Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1885 — A. Ward and Tom Pepper. [ARTICLE]

A. Ward and Tom Pepper.

The Oakland Times thus refers to a recent exchange of compliments between two Elko, Nevada, editors: “Thomas Pepper appears to have been the peerless prevaricator of Nevada, from whom all liars in that state are measured up and. down, like heights and depths are measured from the sea level, for we observe that when one Nevadan wishes to refer to the aphasiatic merits of a contemporary he speaks of him as a “bigger liar than Tom Pepper.” Tom Pepper was a California production, though Le was for a time on the Comstock. While here he led a Bohe • mian life, doing odd jobs for the several papers then published in this city. He was here at the time of Artemus Ward’s visit. Tom heard that Artemus had arrived and was stopping at the International hotel. In breathless haste he rushed away to interview the great humorist. He ran at once to Ward’s room, and, knocking, was instantly admitted. “Artemus Ward, I believe?” Artemus signified that the guess was a good one. “I am delighted to meet you,” cried Tom—“delighted to meet you, sir.” “And I have the pleasure of seeing ?—” and the smiling Ward looked a whole line of interrogation points. “I am—l am—that is, my name is ” gasped Tom. “My name is—well, just wait a moment till I think,” and Tom ran out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Artemus standing in the middle of the floor.

After a few moments in the hall Tom rushed back toward the astonished Ward with extended hand and glowing face, crying: “Popper, Pepper, sir! I’m Mr. Pepper—Tom Pepper—better known as Lying Tom Pepper.” Hingston, Ward’s agent, was out at the moment. Thinking he had an insane man to deal with, Artemus smiled the most cheerful smile then at his command. He declared he had often heard of Mr. Popper and was delighted to meet him. At the moment he was about to change his clothes; would Mr. Pepper be kind enough to withdraw and call around again in half an hour ? Mr. Pepper would and did. When Mr. Hingston came in Artemus had a fearful story to tell about his adventure with a crazy man. Afterward, when Ward came to know that a sense of his greatness as a humorist had so overcome poor Tom as to cause him to forget his own name, the genial lecturer declared it was the greatest compliment that had ever been paid him.— Virginia City (Nev.) Enterprise.