The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-09

what He Knows About "RoughinE
It"-Brief Biographic Sketch Of
che e,rsst a vnerfean Hum0rfHt

knOWu W luC NnShoh oPcohhS "o4N
as MARK Twain" is to make his first
bow to q Wheeling audience tomorrow
night, and narrate what he knowsabout
"Rougbing It." As Mr.. Clemens has
become well known to our people
through the medium of his newspaper
sketches, and especially his book,
"Innocents Abroad" our readers will
perhaps be pleased to read description
of the lecturer and his appearance, that
they may know what to expect.
In personal appearance he is not an
Adonis. He has a slim altitude Of
about five feet nine, plentitude Of dark
hair and a thick, short, bushy nous.
tache. His legs are slim and slightly
inclined to convexity. He dresses in a
short frock coat, closely buttoned,
showing neat round body and dark
pantaloons. His manner of speaking
reminds one of the hesitating style
sometimes exhibited at dinner parties
BY some unfortunate wig hts who are
suddenly called upon to make their
first effort. He sways his body and mods
his head at certain times, and at others
throws his left arm across the front of
the body, places the right elbow in the
palm of the hand, and, raising his right
hand to his face, closes all but the
index finger. which he places against
the right cheek then, depressing the
head, bis eyes seek the floor, as if cal
culatipg the quality of his boots. This
attitude lasts for two or three seconds,
when he again faces the audience and
proceeds to say something.
His lecture consists Of narratives OF
life in the West, told in his own inimita-
bic way, which, to be properly appre-
ciated, should be heard. We do not pro-
pose to attempt to tell what he will say
and believing that a brief geographic
sketch will not prove uninteresting, we
give it:
He was born in the town OF Florida,
Monroe county, Missouri, in the year
1885. He appears to have possessed
from early youth that irresistible desire
to write which has brought out and
developed 30 many Of our most talented
men, while it has lured weaker minds
to their ruin. Mark Twain commenced
as an early contributor to the Daily Alta,
of San Francisco, and subsequently
appeared as regular contributor to the
New York Tribune, GALAXY, Packard S,
and the New York Herald, having
written for some Of these journals in
connection with his regular duties OF
editing and publishing.
The attention attracted by his earlier
contributions appears to have decided
him in the choice Of a profession. FOL
he soon connected himself as editor
with the Daily Enterprise, Virgins
CITY, Nevada, where he received that
discipline and facility in writing which
he has turned to such a good account
He next entered wider field Of enter
prise, as editor and part proprietor Of
the Daily Express, Buffalo, n. Y, a
a position he has since retained. 1t is
since his connection with this paper
that he has made the name OF Mark
Twain" household word, and some Of
the brightest small sketches he has
written appeared for the first time in
that journal. He has written since
1866 several books, and published some
collections of sketches, all Of which
have been remarkably successful, and
have made the author Independent Of
the world. THE Jumping Frog Of
Calaveras County, and other Sketches
by John Paul" was published abroad
| in 1867 by Routledge, and was followed
by the "Innocents Abroad (Hartford
1862, both of which were surprisingly
successful.
We will make no attempt to analyze
the quality of bis wit and humor. 1t
owes something, doubtless, to the man
ner in which it is employed, and some
of the humorist's strongest sketches
may be suspected Of lsck Of originality.
or at least Of ing enious change or small
adaptations.
Some of them are. however, purely
original, and these possess certain ex
auisite combination Of manner and mat
ter, and of quick clear wit and delicate
humor, which make them charming for
all readers. True wit and humor are
80 much the precious metals Of litera-
ture-scarce even where so plenty
that an author is apt to overwrlte
This has been partially the case with
the subject OF our sketch.
Some talk was created at the time OF
his connection with the GALAXY. 1t was
thought he did not equal his former
efforts in his articleslfor that magazine
1t is, perhaps, true, though the articles
contained much that was sparkling and
original. One trouble was, however
with the public-they expected toe
much-and had formed little idea o.
the difficulty Of making "a few pages Of
wit" to be ready always at a certain
day. Much shorter sketches than these
presented would have been better.
Our humorist was married about two
years since to an estimable lady OF Buf'
falo. and has settled into model pGe'
tamilias. 1t is likely that he begins tc
think himself an old man already
which is natural enough when we con
slider that at the age Of only thirty-si1
he has made a reputation which Ii
higher and wider than most men, ever
humorists, attain to at sixty.
Some cynical people say that he has
not said 30 good thing since he made
the last joke Of his bachelor life. His
n