Life — July 16, 1908 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Esueie, Eleven Jokes The Original Elevea, Which Were They ? ISS AGNES REPPLIER, lecturing on “The Mission of Humor” at the Colony Club, New York, said she had been informed that there were original jokes in the world. After she had aid her allotted say, Mr. Joseph H. Choate arose and, gallant as ever, remarked that he was now sure there were twenty-two original jokes. Any man or woman who produces eleven original jokes in a lec- world wonder. With all due respect to Miss plier, we are inclined to think that Mr. Choate was too amiable arid too receptive. What are these eleven original, fundamental, basic jokes, not made for a parish or an occasion, neces- human and universal? Look over the comic weeklies from the beginning of Punch and you will the same lines of humorous thought, endless ns of a trifle, changes of an old idea to suit time The old jest books—Joe Miller's and, before his, Poggi’s and Bacon—show how our prede- rs anticipated us. Plutarch’s “ Morals” is full and jocose anecdotes that are now fondly t contemporancous. Turn to his “Apo- or Remarkable Sayings of Kings and Great ders,” and you find this quip: A prating asked Archelaus how he would be trimmed. Archelaus answered: “In silence.” Read “The Banquet of the Seven Wise Men,” Englished by Roger Davis, A.M., and there a sage is thus re- “In this mistake, however, I'm much of the s mind who, throwing a stone at a dog, hit his cr, adding: ‘My throw is not lost, how- But what do you not find in Plutarch? The Rev. B. $, Lombard, of London, who stated re- y that garrulity is the cause of many nervous cases and the increasing amount of insanity, mig! t well consult Plutarch on talkativeness. ‘*The 1g babbler,” says Plutarch, “is every- k—in the market place, at the theatre, in slic porticos or deambulatories, as well by s by day.” The favorite jokes in this country have been for years based on the mother-in-law, the farmer and the mer boarder, the city boarding house, spring cleaning (and the stovepipe played an important part), the greedy goat. The mother-in-law was ly the victim of the first jocose son-in-law, there could be no joke about the stovepipe be- fore the existence of the pipe. ‘There is the cannibal missionary joke that has done yeoman’s service, but it cannot be older than the appearance of the first nary. What are the primeval cleven jokes? the oldest known to us begins: “Old Noah he sons—Shem, Ham and Japheth,” but there have been jokes before the flood. What were the cleven that were preserved in the ark? Nodoubt about the elephant bringing his trunk was coined by some irreverent looker-on, who saw in the embarkation only food for mirth. Death by drown- as too good for him. But what jokes did Noah s sons take with them for daily recreation? We can be sure of only one—the mother-in-law jest. Will not Miss Repplier tell to the world the other ten?—Boston Herald. The Crucial Test ‘ D° YOU consider your nerve is sufficiently you for an airship navigator?” been out in a canoe with a nervous fat Micist Rate (sternly)—Didn’t I tell you the last time you were here I never wanted you to rome before me again? Paisoxer: Yes, si but I couldn’t make the liceman believe it.—Tit-Bi a BESET CCRSC SCR EDIOSRECRSS ICES LL SLA LR EOLLON IOS LOS SESS SLOLIOT TE BLPLOLSHHSPBIGEBHSHHHEHEGEMHHPHPEPEBSSOOGHHS Out of the Multitude that enjoy the Sports on land and water, thousands fatigue and weary and need the delight of cheer or the comfort of strength. HUNTER WHISKEY IS THE FAMOUS, FAULTLESS STIMULANT for such needs. Sold at all fret-class cafes and by jobbers WM. LANAHAN & SON, Haltlmore, Md ISS SOSHRHPPIDIHIYIY IED OT IES OVT IS HEH IT IT PEDO VIS FFP G ESF OTST OTF DEPHSS SSS SSCS HSS GH OOS SSHSH HS HSSSHOSS SHS HS SS SSH! WAUKESHA Lamont Corliss Co., (@dz4?!” GINGER ALE “BETTER THAN IMPORTED OR NO CHARGE” ) 78 Hudson St., N.Y. THE WIRDS OF TENAGAMI” A PEERLESS REGION FOR THE TOURIST, CAMPER, CANOEIST, ANGLER AND SPORTSMAN A territory accessible b; ind off fang An. Sey Lilo wy bamboo ri Bikes eck tle Wont labo tons wal-cred pis i sbendance. peslenry et ptmpelon Gimp lors pmpaem logs ‘AUX. 917 Merchants Loan & Trost Dallding, Chicage, I, ym YER, 200 Rreadwas, Kew Yorks ¥, 200, Mase, W. HOMENSOM, 600 Part Building, Fitebarg, Pa: 13, comicbooks.com