George Derby
Encyclopedia
For the baseball player of the same name, see George Derby (baseball)
George Horatio Derby (April 3, 1823 – May 15, 1861) was an early California humorist. Derby used the pseudonym
"John P. Squibob" and its variants "John Phoenix" and "Squibob." Derby served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Topographic Corps. In his spare time, he wrote humorous anecdotes and burlesques, often under the guise of his pseudonyms.
, son of John B. and Mary Townsend Derby. His father deserted the family mercantile business to be a poet, spending the family's money on self publishing.
He graduated from West Point in 1846 and first served at Vera Cruz
and Cerro Gordo
. According to the newly (2010) published "Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. One," Ulysses S. Grant was a classmate of "Squibob's" and the General told Twain some stories of Squibob at West Point.
In 1853, Derby arrived in the small outpost of San Diego
, California
to begin mapping the region and developing plans for redirecting the San Diego River
from the marshy delta of San Diego Bay
and directly into the Pacific Ocean
. This was to avoid floods that periodically silted up the bay and made use of the bay by ships difficult or impossible.
Derby married Mary A. Coons on January 14, 1854 in San Francisco. His wife's family were wary of Derby because of his erratic, flippant manner infuriated his superiors. Coons tricked Derby into marrying her by placing a notice in the San Francisco paper stating that she would depart with her mother back home to St. Louis, Missouri
, although she had no intention to do so. Derby read the notice and immediately took a steamer from San Diego to marry her. They had one daughter, Daisy, born 1854 in San Francisco.
While waiting for approval of his San Diego River diversion plans, he had some time on his hands. He supplemented his low military pay by contributing humorous articles to the San Francisco Herald, California Pioneer magazine, and the fledgling local newspaper, the San Diego Herald. He wrote articles that poked fun at the figures and pretenses of high society. These articles were written to appear as if a running narrative from John Phoenix and were the state's first published humor. When another writer started writing articles with his penname Squibob in a competing San Francisco newspaper, Derby wrote an article "killing off" Squibob and continued to write with a new penname, John Phoenix.
In 1855, Derby bought the Herald, which went out of business in 1860. He moved to New York
in 1856.
In 1857 Derby had Amaurosis
(today, some historians think he had a brain tumor
), which prevented him from reading or writing. He requsted leave from the Topological Engineers in 1859 and died in 1861.
In honor of George Derby and his contribution to the lighter, more irreverent side of California history, the local chapter of the organization E Clampus Vitus
is named in his honor, using his pseudonym John P. Squibob.
George Derby (baseball)
George Henry Derby was a former professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of three seasons with the Detroit Wolverines and Buffalo Bisons. He was the National League strikeout champion as a rookie in 1881 with Detroit...
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"John P. Squibob" and its variants "John Phoenix" and "Squibob." Derby served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Topographic Corps. In his spare time, he wrote humorous anecdotes and burlesques, often under the guise of his pseudonyms.
Biography
George Derby was born 1823 in Dedham, MassachusettsDedham, Massachusetts
Dedham is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest by Westwood and on the southeast by...
, son of John B. and Mary Townsend Derby. His father deserted the family mercantile business to be a poet, spending the family's money on self publishing.
He graduated from West Point in 1846 and first served at Vera Cruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
and Cerro Gordo
Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's United States troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position.-Battle:...
. According to the newly (2010) published "Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. One," Ulysses S. Grant was a classmate of "Squibob's" and the General told Twain some stories of Squibob at West Point.
In 1853, Derby arrived in the small outpost of San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to begin mapping the region and developing plans for redirecting the San Diego River
San Diego River
The San Diego River is a river in San Diego County, California. It originates in the Cuyamaca Mountains northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the El Capitan Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the river's watershed at . Below El Capitan Dam, the river runs...
from the marshy delta of San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
and directly into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. This was to avoid floods that periodically silted up the bay and made use of the bay by ships difficult or impossible.
