The Complete Works of Artemus Ward, part 1 | Page 8

field himself, and become the utterer of his own
witticisms--the mouthpiece of his own jests.
On the 10th of November, 1860, Charles Browne, whose fame,
traveling in his letters from Boston to San Francisco, had now become
national, grasped the hands of his hundreds of New York admirers.
Cleveland had throned him the monarch of mirth, and a thousand hearts
paid him tributes of adulation as he closed his connection with the
Cleveland Press.
Arriving in the Empire City, Mr. Browne soon opened an engagement

with "Vanity Fair," a humorous paper after the manner of London
"Punch," and ere long he succeeded Mr. Charles G. Leland as editor.
Mr. Charles Dawson Shanly says: "After Artemus Ward became sole
editor, a position which he held for a brief period, many of his best
contributions were given to the public; and, whatever there was of
merit in the columns of "Vanity Fair" from the time he assumed the
editorial charge, emanated from his pen." Mr. Browne himself wrote to
a friend: "Comic copy is what they wanted for "Vanity Fair." I wrote
some and it killed it. The poor paper got to be a conundrum, and so I
gave it up."
The idea of entering the field as a lecturer now seized Mr. Browne
stronger than ever. Tired of the pen, he resolved on trying the platform.
His Bohemian friends agreed that his fame and fortune would be made
before intelligent audiences. He resolved to try it. What should be the
subject of my lecture? How shall I treat the subject? These questions
caused Mr. Browne grave speculations. Among other schemes, he
thought of a string of jests combined with a stream of satire, the whole
being unconnected--a burlesque upon a lecture. The subject,--that was a
hard question. First he thought of calling it "My Seven Grandmothers,"
but he finally adopted the name of "Babes in the Woods," and with this
subject Charles Browne was introduced to a metropolitan audience, on
the evening of December 23d, 1861. The place was Clinton Hall, which
stood on the site of the old Astor Place Opera House, where years ago
occurred the Macready riot, and where now is the Mercantile Library.
Previous to this introduction, Mr. Frank Wood accompanied him to the
suburban town of Norwich, Connecticut, where he first delivered his
lecture, and watched the result. The audience was delighted, and Mr.
Browne received an ovation. Previous to his Clinton Hall appearance
the city was flooded with funny placards reading--
ARTEMUS WARD WILL SPEAK A PIECE.
Owing to a great storm, only a small audience braved the elements, and
the Clinton Hall lecture was not a financial success. It consisted of a
wandering batch of comicalities, touching upon everything except "The
Babes." Indeed it was better described by the lecturer in London, when
he said, "One of the features of my entertainment is, that it contains so
many things that don't have anything to do with it."
In the middle of his lecture, the speaker would hesitate, stop, and say:

"Owing to a slight indisposition we will now have an intermission of
fifteen minutes." The audience looked in utter dismay at the idea of
staring at vacancy for a quarter of an hour, when, rubbing his hands, the
lecturer would continue: "but, ah--during the intermission I will go on
with my lecture!"
Mr. Browne's first volume, entitled "Artemus Ward; His Book," was
published in New York, May 17th, 1862. The volume was everywhere
hailed with enthusiasm, and over forty thousand copies were sold.
Great success also attended the sale of his three other volumes
published in '65, '67, and '69.
Mr. Browne's next lecture was entitled "Sixty Minutes in Africa," and
was delivered in Musical Fund Hall, Philadelphia. Behind him hung a
large map of Africa, "which region," said Artemus, "abounds in various
natural productions, such as reptiles and flowers. It produces the red
rose, the white rose, and the neg- roes. In the middle of the continent is
what is called a 'howling wilderness,' but, for my part, I have never
heard it howl, nor met with any one who has."
After Mr. Browne had created immense enthusiasm for his lectures and
books in the Eastern States, which filled his pockets with a handsome
exchequer, he started, October 3d, 1863, for California, a faithful
account of which trip is given by himself in this book. Previous to
starting, he received a telegram from Thomas Maguire, of the San
Francisco Opera House, inquiring "what he would TAKE FOR FORTY
NIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA." Mr. Brown immediately telegraphed
back,--
"Brandy and water. A. Ward."
And, though Maguire was sorely puzzled at the contents of the dispatch,
the Press got hold of it, and it went through California as a capital joke.
Mr. Browne first lectured in San Francisco