too sweet to die

braiker:

nypl:

Here’s nineteenth-century humorist Josh Billings (nee Henry Wheeler Shaw), a very popular writer and lecturer, born in Massachusetts in 1818. His works shows that purposeful misspellings and poor grammar were funny to Americans 150 years ago, too. To wit, “‘Give me liberty, or giv me deth’—but ov the 2 I prefer the liberty.” (lolz!)

According to David B. Kesterson, Billings gave popular lectures that were “usually on one of three topics—’Buty and the Beasts,’ ’What i Kno About Hotels,’ and the frequently given ’Milk.’”

Luving this fella, evun be4 we saw hiz grate mustach. Happy Mustache Monday!

great, now i need to build a time machine so i can go see him lecture and buy him whiskey. 

On one hand, he looks like Sam Elliott.* On the other, he also looks like the warm-up entertainment for the Blue Collar Comedy Tour.

*Whom I adore.