Texas is known to be the largest State in the Union, yet in all the
vast territory there resides but one genuine humorist. Alexander Edwin
Sweet is the proud possessor of that title. During the last few years
the Texas Siftings has been universally quoted and ranked “A 1” among
the funny papers of this country. It is needless to state in this
connection that Alexander E. Sweet is one of the editors of Siftings.
Mr. Sweet is a Canadian by birth, an American by adoption, and a
paragrapher and funny man by instinct. He was born in St. Johns, New
Brunswick, March 28, 1841. His father was James R. Sweet, a well-known
and prosperous merchant of that city. As early as 1849 young Sweet
removed with his parents to San Antonio, Texas. His education was
obtained at College Hill, Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1857 and 1858. The
next year he went to Europe and entered the Polytechnic institute at
Carlsruhe, Baden, Germany. Here he studied for several years, and in
1861 he fell in love with a handsome German girl, and led Miss Marie
Zittel to the altar.
Returning to America and to Texas in 1862, he served two years in the
war as a private in company A, Thirty-third regiment of Texas cavalry,
Confederate army, principally on the Rio Grande, and in the Indian
nation. At the close of the war he studied law in the office of Thomas
I. Devine. From the law Mr. Sweet drifted into journalism, and in 1869
became editor of the San Antonio Express. In 1871, he was appointed
city attorney of San Antonio by Governor Davis. Mr. Sweet had as yet
written nothing of note, but with the Herald his work became widely
known. Some years ago the Herald sprang into sudden fame on account of
the funny articles that appeared in it, descriptive of the ludicrous
side of life in Texas. The articles were copied far and wide, and then
they suddenly ceased.
Mr. Sweet transferred his labors to the Galveston News and consequently
that journal sprang into popularity all over the country. He possesses
that peculiar journalistic trait of carrying an entire newspaper at the
end of his pen. His column of Siftings in the News were widely copied,
and a New York journal in commenting upon them had this to say of the
author: “Mr. Sweet’s sketches, paragraphs and _bon mots_ are second to
no living writer in freshness, originality, sparkling wit, and refined
humor. Mr. Sweet is far more than a humorous writer, as his brilliant
editorials in the News from time to time will show.”
A year or two ago, Mr. Sweet sought a partner in the person of Mr. J.
Amroy Knox, and began the publication of Texas Siftings. Mr. Knox is
also well known as an author, having written for several prominent
newspapers and magazines. In conjunction with Mr. Knox, Alexander E.
Sweet wrote an interesting volume, which was but recently issued from
the press. It is entitled Through Texas, or from the Gulf to the Rio
Grande on the back of a Mexican Mustang. The book is a narrative,
descriptive and humorous, and has commanded a ready sale.
Since the establishment of Texas Siftings that journal has risen
rapidly into public favor, and is sold and read in every State in
the union. Mr. Sweet does the larger portion of the humorous writing
for the paper. The Graphic of New York published a portrait of the
rollicking humorist in 1877, but time and a heavy beard have changed
him so that the picture does not now resemble him. He has a pleasant
home, and surrounded by his wife and five bright children, his life is
a most happy one.
Many clever articles have appeared in Texas Siftings, but none more
clever than the following: