THE HUMORISTS The National period of American literature, which began in the sixties, was marked by the appearance of a new type of humor,- one that had been evolved gradually from the national life. It was of western birth: it came from the settlement of the great mid-land region, from the steam-boats of the Mississippi, from the camps of the gold coast, and the bivouacs of the civil war. It is impossible to sample all the leading humorists of the period: one can only take a few typical figures. Five, perhaps, are enough to illustrate the various elements that went to make up the new product. Pioneer humorists there had been, like Longstreet and Harris and Baldwin, but the real father of the new school was an engineer, George Horatio Derby, who found relief at times from the perplexities of an exacting profession by writing his John Phoenix" papers, in which he embodied the spirit of the early California where for a long time he was stationed. In his "Phoenixiana we find the elements of exaggeration, irreverence, euphemistic statement, understatement, and Yankee aphorism. The second humorist in the school was Charles Farrar Browne, a Maine Yankee, who worked his way into the middle west, established one of the first of the newspaper funny columns, lectured extensively, at one time reaching the California coast, and finally went to London, the complete winning of which critical city made him universally famous. By the irony of fate, however, he was to die of consumption just at the moment of victory. His "Artemus Ward" papers are unique. They are redolent of a droll personality. He added cacography to the stock of American humorous devices, and he added also whimsical incongruity, the element of the grotesquely unexpected. Ever since the day of Franklin aphorism had been a prominent American product; it remained for Henry Wheeler Shaw to become the American comic Solomon. Shaw, or "Josh Billings," as he called himself, had had a varied career as college student, deck-hand on the Ohio River, farmer, and auctioneer in western towns, before he began to write. In 1859, when he was forty, he published an "Essay on the Mule" and from that time his writings became more and more familiar until his name was well-known in every American household, and deservedly so, for behind his grotesque spelling is real wisdom. From his quaint store of aphorisms one may construct the, very soul of our Americanism. In the great number of political satirists called forth by the war the two leaders perhaps were David Ross Locke, on the Northern side, and Charles H. Smith on the Southern. The work of both of these men helped greatly in the troubled days in which they wrote. Satire, however, generally perishes with the period that calls it forth, and even now the writings of the two men are unintelligible unless accompanied by numerous foot-notes. choice selections from the Gyascutus' and Pikeharmonic' societies. The solos were rendered by Herr Tuden Links, the recitations by Herr Von Hyden Schnapps, 5 both performers being assisted by Messrs. John Smith and Joseph Brown, who held their coats, fanned them, and furnished water during the more overpowering pas sages. THE PLAINS. ODE SYMPHONIE PAR JAPAR BEZ TARBOX.- This glorious composition was produced at the San Diego Odeon, on 10 The Plains we consider the greatest muthe 31st of June, ult., for the first time in sical achievement that has been presented this or any other country, by a very full to an enraptured public. Like Waterloo orchestra (the performance taking place among battles; Napoleon among warriors; immediately after supper), and a chorus Niagara among falls, and Peck among composed of the entire Sauer Kraut- 15 senators, this magnificent composition Verein,' the 'Wee Gates Association,' and stands among Oratorios, Operas, Musical Melodramas and performances of Ethiopian Serenaders, peerless and unrivaled. Il frappe toute chose parfaitment froid. from Pike County, consisting of seven families, with forty-six wagons, each drawn by thirteen oxen; each family consists of a man in butternut-colored cloth5 ing driving the oxen; a wife in butternutcolored clothing riding in the wagon, holding a butternut baby, and seventeen butternut children running promiscuously about the establishment; all are barefooted, 'It does not depend for its success' upon its plot, its theme, its school or its master, for it has very little if any of them, but upon its soul-subduing, allabsorbing, high-faluting effect upon the audience, every member of which it causes 10 dusty, and smell unpleasantly. (All these to experience the most singular and ex- The symphonie opens upon the wide and 25 'Of thy intensity 45 circumstances are expressed by pretty rapid fiddling for some minutes, winding up with a puff from the orpheclide, played by an intoxicated Teuton with an atrocious breath—it is impossible to misunderstand the description.) Now rises o'er the plains in mellifluous accents, the grand Pike County Chorus. 