The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-06-05
Mark Twain on Spelling.


Asylum Hill Congregational church,
Hartford. Conn, on Wednesday even
ing, and Mr.. Samuel l.. Clemens mark
Twain being called on for a few pre-
liminary remarks, spoke as follows:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I have been
honored with the office of introducing
these approaching photographed solem-
mites with few remarks. The tenn
time ago-that is, that vast portion of
the land where it was needed-but it
skipped Hartford. Now comes this
new spelling epidemic, and this time
we are stricken. So 1 suppose we
needed the affection. 1 don't say we
needed it, for / don't see any use in
spelling a word right, and never did.
1 mean don't see any use in having q
uniform and arbitrary way of spelling
words. We might as we'll make all
clothes alike and cook all dishes alike.
Samepess is tiresome variety is pleas
ing. I have a correspondent whose
letters are always a refreshment to me
there is such breezy, unfettered
originality about his photography. He
always spells Kow with a large K.
Now, that is just as good as to spell it
with small one. 1t is better. 1t
gives the imagination broader field,
wider scope. 1t suggests to the mind
grand vague, impressive, new kind of
COW. Superb effects can be produced
by variegated spelling. Now, there is
Blind Tom, the musical prodigy. He
always spells a word according to the
sound that is carried to his ear. Aud
he is an enthusiast in photography.
When you give him q word he shouts
it outputs all his soul into it. l once
heard him called upon to spell orang-
outang before an audience. He said,
go, rang, orang, ger, ger, Granger,
t a-n-g, tang, Granger tang Now,
body can respect an orang- outang that
spells his name in vigorous way like
that. But the feeble dictionary makes
people spelled Just as they pleased.
chanc 8 at stranger then. You knew
a strong man from a weak one by his
iron-clad spelling, and his handwriting
helped you to verify your verdict.
Some people have an idea that correct
spelling can be taught and taught to
That is mistake. The
spelling faculty is born in man,
like poetry, music and art. 1t is
q gift it is a talent People who
have this gift in a high degree only
need to see a word once in print and it
is forever photographed upon their
They cannot forget it. Peo-
pie who haven't it must be content to
spell more or less hLe-like thunder -
aud expect TO splinter the dictionary
wherever their photographed lightning
happens to strike. There are ia, 900
v ords in the Unabridged Dictionary.
[ know lady who can spell only $50
Of them right. She steers clear of all
The rest. She can't learn any more
So her letters always consist of tho=e
y recurring $50 words. Now
and then, when she finds herself obliged |
to write upon subject which necessi- |
tates the use of some other words, she
well, she don't write on that subject. |
have relative in New York who is
almost sublimely gifted. She can't |
spell any word right There is game |
,allsd Verbarium. A dozen people are |
zach provided with sheet of paper,
ACROSS the top of which is written a |
opg word like kaleidoscopical, or some
hing like that, and the game is to see
Who can make up the most words out of |
With the initial letter of the word. |
Upon ono occasion the word chosen
vas rotterdam. When time was called |
had built from five to twenty
words except this young lady. She only
,ad one word, calf We all studied
moment and then said, "Why, there is
10 in cofferdam /" Then we examined
Ter pap.r. To the eternal honor of
hat uninspired, unconscious, sublImely
soul be it said, she had |
PEELED the word "caff I" If anybody
lere can spell calf any more sensibly
han that, let him step to the front and
AXE his milk. The insurrection will
low begin"
A TRoTTING WONDER WITHOUT PED
buckski mustang, d mn
ilipha, is expected TO arrive here to-
morrow from Los Angeles on the steamer
)rizaba. This wonderful horse, with
nut pedigree, has an interesting his
DRY. He was for 'ong time worked
n hanling stages in Arizona, and has
lone considerable cavalry service in
nat country. One of the feats per
rmed by this half bree while in the
avalry was the carrying n soldier one
undred miles in one day. He was
purchased by Smith & Billiogs, Of Los
IngelOs, two years ago. for a mere song,
nd rut in training. He has trotted
We races in the Orange Grove City,
nd when he SEQ ed $50 he shut himself
ut of future contests in that locality
ntil the racing stu shall he Improved
his is the best record made on any
Curse i'll Southern California. The
,st race won by the Don was two
lille race for 81 900 brilliant future
predicted for the Don, and il is
expected he will yet go to the string
n Ter the twenties.- San Francisco