The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-10-13
HumOr and HumOr
(Washinpton Starr

AL the thousands OF so-called fun
ny stories" which enjoy circulation
and popularity in the world may be
said to be subject to classification UNI
der one or the other of two heads.
There are the stories which imply dis
comfort, pain or sorrow for some one,
and there are the stories which are
innocent of any such connotation.
For example, there Is the oft-re-
peated tale of the man who fell off
his bicycle. AS he rises from the
street, woman paSserby blandly says
to him: Mister, please do 1t again.
My little boy didn't see you the first
time" That, 1t may be suggested, is
a cruel story.
Then there Is the yarn which is
told Of the great American painter,
WinSlow Homer. A New York man,
1t Is said, went to Prouts Neck to catch
q glimpse Of the famous artist. After
wandering about for a time, he met
q poorly dressed man carrying fish
ing pole, and in desperation stopped
him with the remark: Il say, my man,
II you can tell me where I can find
Winslow Homer I will give you a
quarter" The man considered, then
replied: AL right, where's the quar-
|ter?" After the coin had changed
hands, he drawled: We'll. you're look
ing at him. I'm Winslow Homer"
Granted the point is q trifle acrid,
the anecdote has no sadistic faint.
But funny stories" can be alto
gether devoid Of painful character. It
Is related that william Howard Taft,
while Chief Justice Of the United
States, one day was walking to his Of
flee In the Capitol when q very wet
and bedraggled mop suddenly APP
peared in his path. It had slipped
from the hand Of woman who had
been washing the front steps Of her
house, a residence standing on ter
race above the street. Mr.. TAFT took
in the situation at glance. Then.
still dignified and with no more smile
than he habitually wore. he stopped,
picked up the sickly- looking mop, and
gently carried 1t up to its owner. Lift
ing his hat, he continued on his way.
A neighbor. witnessing the incident,
hurried to explain: THAT was the for
mer President Of the United States. !"
The lady Of the mop was not unduly
impressed. Her only comment was:
"He's q gentleman, just the same"
Which, VIGOROUSLY. was quite true, OF
course.
When Calvin Coolidge passed to his
well-earned rest his countrymen paid
him the tribute Of remembering
countless examples Of his rich wit ana
abundant hun1or. These were publish
ed In the press and repeated wherever
people consregated during the days
when preparations for his funeral
were being made. There was nothing
irreverent In the fact. His death was
q shock to the Nation and an occasion
Of sincere mourning, but it served to
revive recollections Of footnotes to his
career which were significant Of the
wholesomeness. the gentleness and
the charity Of the man. He was hui
man, and men and women were
conscious Of his humanity: they illus
trated that by their stories. His
Whimsical smile testified to his love
for his species and their appreciation
Of him was manifested IN the wealth
Of their memories Of his quiet sense
OF fun.
Perhaps there Is no better test Of a
civilization than that which Is con-
stituted by the question: What vari-
ETY. Of humor does it cnjny-the cruel
or the kind7"