Negative Nancies and other related musings

[Victor Steinbok]

I've now checked on all of the above mentioned "names" and can't push
back the dates on any of them through periodicals. But some are quite
interesting.

On John Doe, the earliest EAN hit is from 1737. Admittedly, reading
it--until the last paragraph--gives no hint of a charade. But it ends up
just being another blog-troll post ;-)

Headline: Annapolis, February 20, 1737,8; Article Type: News/Opinion
Paper: American Weekly Mercury, published as The American Weekly
Mercury; Date: From Tuesday February 28, to Tuesday March 7, 1738;
Issue: 949; Page: Supplement [2/1]; Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> To conclude if any Gentleman concern'd, is dissatisfied with this
> Account of the Affair, and thinks fit in a publick Manner to call upon
> me to make it good, I will immediately unmask and be at his service.
> Till then it is presumed the Gentlemen of /Philadelphia/ will know
> better how to employ their Ships than to send them to /Maryland/ upon
> the Credit of this /chymerical Scheme/.
>     /John Doe/

A month later, this elicits a response. Note the apparent jokes on the
dates as well--as The Weekly American listed the dates as "1737,8",
apparently in reference to the continuity of the volume. None of the
four intervening issues contain a supplement or any references to John
Doe's letter.

Headline: Mr. Bradford; Article Type: News/Opinion
Paper: American Weekly Mercury, published as The American Weekly
Mercury; Date: 04-13-1738; Issue: 954; Page: Appendix[1/1];
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> The following Letter was communicated to me, before I had read in your
> Mercury of the 3d of March the Article subscribed John Doe.
> Tho' the Author did not design it at first for the Press, as he gives
> me leave to make that use of it if I think proper, you will oblige me,
> to insert it in your next. It shews the Gentleman as much a Friend to
> Truth and good Manners, as John Doe is a perfect Stranger to both.
> For my own part, tho' John Doe's true Name would undoubtedly increase
> the Indignation and the Contempt his Performance deserves, it is quite
> indifferent to me, if he unmasks or not. ...

This introduction by "W. Huber" is followed by a letter that takes up
the remainder of both pages of the supplement. The last paragraph,
again, and signature may be of interest.

Headline: Maryland, January 20, 1737,8; Article Type: News/Opinion
Paper: American Weekly Mercury, published as The American Weekly
Mercury; Date: From Tuesday February 28, to Tuesday March 7, 1738;
Issue: 949; Page: Supplement [1/2]; Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvani

> The above mentioned Author seems to call upon them, and throw out
> Defiances, that if they will give him opportunity, he will unmask
> himself and be at their service. The Gentleman may perhaps be proud of
> this Performance, and his vanity may flatter him, that what he shall
> next indite may be so transcendently fine, that he may lose some
> Admirers if he lies longer conceal'd under the fictitious name of
> /John Doe/, and therefore wishes for an opportunity of throwing off
> the troublesom Mask ; but as I am sure that neither you nor Mr.
> /Huber/, think the Performance so very extraordinary, and as neither
> of you have respect to Names in Argument, but would confine yourselves
> to Things ; so I hope you will not indulge the vanity of that Author,
> by giving him the desired opportunity of letting the World know who he is.
> /I am, SIR,/
> /Your humble Servant/
>     /Henry Darnall/

Yet another month passes and there is a third letter, this one's in the
main paper. [The "Headline" is just an epigram taken from Dryden.]

Headline: He Deeper Sinks by Floundering in the Mud. Dryden; Article
Type: News/Opinion
Paper: American Weekly Mercury, published as The American Weekly
Mercury; Date: From Thursday May 18, to Thursday May 25, 1738; Issue:
960; Page: [3/1]; Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> My Brother-in-Law John Doe happens to be absent at present upon very
> urgent Affairs that will detain him sometime, and finding his
> Character attack'd by the united Labours of two formidable Gentlemen
> who have appear'd in your Mercury, I am too much concerned in the
> Event of any thing that may affect his Reputation not to take some
> Notice of it, and therefore beg the Favour of you to give this a Place
> in your next.
> ...
> Upon the whole, I am at a loss to account for Mr. /Huber/'s Printing
> Mr. /Darnall/'s Letter : I cannot allow my self to think it cou'd be
> for the Pleasure of having the World told of the /rising of his
> superior Station and Character in Life/, since he cou'd have said all
> that in a much decenter Manner himself : Harder is it to be conceived
> that a Gentleman of his fair Understanding cou'd really believe that a
> Rhapsody, a whipt Syllabub cou'd be a sufficient Answer to /John Doe/.
> I shall therefore leave them to the Consolation of finding themselves
> laugh's at, the one for writing, the other for publishing such Stuff
>     /Richard Roe/


It appears that virtually every signed piece in the Mercury (and many in
other papers of the period) appeared under a pseudonym (immediately
preceding the Richard Roe letter is one signed by Cato Junior). So it is
not surprising to find an evocative pseudonym like Henry Darnall. But it
should be noted that not only did two related letters appeared under
John Doe and Richard Roe, but they even identified each other as
"Brother[s]-in-/Law/", hinting at the profession (and not the familial
relation).


Now, for Dewey, Cheatum & Howe... It turns out that quite a few people
brought the joke to life from the 1970s on, quite independently of the
Car Talk guys.

http://bit.ly/b9ALUX
Idaho Unido [?].
>  Paz started his own hair styling business, Paz for Hair, and operated
> the business for 38 years. He currently owns several businesses,
> including Sand Baggers and Dewey Cheatum & Howe, and several rental
> properties in Pocatello. A successful businessman, Paz remembers his
> roots.

     VS-)

On 3/21/2010 4:41 AM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
> [Long post with references only from GB--will check periodicals later.]
>
>

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