A Guide to the Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] Collection
A Collection in the
Clifton Waller Barrett Library of American Literature
Accession number 7949-b
University of Virginia Library
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections LibraryUniversity of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Reference Request Form: https://small.lib.virginia.edu/reference-request/
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© 1997 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.
Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Processed by: Special Collections Department Staff
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Use Restrictions
See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.
Preferred Citation
Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] Collection, Accession 7949-b, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library
Acquisition Information
Deposit [ 1963 Dec 17 ] 1966 Jul 7
Funding Note
Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- B. G. Brown
- B. S. Nye
- Bill Nye
- Edgar Wilson Nye
- Edgar Wilson ["Bill Nye"] Nye
- Frank Hatton
- George Washington Cable
- James B. Pond
- James Newton Matthews
- James Whitcomb Riley
- John R. Clements
- Leon Meare
- May Smillie
- Richard Watson Gilder
- Samuel Sidney McClure
- Walter Hugh McDougall
- [Richard] Wagner
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Altoona, Pennsylvania
- Boston
- Laramie
- New York City
- Philadelphia
- United States
Item Listing
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Short Story: " An Unfinished Poem "1870AMsS, 3 p.
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" A Father's Letter to his Son "1893AMsS, 11 p.
[Includes book dealer's note.]
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" Pall Mall St . "1894 Jan 12AMsS, 8 p.
[Signed Wm. Pauncefoot Nye.]
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Poem beginning "The autumn leaves is falling . . ."n. d.AMsS, 1 p.
[For Miss May Smillie . ]
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Beginning, "This is a reading from one of my unpublished works . . ."n. d.AMsS, 5 p.
[Includes typed transcript; gives account of the first money he ever earned and a visit to the circus.]
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" The Autobiography of a Justice of the Peace "n. d.AMs, 3 p.
[Includes pencil notation "Regular galley matter follows here" in an unknown hand.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to Leon Meare1882 Sep 17ALS, 1 p. w/env
[Encloses "Unfinished Poem" in letter; mentions Mr. [Roshacher].]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to Frank Hatton1884 Oct 15ALS, 4 p. w/env
[Includes typewritten dealer's comment and original pen and ink drawing by Nye; as former postmaster of Laramie , he congratulates him on appointment as United States Postmaster General.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to "Friend Scott"1885 Oct 17ALS, 3 p.
[Includes dealer's note; hopes to meet him in person on Nye's upcoming trip to Boston , having been acquainted with him for years in spirit only; accepts Scott's invitation to help him "destroy a chicken"; says he will stop on the way to Boston to deliver a lecture in Altoona, Pennsylvania ; mentions his uncle, B. S. Nye . ]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to Samuel Sidney McClure1885 Aug 28ALS, 3 p.
[Includes small magazine photo of Nye; indicates his readiness to do all his humorous writing for McClure's syndicate; suggests that it would be more profitable for both the writer and the paper; says that copyright would prevent his articles from being "stolen" by other papers as frequently is the case now.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to Samuel Sidney McClure1885 Oct 21ALS, 2 p.
[Agrees to write exclusively for the syndicate if conditions can be met, starting with $60 per week; asks the publisher to pay him whatever is fair for the material that has already been published.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to James Newton Matthews1887 Dec 28ALS, 2 p.
[Relates how James Whitcomb Riley "secured the Metropolitan Pelt at the Author's Reading"; says Riley was not given a chance but was very convincing in introducing his own style of humor; states that the audience, press, as well as the critics were enthusiastic.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to Walter Hugh McDougall1889 May 1ALS, 1 p.
[Includes typewritten dealer's note; begins "Sir. You cannot scare me with your hot words," and ends "I do not seek a quarrel but the widows and orphans of those who has monkeyed with me agree that I am no slouch. Defiantly yours."]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to Mr. Chambers1889 Aug 28ALS, 1 p.
[Sends a piece that appeared in the Journalist and asks him to paste it in his scrapbook.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to John R. Clements1890 Sep 22ALS, 1 p.
[Informs him that from now on he intends to publish his own books, starting with an Almanac for 1891.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to "My dear Edward"1890 Dec 17ALS, 4 p.
[Includes original pen and ink self-portrait caricature waving goodbye to ships; humorously commiserates with a friend who has shattered a foot; relates at length his own experience with a broken leg; says his after-dinner speeches at club have become much better since he took to drinking goat's milk and Vichy; says the speeches aren't as witty as before, but they read better in the papers.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to "My dear fellow"1890 Dec 17ALS, 1 p.
[Includes pen and ink self-portrait at top of page; informs him that he will come to the Author's Club ; gladly accepts offer to spend the night at his home.]
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Edgar Wilson ["Bill Nye"] Nye to Mr. Kemble1891 Jan 27ALS, 1 p.
[Looks forward to meeting him at the Emporium of Major James B. Pond ; agrees to look at a manuscript with Kemble.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to "Dear Sir"1891 SepALS (facsimile), 1 p.
[Announces opening of his new play The Cadi on September 21, 1891, at the Union Square Theater in New York City ; declares that the expense for the production would be appalling to him had he to furnish the money himself; says the play relates to his own experience as a Justice of the Peace on the frontier.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to Samuel Sidney McClure1893 Jul 8ALS, 1 p.
[Turns down a request to do an interview "between me and myself" for the paper; claims that readers would not be interested and that he is pressed for time; suggest instead an interview between James Whitcomb Riley and himself.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to "Dear Boy"1895 Nov 21ALS, 5 p.
[Humorous description of an accident he and his wife had.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to B. G. Brown1895 Jul 31ALS, 1 p.
[Thanks him for a letter expressing regard and generous applause.]
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"Doe" to "My dear Harry"1900 Nov 13ALS, 1 p.
[Sends on request an old Bill Nye letter dealing with an injured foot; announces a visit to Philadelphia where he hopes to see Harry; promised letter is probably to "My dear Edward" from 1890 December 17.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to "Dear Leon"n. d.ALS, 1 p.
[Extends an invitation to visit him at his home.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to unknownn. d.ALS, 1 p.
[Fragment praising the music of his friend [Richard] Wagner , stating that it is much better than it sounds; sends James Whitcomb Riley 's address.]
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Edgar Wilson Nye ["Bill Nye"] to Richard Watson Gildern. d.ALS, 1 p.
[Assures him of his readiness to write for him again.]