The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-04-17
Mark TWain'S First Literary Pro-
duCtiOn.

|
A correspondent of he Cincinnati
writing from New Or
leans, reproduces the first literary pro-
duction of Mark Twain. 1t was writ
ten in 1859, while Mark was a pilot on
a Mississippi river steamboat, and was
published in the New Orleans Crescent
under the signature of "Sargeant Fa-
thom." The squib may benew to some
of the admirers of Mr.. Clemens, and we
therefore give it.:
R.R. STEAMER TROMBONE,
Vicksbure, May 8, 1859.
The river from New Orleans up to
Natchez is higher than it has been
since the niggers were executed (Which
was in the Fall of 1879 and my opin-
ion is that if the rise continues at this
rate, the water will be on the roof of
the St. Charles Hotel before the mid
die of January. The point at Cairo,
which has not even been moistened by
the river since 1918, is now entirely un-
der water. However, Mr.. Editor, the
inhabitants of the Mississippi Valley
should not act precipitately and sell
their plantations at sacrifice on ac-
count of this prophesy of mine, for l
shall proceed to convince them of a
great fact in regard to this matter, viz:
That the tendency of the Mississippi is
to rise less and less every year with
occasional variation of this rule y that
such has been the case for many centu-
ries, and finally that it will cease to
rise at all. Therefore, I would suggest
to the planters, as we say in an limo
cent little parlor game commonly call
ed "draw," that if they can only "stand
a rise" this time, they may enjoy the
comfortable assurance that the old riv-
er's banks will never hold "fulr'
again during their natural lives. In
the summer of 1868, came down the
river on the old first Jubilee! She
was new then, however; a singular sort
, of single engine boat, with Chinese
captain and Choctaw crew, forecas'
tie on her stern, wheels in the center
and the jackstaff nowhere" for
steered with a window shutter, ant
when we wanted to land we sent q lint
ashore. and grounded her to" with {
, yoke of oxen. Well, sir, we wooded
off the top of the big bluff above Selm;
: the only dry land visible-and wait
ed there three weeks, swapping knives
= and playing "seyen up" with the In
dams, waiting for the river to fall
Finally it fell about hundred feet
and we went on. One day we rounded
to, and got into horse trough whicl
my partner borrowed from the Indian
up there at Selma while they were a
e prayers, and went down to SCUM
9 around No. 8, and while I was gon
: my partner got aground on the hills
q Hickman. After three days labor W
: finally succeeded in sparring her O.
with a capstan bar, and went on
Memphis. By tho time we got ther
:, the river had subsidized to such an es
tent that we were able to land wher
the Gayoso House now stands. W
y finished loading at Memphis, aud er
q gagged part of the stone for the preseI
IS St. Louis Court House, (which We
l. then in process Of erection) to be take
l. up on our return tlip. You can for
e some conception by these memorand:
IT. of how high the water was in l769.-
In 1772 it did not rise so high by thir1
=, feet in 1893 it missed the origin
= marks at least sixty-fve feet; in Us
- one hundred and fifty feet, and in ls(
% nearly two hundred and fifty feet
IL These were high water years. TT
D. high waters since then have been
insignificant that have scarcely take
~ the trouble to notice them. Thus, "
" will perceive, that the planters net
not feel uneasy.
e. The river may make an occasion
os spasmodic effort at food, but Il
time is approaching when it will cea
he to rise altogether.
-, In conclusion, sir, I will condescel
w. to hint at the foundation of these arg
~ ments. When ME and DeSoto disco
u cred the Mississippi, 1 could stand
as Bolivar Landing Several miles abo
ng Roaring Waters Barr and pitch a b
re. cult to the main shore on the otl
ar side, and in low water we could wa
so across at Donaldsonville. The grad,
n widening and deepening of the ri1
m is the whole secret of the matter.
-. Yours, &C.,
40 SERGEANT FATHoM
er A few days after the appearance
ell the above, in answer to a correspC
* dent, the Crescent announced the nal
10 of the author Jefferson (Tex.) Wee
ur. ~ Democrat.
~ THE COLLECTION OF DEBTS
~ The Journal of Commerce gives
~ >, weight of its testimony in favor
" an idea which the Herald has {
~ vocated for, many years when
ut