FORGOTTEN VOICES FROM ILLINOIS HISTORY Don Marquis: The Tragic Humorist

By John Hallwas many jobs around his home town—in a drug store and a clothing store, for a llinois has produced some sewing-machine company and a poultry nationally famous humorists, H slaughterhouse, at the post office and Iincluding newspaper the local newspaper. columnists Eugene Field, Finley In 1898 he moved to Galesburg, to Peter Dunne, and George Ade— study at Knox College, but for financial all associated with Chicago—but reasons, he dropped out after a few the most broadly talented figure of that months. He returned to Bureau County, kind was Don Marquis, who enjoyed where he taught in country schools and success as a newspaper columnist, edited a village newspaper —jobs that fiction writer, poet, and playwright. required no college education. He amused his fellow Americans from Influenced by Eugene Field and George World War I into the 1930s—becoming Ade, he wanted to write a news paper the most well-known humorist of his column. But his experience with small- era—and he also wrote some serious town culture convinced him that better Born in Walnut, Illinois, Don works as well. But ironically, his life opportunities were found in cities. Marquis had a distinguished career was marked by one tragedy after Marquis moved to Washington, as a newspaper columnist in another during his later years. When D.C. in 1900 and worked in the Washington, D.C., and New York Marquis died in 1937, newspapers Census Bureau and for the Washington City. Photos and illustrations courtesy across the country carried articles Times. He was also a reporter in of Western Illinois University Archives. celebrating his work, but since then, Philadelphia for a short time. Then he he has become an obscure figure. moved to Atlanta, where he wrote claiming that Archy composed them, Marquis was born in 1878 at newspaper editorials and later assisted and typed them out at night, but was Walnut, a hamlet east of Rock Island humorist Joel Chandler Harris by co- unable to reach the shift key on the in Bureau County. The son of a physi- editing, and writing for, Uncle Remus typewriter.) cian, he graduated from the local high Magazine. Of course, Harris often A literary cockroach, Archy rails at school at age 15. Like Carl Sandburg, wrote about animal characters, many social problems, but he often who was born in the same year, at especially Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox, takes a pragmatic view of intellectual nearby Galesburg, Marquis worked at who are central to “The Wonderful matters. Referring to Einstein’s relativ- Tar-Baby Story” and others, so that ity theory, for example, he says, probably influenced the young writer from Illinois. “old doc Einstein has Marquis moved again, to New abolished time, but they York, in 1909, and soon became widely haven’t got the news known as a columnist for the New York at sing sing yet.” Sun and the Herald Tribune. He also wrote his first book, the novel Danny’s Mehitabel is an amorous but aging Own Story (1912), about a youth alley cat of easy virtue and wide experi- whose disillusioning experiences are ence, whose persistence in the face of akin to those of Huckleberry Finn. As challenges is inspirational. As she says that suggests, the aspiring author was in “the song of mehitabel,” deeply influenced by Mark Twain. But the most famous literary “i have had my ups and downs characters created by Marquis were but wot-the-hell, wot-the-hell . . . animals, Archy and Mehitabel—an my youth i shall never forget, insightful cockroach who used a type- but there is nothing i really regret. writer and an old cat who claimed she wot-the-hell, wot-the-hell, had a human soul. Their adventures there’s a dance in the old dame yet.” and discussions formed a humorous commentary on contemporary interests As that suggests, the free-spirited Marquis attended Knox College in and values. (Marquis always wrote the Mehitabel is always undefeated, Galesburg and went on to write 32 imaginative columns reflecting their despite her impoverished circum- books, most of them humorous views without using any capital letters, stances and the challenges of old age. satire. 