James Montgomery Bailey
Encyclopedia
James Montgomery Bailey was an American
journalist
who won an ephemeral popularity as the "Dansbury News Man."
, New York
, and after receiving a common school education, learned the trade of a carpenter
. He removed to Danbury
, Conn.
, in 1860, and worked at his trade for the two following years, but found time to write occasionally for the newspapers. During the Civil War
he served in the Seventeenth Connecticut Volunteers. In 1870 he established the Danbury News, for which he wrote the humorous sketches, sometimes original, often simply descriptive of commonplace happenings, which won for him a national reputation and made his paper known throughout the country. An example of his ability to humorously depict domestic situations is ‘Putting Up A Stovepipe’, in which he described the husband/wife tensions caused by an unpleasant household chore. His first book. Life in Danbury, was published in 1873; it consisted of selections from his newspaper articles. His other publications were The Danbury News Man's Almanac (1873); They All Do It (1877); England from a Back Window (1878); Mr. Phillip's Goneness (1879); and The Danbury Boom; with a Full Account of Mr. Cobleigh's Action Therein (1880).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who won an ephemeral popularity as the "Dansbury News Man."
Biography
He was born at AlbanyAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and after receiving a common school education, learned the trade of a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
. He removed to Danbury
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
, Conn.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, in 1860, and worked at his trade for the two following years, but found time to write occasionally for the newspapers. During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
he served in the Seventeenth Connecticut Volunteers. In 1870 he established the Danbury News, for which he wrote the humorous sketches, sometimes original, often simply descriptive of commonplace happenings, which won for him a national reputation and made his paper known throughout the country. An example of his ability to humorously depict domestic situations is ‘Putting Up A Stovepipe’, in which he described the husband/wife tensions caused by an unpleasant household chore. His first book. Life in Danbury, was published in 1873; it consisted of selections from his newspaper articles. His other publications were The Danbury News Man's Almanac (1873); They All Do It (1877); England from a Back Window (1878); Mr. Phillip's Goneness (1879); and The Danbury Boom; with a Full Account of Mr. Cobleigh's Action Therein (1880).
External links
- Putting Up a Stovepipe – a humorous sketch referenced above.