Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE The weird spelling in this book is mostly intentional, and it has been retained as in the original, this includes inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation. A few changes to which seemed more likely typographic errors have been made, they are listed at the end of the book. Titles in the Table ov Kontents do not always correspond exactly to the titles in the main text, this has been retained, but the spelling has been changed in some cases to match the text. Some texts, near the end of the book are printed with no title in the original, this has been maintained too. The List of Illustrations contains some entries for non-existing (in this edition, at least) illustrations and the numbering is not consecutive, this reproduces the printed book as well. The original printed book was apparently divided into large “sections”, which were marked only as running page headers. In this version the titles for these sections are written between {braces} where they start. PUBLISHERS’ ANNOUNCEMENT. Among the many humorists of America, not one is better known, or more readily accorded a high rank by the public, than Henry W. Shaw (Josh Billings). No writer of the present age is so universally quoted from as he. His name is familiar to every tongue, and scarcely a paper in the country appears without more or less space devoted to the sayings of “Josh Billings.” His ready pen seems adapted to all subjects, and he is equally at home, whether writing on the gravest or the most trivial matters. PUNGENCY, BREVITY, AND QUAINTNESS seem to be prominent characteristics of his productions, while a fountain of the richest wit supplies his pen with humor, and its waters sparkle and glimmer like diamonds upon the paper, as he traces thereon his description of objects in his undisputably original style. His jokes are always clear and perceptible, and his satire, pointed and keen, invariably strikes home. As laughter is conducive to health, and as nothing is learned so easily and remembered so tenaciously as that with which something pleasant is connected, this volume will prove doubly advantageous, as it consists of matter in which wit and wisdom are so equally mingled, that the reader will rise from its perusal undecided whether he has gained most by its reading, bodily health, or general knowledge. Thousands are eager to place upon their tables and in their libraries a volume which will be a fair specimen of the writings of this great American humorist, and the publishers of this book take great pleasure in being able to offer them an opportunity to gratify so laudable a desire. [Illustration] [Illustration] THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JOSH BILLINGS, (HENRY W. SHAW.)