'Oh we'll soon be thar Gee up Bolly! whoo, up, whoo haw!' The train now encamp. The unpacking of the kettles and mess-pans, the unyoking of the oxen, the gathering about the various camp-fires, the frizzling of the pork, are so clearly expressed by the music, that the most untutored savage could readily comprehend it. Indeed, so vivid and lifelike was the representation, that a lady sitting near us, involuntarily exclaimed aloud, at a certain passage, Thar, that pork's burning!' and it was truly interesting to watch the gratified expression of her face when, by a few notes of the guitar, the pan was removed from the fire, and the blazing pork extinguished. This is followed by the beautiful aria: 'O! marm, I want a pancake!' 50 Followed by that touching recitative:'Shet up, or I will spank you!' Which swells out into 'Hey Jim along, Jim along Josey,' then decrescendo, mas o 55 menos, poco pocita, dies away and dries up. Suddenly we hear approaching a train To which succeeds a grand crescendo movement, representing the flight of the child, with the pancake, the pursuit of the mother, and the final arrest and summary punishment of the former, represented by the rapid and successive strokes of the castanet. Who this little airth was sent on To tell a "hawk from a hand-saw!" The turning in for the night follows; and the deep and stertorous breathing of the encampment, is well given by the bas- 5 soon, while the sufferings and trials of an unhappy father with an unpleasant infant, are touchingly set forth by the cor- length of time required to prepare the net à piston. The immense expense attending the production of this magnificent work; the chorus; the incredible number of instru Part Second Pi Utahs; the fearful cries of the demoniac Indians; the shrieks of the females and children; the rapid and effective fire of the rifles; the stampede of the oxen; their recovery and the final repulse; the 15 Pi Utahs being routed after a loss of thirty-six killed and wounded, while the Pikes lose but one scalp (from an old fellow who wore a wig, and lost it in the scuffle), are faithfully given, and excite 20 the most intense interest in the minds of the hearers; the emotions of fear, admiration and delight, succeeding each other in their minds, with almost painful rapidity. Then follows the grand chorus: - The night attack of the 10 ments destroyed at each rehearsal, have 'Oh! we gin them fits, The Ingen Utahs, With our six-shooters We gin 'em pertickuler fits.' After which, we have the charming recitative of Herr Tuden Links, to the infant, which is really one of the most charming gems in the performance: 'Now, dern your skin, can't you be easy?' 1S hitherto prevented M. Tarbox from placing it before the American public, and it has remained for San Diego to show herself superior to her sister cities of the Union, in musical taste and appreciation, and in high souled liberality, by patronizing this immortal prodigy, and enabling its author to bring it forth in accordance with his wishes and its capabilities. We trust every citizen of San Diego and Vallecetos will listen to it ere it is withdrawn; and if there yet lingers in San Francisco one spark of musical fervor, or a remnant of taste for pure harmony, we 25 can only say that the Southerner sails from that place once a fortnight, and that the passage money is but forty-five dollars. 30 35 40 Morning succeeds. The sun rises magnificently (octavo flute) — breakfast eaten, in a rapid movement on three sharps; the oxen are caught and yoked up with a small drum and triangle; the watches, purses, and other valuables of the conquered Pi Utahs, are stored away in a camp-kettle, to a small movement on 45 the piccolo, and the train moves on, with the grand chorus: 'We'll soon be thar, San Diego, July 10th, 1854. From Phanixiana, 1855. CHARLES FARRAR BROWNE, "ARTEMUS WARD," (1834-1867) INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT I have no politics. Nary a one. I'm not in the bizniss. If I was I spose I should holler versiffrusly in the streets at nite and go home to Betsy Jane smellen of coal ile and gin, in the mornin. I should go to the Poles arly. I should stay there all day. I should see to it that my nabers was thar. I should git carriages to take the kripples, the infirm and the indignant thar. I should be on guard agin frauds and sich. I should be on the look out for the infamus lise of the enemy, got up