Derby married Mary A. Coons on January 14, 1854 in San Francisco. His wife's family were wary of Derby because of his erratic, flippant manner infuriated his superiors. Coons tricked Derby into marrying her by placing a notice in the San Francisco paper stating that she would depart with her mother back home to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, although she had no intention to do so. Derby read the notice and immediately took a steamer from San Diego to marry her. They had one daughter, Daisy, born 1854 in San Francisco.
While waiting for approval of his San Diego River diversion plans, he had some time on his hands. He supplemented his low military pay by contributing humorous articles to the San Francisco Herald, California Pioneer magazine, and the fledgling local newspaper, the San Diego Herald. He wrote articles that poked fun at the figures and pretenses of high society. These articles were written to appear as if a running narrative from John Phoenix and were the state's first published humor. When another writer started writing articles with his penname Squibob in a competing San Francisco newspaper, Derby wrote an article "killing off" Squibob and continued to write with a new penname, John Phoenix.
In 1855, Derby bought the Herald, which went out of business in 1860. He moved to 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...
in 1856.
In 1857 Derby had Amaurosis
Amaurosis
Amaurosis is vision loss or weakness that occurs without an apparent lesion affecting the eye. It may result from either a medical condition or from excess acceleration, as in flight...
(today, some historians think he had a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
), which prevented him from reading or writing. He requsted leave from the Topological Engineers in 1859 and died in 1861.
In honor of George Derby and his contribution to the lighter, more irreverent side of California history, the local chapter of the organization E Clampus Vitus
E Clampus Vitus
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of Western heritage, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area...
is named in his honor, using his pseudonym John P. Squibob.
Quotes
- One of our Fort Yuma men died, and unfortunately went to hell. He wasn't there one day before he telegraphed for his blankets.
- It rains incessantly twenty-six hours a day for seventeen months of the year [speaking of Oregon and Washington Territory]
- "Antidote for Fleas" (from Phoenixiana):
- Boil a quart of tar until it becomes quite thin. Remove the clothing, and before the tar becomes perfectly cool, with a broad flat brush, apply a thin, smooth coating to the entire surface of the body and limbs. While the tar remains soft the flea becomes entangled in its tenacious folds, and is rendered perfectly harmless; but it will soon form a hard, smooth coating, entirely impervious to his bite. Should the coating crack at the knee or elbow joints, it is merely necessary to retouch it slightly at those places. The whole coat should be removed every three or four weeks. This remedy is sure, and, having the advantage of simplicity and economy, should be generally known.
See also
- John Phoenix, Esq., The Veritable Squibob. A Life of Captain George H. Derby, U.S.A. by George R. Stewart (1937)
- Squibob, An Early California Humorist by Richard D. Reynolds (1990) Squibob Press, Inc. San Francisco, CA. ISBN 0-9618577-5-7 (case), ISBN 0-9618577-6-5 (pbk.)
External links
- Phoenixiana; or, sketches and burlesques (1903) by George Derby. Reprint of original 1856 book. Contains Derby's pieces as "Professor John Phoenixiana" and "Squibob," poking fun at topics such as military survyors and explorers, and contains several travel accounts. (American Memory, Library of Congress)
- "'Phoenix' Revisited: Another Look at George Horatio Derby", The Journal of San Diego History 26:2 (1980) by Canice G. Ciruzzi
- "The Journalism of Old San Diego", History of San Diego (1907-09), part 2, chapter 8
- George Derby biography
- "The Journalism of Old San Diego", History of San Diego (1907-09), part 2, chapter 8 contains a biography and several quotations
- E Clampus Vitus Squibob Chapter "Clampers" chapter was named after Derby's first penname
- Some George Horatio Derby stories are read in Mister Ron's Basement Podcast
- 'The Squibob Papers'by George Horatio Derby (1865) 247 pages of previously uncollected cartoons & satires published posthumously by his widow now available thru Google Books
- George Horatio Derby, Phoenixiana; or, sketches and burlesques, D. Appleton and Company, New York, 1856 - now available thru Google Books