The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-09-22
MARK TWAIN,S SPEECH ON THE
PRESENTATION or HIS NEW
PLAY, AH-STN, IN
NEW YORK.

NSN%NN AA@ LA - "
this admirable success, it is meet that
should try to express to you our hearty
thanks for the large share which 'youl
encouraging applause has had in pro,
ducing this success. This office / take
upon me with great pleasure. This is
a very remarkable play. You may not
have noticed it, but l assure you it is SO,
The construction of this play was a work
of great labor and research also of ge,
MUS an%dinvention and plagiarism. When
the authors of this play began their
work they were resolved that it should
not lack blo~od-curdling disasters, acci,
dents and calamities, for these things al.
ways help out a play. Bu3 we wanted
them to be new ones, brilliant, unhack-
neyed. In a lucky moment We hit upon
the breaking down of a stage coach as
being something perfectly fresh and ap-
palling. It seemed a stroke Of genius
an inspiration. We were charmed with it
so we naturally overdid it a little. Con-
quently, when the play wa first com
pleted, we found we had that stage break
down seven times in the first act.
We saw that that wouldn't do, the piece
was going to be too STACEY. Il didn't
notice that that is very good.) Yes,
the critics and everybody would say this
sort of thing argued poverty of inven-
ton. And (confdentially) it did resem-
BILE that, so of course we set to work and
put some limitations upon that accident;
and we threw a little variety into the
style of it, too. Originally the stage
coach came in about every seven min
utes, and broke down at the foot-lights,
and spilled the passengers down among
the musicians. But we fixed all that.
At present the stage coach only breaks
down once, and the horses of another
carriage run away nee. We could have
left out one or two of these, but we had
the horses and vehicles on our hands and
we couldn't afford to throw them away on
a mere bubble. I am making this ex-
PLANTATION in the hope that it will recon
Gle you to the repetition of that accident.
This play is more didactic than other
wise. For the instruction Of the young
we have introduced a game of poker in
the first act. The game of poker is all
too little understood in the higher cir
cles of this country. Here and there
you find an ambassador that has some
idea of the game; but you take the gen.
eral average of the nation and our igno-
rance ought to make us blush. Why, I
have even known a clergyman, estimabIeo
pure-hearted man, and most excellent
husband and father, who didn't value an
ace full above two pair and a jack. Such
ignorance as this is brutalizing. Who
ever sees Mr.. Parsloe in this piece sees
as good and consistent a Chinaman as he
could see in San Francisco. I think his
portrayal of the character reaches per-
lection. The whole purpose of the piece
is to afford an opportunity for the illus
tration of this character. The Chinaman
is going to become a frequent spectacle
all over America, by and by, and a
difficult political problem too. There
fore, it seems well enough to let the
public study him a little on the stage
beforehand. The actors, the manage
ment, and the authors have done their
best to begin this course Of public in
struction efectually this evening. will
say only n word more about this re-
markable play. t isthis: When this play
was originally completed it was SO long,
and so wide, anGo 80 deep Tin places,
and SO comprehensive, that it would
have taken two weeksa to play it. And
I thought this was q good feature. I
supposed we could have a sign on the
curtain, "To be continued" and it would
be all right; but the manager said no,
that wouldn't do; to play two weeks
would be sure to get us into trouble with
government; becaIsHg the cor8titu-
tion says you shall not infict cruel and
unusual punishments. So he set to
work to cut it d7wn and cart the refuse
20 the paper mill. Now that was a good
| never saw a play improve as this
me did. The more he cut out of it, the
better it got, right along. He cut out,
ind cut out, and cut out, and / do be-
ieVe this would be n of the best plays
n the world to-day if his strength had
leld out and he could have gone on and
;ut out the rest of it. With this brief
'ut necessary explanation of the plot y,
nd purpose and moral of this excellent '
work, | makemy bow, repeat my thanks, :
nd remark that the scissors have been
epaired, and the work of improvement :
will still go on. .
The police jury of Point Coupee t
a., has passed a levee ordinance. They 8
wide the parish into six levee districts a
corresponding with the police jury wards, a
ppoint one superintendent for each, he il
0 have the privilege to appoint two e
.ssistants. All persons liable to road +
erviee are compelled to work on the J
when required, under penalty of d
dollars a day, or provide an able fl
odied substitute. Persons are forbidden Y
Employing directly or indirectly, any tt
erson who ha9been notified to work on h