10 I LLINOIS H ERITAGE It is now hard for us to realize how been a popular physician in Walnut. other child, a daughter named Barbara. well-known these two animal commen- As those stories show, despite his long But Maud was an unstable person and tators were in the first half of experience in New York, soon became a constant source of the 20th century, but the Marquis did some- concern and expense. In fact, by 1925 Archy and Mehitabel articles times base writings on she had become a dope addict, so he were later published in three his Illinois background. struggled to help her. collections that went through Indeed, his insightful Marquis gave up his column to be several editions. but unfinished, posthu- at home and help his daughter cope Marquis went on to mously published novel, with her mother’s death. And he was write 32 books, most of Sons of the Puritans remarried in 1926, to an actress named which were volumes of (1939), also reflects Marjorie Vonnegut, who was a good humorous or satirical writ- small-town culture and stepmother for Barbara. But tragedy ing in verse or prose—such was obviously influenced struck again, for Barbara died of pneu- as Hermione and Her Little by his background in monia in 1931, at age 13. Marquis had Group of Serious Thinkers Walnut. difficulty coping with that loss. Then, (1916), Prefaces (1919), He also wrote a very in 1936, Marjorie became ill and died Poems and Portraits successful play called The also, at the age of 44. So, the socially (1922), The Almost Perfect Old Soak (1926), in which outgoing American humorist eventually State (1927), and Chapters for the the main character is a humorous, had no family. Orthodox (1934). Because he was a good-natured drinker. It had a long run By that time, too, Marquis had congenial drinker, his favorite topic on Broadway and was also performed already suffered a stroke, so he spent was Prohibition, and he often ridiculed in many towns during the Prohibition the last couple years of his life in ill the socially insensitive anti-liquor era—including Skowhegan, Maine, health. He died in 1937, at age 59. movement. Or as Archy once put it, where Marquis himself played the lead In one of his finest poems, “A in a summer stock production. (It was Gentleman of Fifty Soliloquizes,” “prohibition makes you eventually filmed, in 1937, as The Marquis expresses the emotional want to cry into your beer Good Old Soak.) strain involved in close relation- and denies you the beer Marquis wrote a ships—and the potential for to cry into.” few other plays tragedy. He ends that poem with that were per- an anguished appeal for humor, It is not surprising that one of the formed as a kind of relief for one who most engaging short stories by Marquis in New York, but has known so much sadness, is “How Hank Signed the Pledge,” they were not as and who harbors profound per- which appeared in his story collection, successful. He was sonal losses: The Revolt of the Oyster (1922). I dis- also an occasional cussed it long ago in a scholarly article screenwriter in “Give me your mirth. for MidAmerica (1979), pointing out Hollywood. It bores me when you weep. that it was “about an unregenerate Marquis was My loves you cannot touch. drinker who obstinately stands against eventually elected to They’re buried deep.” the efforts of an entire town to reform the National Institute him,” and “it satirizes those people who of Arts and Letters and In famous author E. B. put stock in temperance pledges and was awarded the Mark White’s introduction to a posthumous other outward indications of decency, Twain Medal for his outstanding collection, the lives and times of archy such as church membership.” So, it contribution to American humor. and mehitabel (1940), he asserts that reveals some shallow aspects of But if he was fortunate as a writer, Marquis was “a parodist, historian, Midwestern small-town culture. I also his private life was just the opposite. poet, clown, fable writer, satirist, indicated that the central figure in the His only son, a precocious child named reporter, and teller of tales”—in short, story, Hank Walters, was inspired by a Bobby, died of a degenerative disease a multi-talented writer. He was man who had lived in Walnut, Illinois, in 1921, at the age of five. Marquis indeed, and his best works deserve when the author was a boy. blamed himself for not saving the continuing appreciation. Another Marquis short story that I boy—even though he had taken Bobby also discussed years ago is “Country to several physicians for treatment. John Hallwas is the author or editor Doctor,” which appeared in American Two years later, his wife, Reina, of thirty books related to Illinois history Magazine in 1935. It portrays the most suddenly went into convulsions and and literature, and he speaks widely admirable man in a small town, who died at their home, with Marquis look- on a variety of historical topics. A has great concern for those around ing on helplessly. He was devastated. long-time member of the ISHS, he him—and it was an attempt to pay Marquis took in his unmarried can be reached through his website: tribute to the author’s father, who had sister, Maud, to help raise his only www.johnhallwas.jimdo.com.

I LLINOIS H ERITAGE 11