Talk:Josh Billings

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the project's quality scale. [FAQ]
Maintenance An appropriate infobox may need to be added to this article, or the current infobox may need to be updated. Please refer to the list of biography infoboxes for further information.


Henry Wheeler Shaw, 1818–85, American humorist and lecturer, b. Lanesboro, Mass. After a roving life as farmer, explorer, and coal miner, he settled in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., as an auctioneer and real estate dealer. In 1860 he began to write humorous sketches and homespun philosophies in rural dialect and soon became a popular lecturer. His first collection was Josh Billings: His Sayings (1869), but his best humor was published in his annual Farmer’s Allminax (1869–80).

[edit] Cannery Row Chapter 12

The chapter tells a tale of Josh Billing’s embalming gone awry. It is most likely an old fashioned urban legend. However, can someone elaborate, clarify, or dispel it?