Nine related humorous stories: The Fenelby Tariff The Box of Bon-Bons Kitty's Trunks Billy The Pink Shirt Waist Bridget The Amateur Detective The Field of Dishonor Bobberts Intervenes Tariff Reform The Coup d'tat Ellis Parker Butler (1869-1937) was a native of Muscatine, Iowa. Dropping out of high school to help support the family he worked in a number of jobs including ones in a spice mill, an oatmeal mill, a china store, and a wholesale grocery. Moving to New York City in 1896, he began writing for trade magazines such as the Tailor's Review, the Wall Paper News, and The Decorative Furnisher. In 1905, his humorous short story, Pigs is Pigs appeared in the American Magazine, and the following year it was published in book form. Its phenomenal success allowed Butler to give up editing trade papers and turn to full-time authorship.