Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1906 — JOKES CAN’T BE EXPLAINED. [ARTICLE]

JOKES CAN’T BE EXPLAINED.

A Britisher la Unablq to Tell Why He Laughs at Punch. “Feller’s been writin’ to the papers about the difference between English an’- American jokes,” a British visitor remarked at the Baltimore last night to a man in the next chair. “Duffer don’t know what he’s talkin’ about. If he has any regard for the reputation of American humor he’ll stop writin’ letters in its defense.” “Why?” “Why, my dear chap, why?” he repeated. “Why? Because the American feller asks the British feller to ‘explain’ the humor of an English joke.” “Well, what of that?” “Haw! How could anybody explain an English joke? I never could.” He regarded his fawn spats meditatively. “Look at that famous joke, in Punch. Everybody hap heard that joke.” J ‘Not I,” corrected his neighbor. - “Haw! That’s your rotten bad luck, then. Chappie wrote to Punch an’ asked his advice for those about to marry. An’ Punch just replied: ‘Don’t’ Haw! haw ” His glass fell. The other man was regarding him with a frozen stare. “Now, that’s just it, deah boy,” he argued, screwing the monocle back Into place agaiu; “that’s a rattlin’ good joke, but strike me putrid if I can explain it. But Punch Is always makin’ jokes like that. Said once that the reformed British war office was a joke. I confess, though, that I never saw that. I’m in the gawds, y’ know. An’ those reformin’ beggars changed our mess dress uniform four times in one year. That cost our fellers a pot of money an’ we couldn’t see the joke a bit.” His neighbor did laugh at that. “But strike me If I see the fun in

your American jokes,” the visitor went on. "Com in’ here from Colorado'a feller told toe one. He said thafjm India rubber factory fire aif all the workmen except one escaped. He was on the top floor of a seVenteenstory buildin’. Couldn’t get down. So he wrapped himself round an’ round in rubber sheetin’, yards an’ yards of it, and let himself fall out of the window. Feller said that the poor beggar had made himself so elastic that he bounced an’ bounced .for two dayß, an’ was starvin’ to death right there before hundreds of people. To cut short the agony a policeman used his revolver and kijled him!” “Weil?” laughed the other man, “Well!” repeated the visitor, Indignantly. “I don’t see any joke In that. I think that ponstable exceeded his duty.”—Kansas City StaT.