, 1873-02-23
mark Twain" as Lecturer and Author
--Tha Stupidity Of Publishers
Exempiifed,
The Rev. DR.. Bellows and the Black
mailers---Club and Miseela-
neous Gossip.

hero at the same rate it has been going on for
three months past, murder will come to be reck-
oned as ono Of the natural causes OF death in
New York-
CONSCIENTIOUS AssAssIS1s.
None Of our citizens are more violently op-
posed to miscellaneous shootings aud stabblngs
than the murderers in the Tombs, who, every
time they see an account Of fresh crime, feel
that their chances for the scaffold arc greatly
improved. Foster Scannell, Stokes, King, and
the rest, ere unanimous in agreeing that their
cases have been harsh1y judged on account OF
tue preeent temper Of the public mind, undrly
excited by the frequency of homicide. The cir
cumstauces under which they violated law are.
they allege, very different from the later in
ssances In other words, each assasain-to
believe his sto1y-was wholly or partially justi-
fed, while all the other assas1ins deserve
to have the mark Of Cain on their brown to
speak of the mark OF cane on their back.
Tie City Prison contains to-day not far from
forty murderers and, it at least two-thirds OF
them bo not hanged, there is certainly no nse in
keeping up pretence Of lega1 Justice in this
community. Never before has there been here
such u contagion Of blood. The police reporters
deea it poor day when they do not have at
least three or four fatal rencoptres to chronicle
have had the very opposite effect from what
was anticipated. Instead of REFRESHING,
it appears to hare excited the violent and
revengeful passions Of persons 1ordinarily a1nia-
bic and lav-abiding. What the effect Of few
executions may be, remains to be seen. That
they will take place, scarcely admits OF doubt.
great many who formerly laughed at the idea,
now feel confident that twenty Of the prisoners
A., r1r,d; fcEa vri1 m
eallows; that, unless the death-penalty he car
ried out, there will be no safety for the Life OF
any citizen
BAMUEL L. CLEMENS.
Being present, the other evening, at the rope
tit1on Of "Mark Twain's Sandwich Islands," at
satisfaction to q man to draw such i'm
mense audiences. Every square foot OF space
was filed, which was ali the more remarkable be-
cause lecturers, with very few e1ceptions, do not
draw here. It is extremely rare to see steinway
Hall even half full at sny lecture, and the crowd
who went on two occasions to listen to '*Twaln
has, understand, never been quite equalled
the1s. He has had Invitations from all over the
but be has declined most of them, from excess OF
time and unwillingness to make money de
could easily clear SO, 900 season lecturins were
he 60 minded; but his two babies at home
whom le says he doeB not love, but is trying to
learn 10 respect-claim his undivided attention.
Clemensi now occupied With his fourth book,
"John Bull" Of which he has written nearly
one-third. Those who have seen the MS say 1t
will be indeacribab1y funny; tae looks at the na m
t1ye Britons at such variety OF angles, and de-
tects them in so many groteaque positions, that
they ought to be able to 1.ugh at Themselves as
presented by 'Twain." [Here let me mention
That q Russian Journal not long since in spo Ak
ing of Henri Taine, the renowned French critic,
confounded him with +" Mark Twain, and men-
toned his "Iunocents Abroad" as in an entirely
different vein from his other works. and likely
to give him 8 high reputation as one
of the cleveregt humorists OF the CON
printed in Ireland, the story weuld seem more
true.l
PECULIAR LITERARY : fn cA1EEn. , .;x,u,,..
t is not very long since he was Mississippi s,
River pilot, with no more idea Of writing than
Of applying for the Pro1essofsmp o. 9. aeaa ao
languages at the University Of Je1n" ; Later, IN ne
utation as contributor Of humorous sketshes .;s
to tho San Francisco press. me nf9s u % en;ng
that advertised him here WAS bus Jumping M
Frog" afterward bound ano Issued, WIN 1e5 o;ne5
sketches, in this city, and hnding only "n7.ed
sale. After little while, he come come Eaas .;t,s
to embark on the sQuaker City" with
acrew OF pious pilgrims. in search OF classic aug
theological scenes and associations The ,. result
Of the voyage as is Weu knqWn was Tue m A1mo l,ro-
cents Abroad, which, on MS return, ne Pie- P
pared in such quantity that nearly 1ah OF inc
MS. had to be omitted to get 1t Wlthin Tue pfo-
portions even Of large sunscllpt.ohrpooA 9, n1d
Anybody With tue least sense @ o. nqmoe "ou'@
suppose that very rev pages u tne T.
could be read without finding publisher. Il
Was not SO, however: clemens oAe1ea lts ~.
to number OF pnpnsners nere ~ rnlladelpmA 10 nl
and Boston, and none OF men, sLtAnse ~ ha;,
could ind enough IN 10 Eaiiaus ~ 4to,t1t,t ,nI
giving it to the "orlu 49, ~ +ha tnoIEa., nh;ac
as it was professedly humorous, 1hat tne 1p3se- @
ton to it lay II its capacity to maze peoPle 1augn
aud asserted IN nus oWn 1usncsson, trbs 4 sG1 End
sach tmng scattered Guen ;ue1,orsba , A nl,,
ought not to oe eonsloeren ~ lnsupelaD.o
stacle to publlcatlon, aaslng go.een 1nna3 uTna
through WITH the regular ntnis Us WIS n51ue1 eI't
ouy Haf11o!o 4 pt,his M
9,s copy acc9rainsly 10 lo ~ e,art # tba 1or
company. hecosnlslonol ol tne "s!a. ~ 10 81 ~
Tas very slo" u that quarter; oeseeal 4,,; ~ no
isadns stockhodsrs Gon1o tan,,storea see no' tfaS
IN 1t what moldy olo Iomo-stoues 10y 10y
must have been, TO Dc @ sure =; a"rI pu.