Warrington.