jest be4 elecshun for perlitical effeck. When all was over and my 55 candydate was elected, I should move heving & arth so to speak — until I got orfice, which if I didn't git a orfice I should turn round and abooze the Admin Gee up Bolly! Whoo hup! whoo haw!' 50 The whole concludes with the grand hymn and chorus: 'When we die we'll go to Benton, The greatest man that e'er land saw, wantid furrin missions, and all wanted sumthin. I thought Old Abe would go crazy. He had n't more than had time to shake hands with 'em, before another tre5 menjis crowd cum porein onto his premises. His house and dooryard was now perfeckly overflowed with orfice seekers, all clameruss for a immejit interview with Old Abe. One man from Ohio, who had istration with all my mite and maine. But I'm not in the bizniss. I'm in a far more respectful bizniss nor what pollertics is. I would n't giv two cents to be a Congresser. The wus insult I ever received was when sertin citizens of Baldinsville axed me to run fur the Legislater. Sez I, My frends, dostest think I'd stoop to that there?' They turned as white as a sheet. I spoke in my most 10 about seven inches of corn whisky into or fullest tones, & they know I wasn't to be trifled with. They slunked out of site to onct. 6 him, mistook me for Old Abe and addrest me as The Pra-hayrie Flower of the West' Thinks I you want a offiss putty bad. Another man with a gold he was a seckind Washington & the Pride of the Boundliss West.' Sez I, Square, you would n't take a small post-offis if you could get it, would you?' Sez he, a patrit is abuv them things, sir!' There4, havin no politics, I made bold to visit Old Abe at his humstid in Spring- 15 heded cane and a red nose told Old Abe field. I found the old feller in his parler, surrounded by a perfeck swarm of orfice seekers. Knowin he had been capting of a flat boat on the roarin Mississippy I thought I'd address him in sailor 20 lingo, so sez I 'Old Abe, ahoy! Let out yer main-suls, reef hum the forecastle & throw yer jibpoop over-board! Shiver my timbers, my harty!' (N.B. This is ginuine mariner langwidge. I know, be- 25 cawz I've seen sailor plays acted out by them New York theater fellers.) Old Abe lookt up quite cross & sez, Send in yer petition by & by. I can't possibly look at it now. Indeed I can't. It's onpossi- 30 ble, sir!' Mr. Linkin, who do you spect I air!' sed I. A orfice-seeker, to be sure!' sed he. 'Wall, sir,' sed I, 'you's never more mistaken in your life. You hain't gut a orfiss I'd take under no circumstances. I'm A. Ward. Wax figgers is my perfeshun. I'm the father of Twins, and they look like me both of them. I cum 40 to pay a frendly visit to the President eleck of the United States. If so be you wants to see me, say so- if not, say so, & I'm orf like a jug handle.' 'There's a putty big crop of patrits this season, ain't there, Squire?' sez I, when another crowd of offiss seekers pored in. The house, dooryard, barn & woodshed was now all full, and when another crowd cum I told 'em not to go away for want of room as the hog-pen was still empty. One patrit from a small town in Michygan went up on top the house, got into the chimney and slid down into the parler where Old Abe was endeverin to keep the hungry pack of orfice-seekers from chawin him up alive without benefit of clergy. The minit he reached the fire-place he jumpt up, brusht the soot out of his eyes, and yelled: 'Don't make eny pintment at the Spunkville postoffiss til you've read my papers. All the respectful men in our town is signers to that there dockyment!' Good God!' cride Old Abe, they cum upon me from the skize - down the 'Mr. Ward, sit down. I am glad to see 45 chimneys, and from the bowels of the you, Sir.' Repose in Abraham's Buzzum!' said one of the orfice seekers, his idee to begin to git orf a goak at my expense. 'Wall,' sez I, ef all you fellers repose 50 in that there Buzzum thare 'll be mity poor nussin for sum of you!' whereupon Old Abe buttoned his weskit clear up and blusht like a maidin of sweet 16. Jest at this pint of the conversation another 55 swarm of orfice-seekers arrove & cum pilin into the parler. Sum wanted post orfices, sum wanted collectorships, sum yearth! He had n't more 'n got them words out of his delikit mouth before two fat offiss-seekers from Wisconsin, in endeverin to crawl atween his legs for the purpuss of applyin for the tollgateship at Milwawky, upsot the President eleck & he would hev gone sprawlin into the fireplace if I had n't caught him in these arms. But I had n't more'n stood him up strate before another man cum crashin down the chimney, his head strikin me vilently agin the inards and prostratin my voluptoous form onto the floor. 'Mr. |