The rollicking newspaper humor of the day is of modern origin. It is
even yet young in years. Humorists and newspaper wits were once--say a
score of years ago--considered a rarity in America. At that time humor
of the day meant the productions of a very few--Mark Twain, Joe Neal,
Artemus Ward, Major Jones, and one or two others. To-day it means a
certain _jeu d’esprit_ that can readily be discovered in almost every
first-class newspaper extant. In fact, every American journal of any
prominence possesses its salaried paragrapher, who is required to
produce, at stipulated intervals, a certain quantity of original humor,
whether or no the said paragrapher be in a humorous mood.
A paragrapher is a writer of paragraphs, and paragraphs, in an American
newspaper, are commonly understood to be short, concise, spicy and
readable gems of wit and humor. In undertaking to present, in printed
form, brief biographical sketches relative to the life, character,
and works of representative American humorists, I entered into the
work with the idea of entertaining and pleasing the American public at
large, and not with the intent of delighting the individual humorist.
The volume that I offer to the reading public is the work of two years,
or at least a portion of that time. When I first began on the work I
wrote to Mark Twain, asking for a brief introduction, thinking that
such an acquisition to the book, coming from such a source, would be
highly valuable. At the time of receiving my letter the genial humorist
was busily engaged putting the finishing touches to his Tramp Abroad,
and he, as a result, cruelly--I will not say wantonly--cut me off with
a shilling. However, I give Twain’s reply to my communication, for,
notwithstanding its briefness, the epistle contains at least one small
grain of that peculiar wit for which the funny man of Hartford is
noted. Here it is:
“HARTFORD, CONN., NOV. 18, 1879.
“WILL M. CLEMENS:
“My Dear Friend--Your letter received. Lord bless your heart! I would
like ever so much to comply with your request, but I am thrashing away
at my new book, and am afraid that I should not find time to write my
own epitaph in case I was suddenly called for.
‘Wishing you and your book well, believe me,
Yours truly,