Charles Ferrar Browne, also known as Artemus Ward,
was arguably the first humorist in the United States
with a national reputation. Even Mark Twain himself
called Ward "Americas greatest humorist" and
described his 1863 "Babes in the Wood" lecture as the
funniest thing he had ever heard. W.D. Howells also
identified Ward as the person "who first gave the
world a taste of the humor that characterizes the
whole American people." A journalist who parlayed
the success of his published letters into a
successful career as the first comedic lecturer
touring the nation, Ward brought prestige to...