Burdette, Robert Jones

Robert Jones (1844-), an American humorist. He was born at Gainsborough, Pennsylvania. He served in the Union army during the Civil War, and began newspaper work soon after. In 1874 he became associate editor of the Burlington (Iowa) Hawkeye. Later he received license to preach as a Baptist clergyman. Burdette is known as a humorous lecturer, possessing in large measure the gift of swaying the emotions of his audience. There is a simple freshness in his writings that is delightful. His humor is peculiarly his own, and, while very unpretentious, possesses a quality which never wearies but invites to read and read again. Some of his articles were collected and published in book form in 1877, under the title of Hawkeytems. Other writings are Life of William Penn, Chimes from a Jester's Bells, and Rise and Fall of the Moustache. Mr. Burdette is also the author of a number of poems.