Peck's Sunshine: Being a Collection of Articles Written for Peck’s Sun, Milwaukee, Wisconsin., Generally Calculated to Throw Sunshine Instead of Clouds on the Faces of Those Who Read Them
George W. Peck
Paperback
(CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Dec. 4, 2017)
"Mr. Peck was born in Henderson, New York, on September 28th and at the age of three was taken by his parents to Wisconsin. He was educated at public schools and learned the printing trade. In 1860 he purchased a half interest in the Jefferson County Republican, after which he owned various papers in different sections of the state. In 1878 he moved his printing plant from LaCrosse to Milwaukee, where he changed the title of the paper he then owned from the Sun to Peck's Son, which became noted for its humorous sketches, notable of which were the 'Peck's Bad Boy' series. His best known works are 'Peck's Compendium of Fun'; 'Peck's Sunshine;' 'The Groceryman and Peck's Bad Boy;' 'How Private Peck Put Down the Rebellion;' 'Peck's Uncle Ike and the Red-Headed Boy;' 'Peck's Boss Book;' 'Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa;' 'Peck's Bad Boy With the Circus,' and 'Peck's Bad Boy With the Cowboys.' In 1980-91 Mr. Peck was Mayor of Milwaukee, and from 1891 to 1895 he was Governor of Wisconsin. During the years of the Civil War he gave up his newspaper activities to serve as a private in the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry." -The Bookseller, Newsdealer and Stationer Gentlemen of the Jury: I stand before you charged with an attempt to “remove” the people of America by the publication of a new book, and I enter a plea of “Not Guilty.” While admitting that the case looks strong against me, there are extenuating circumstances, which, if you will weigh them carefully, will go far towards acquitting me of this dreadful charge. The facts are that I am not responsible, I was sane enough up to the day that I decided to publish this book and have been since; but on that particular day I was taken possession of by an unseen power—a Chicago publisher-who filled my alleged mind with the belief that the country demanded the sacrifice, and that there would be money in it. If the thing is a failure, I want it understood that I was instigated by the Chicago man; but if it is a success, then, of course, it was an inspiration of my own. The book contains nothing but good nature, pleasantly told yarns, jokes on my friends; and, through it all, there is not intended to be a line or a word that can cause pain or sorrow-nothing but happiness. Laughter is the best medicine known to the world for the cure of many diseases that mankind is subject to, and it has been prescribed with success by some of our best practitioners. It opens up the pores, and restores the circulation of the blood, and the despondent patient that smiles, is in a fair way to recovery. While this book is not recommended as an infallible cure for consumption, if I can throw the patient into the blues by the pictures, I can knock the blues out by vaccinating with the reading matter. To those who are inclined to look upon the bright side of life, this book is most respectfully dedicated by the author. GEO. W. PECK. Milwaukee, Wis., March, 1882.