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CHAPTER 30

Oregon Humor in the 70's

It iz true that enny kind ov a laff iz better than none,—but give me the laff that looks out of a man's eyes fust, to see if the coast is clear, then steels down into the dimple ov his cheek, and rides in an eddy thare awhile, then waltzes a spell, at the korners ov his mouth, like a thing ov life, then busts its bonds of buty, and fills the air for a moment with a shower of silvery tongued sparks,— then steels back, with a smile, to its lair, in the harte, tew watch agin for its prey,—this is the kind of laff that I luv, and aint afrade ov. josh billings.

Most of such humor as existed in Oregon prior to the 70's was apparently imported or enjoyed currency by word of mouth without getting into print. It was about that time that a native, indigenous humor got started and began to be published to some extent. Earlier examples were earnestly sought, because it was believed that what the pioneers laughed at would tell much about them. Unless they brought their jokes across the plains with them or got along with the boiler-plate ones printed in the papers of the 50's and 60's or secured outlets in practical jokes that called for more action than words in registering their points, the conclusion must be formed that the first settlers carved out an empire with seriousness rather than with a great deal of wit and fun. Not much locally invented humor could be discovered in the old files of the Oregon Spectator and the total quantity of what appeared original could not be found elsewhere in any significant quantity during the first quarter of a century of frontier development.

The 70's, however, were comparatively a rather bright decade. Was this because the children of the first emigrants were then coming into full maturity? Or was it simply cheerfulness by contagion, a distant