Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-04-24
MARK TWAIN
Tries TO Pail Wool Over the Ma.
rines, but Doesn't.

That celebrated humorist, Mark
Twain, has been playing tricks on
people for over twenty years past with
marked success.
He tried one Of his funny jokes on
this people yesterday, expecting it to
last for an indefinite period, bat it
held out exactly .twenty-four hours,
that time and no longer.
1t was a practical joke, too, and that
is what makes it the more grievous,
for Mark tried it on with his own
hands and in his own proper person.
Many people will not believe this,
but il is SO. Mark was in this city
yesterday, and be endeavOred to
pass himself of for somebody
else. 1t is no first of April
trick, this. like the New Orleans
Pics newly discovered island in
the Atlantic with its Egyptian antiq-
uities for the British musium, nor the
New Orleans Times yarn about the
newly invented pavement, which SO
fooled civil engineers and newspaper
men here. The veritablO Mark
Twain was in this city yesterday, sure
shot.
The way it was found out was through
one Of the mates on the steamer Gold
Dust, That marine knew Mark
Twain when he was cub pilot on the
old Aleck Scott, while under Captain
Bart Bowen, and when he used to
play pranks on the celebrated Captain
Isaiah Sellers, the pilot on the other
watch, who was hard to awaken, and
who was sometimes aroused by feeling
split cork over his nose stuck full Of
lucifer matches, touched off and send
ing fumes up his smelling fume and
blue blazes before his eyes. Once
Sellers found live frog in his boot,
another time he rubbed his nose with
red pepper mySteriously placed on his
forefnger while mapping, and still
another found his half hose nicely
blacked and shined in front Of
his stateroom door, instead Of
his boots. These andi dozens Of
| like pranks we're laid to Mark
Twain's youthful work, and made him
mortally hated by Old Captain Sellers,
and to wind it up, Marks" first lite
rary production was an article in the
New Orleans Crescent, poking fun at
Sellers, whose name he also used in
one of his books. Captain Sellers, old
boatmen will remember, died at the
GayosO House, this city, in 1863.
The mate of the Gold Dust, afore-
said, told yesterday how Mark
Twain was travelling ihcog. with his
reporterial staff, including a phonog-
rapher or two, making voyage South
by river, to view the scenes of his
youth, but nobody believed the story.
In fact, several persons smiled and
| pooh poohed it as a sailor yarn.
1t appears, however, that the hu-
morist actually came to the city yes
terday by the Louisville railway on
the early train and passed several
hours with two travelling companions
at the Peabody Hotel. Those who
met the famous comic writer describe
him as a small sized, nervous, sharp
looking parsonage, quick in his move
ments and of an apparent restive dis
position. During his short stop at
the Peabody he did not stay more
than ten seconds in one spot. To-
ward noon he sailed for the south on
the steamer Gold Dust, intending to
make the trip through to New Or
leans, and will change boats at Vicks-
burg.
In plain style of chirography on
the Peabody register, in Mark Twain'S
own hand, are three names, as follows:
c. L. Samuels.
j. r. Johnston,
R. H. Phelps.
Properly laid down the first name
should have been Samuel Langhorne
Clemens, and the superscription was
designed to mislead those who read
the register, therefore this exposure,
Visitors at the hotel can see how
Mr., Clemens writes by an examination
of the list of Sunday arrivals, and by
the time the voyagers reach Vicks-
burg the people there will know Of the
party being aboard.
Being one of the literary giants of
the present generation, he is notlikely
to travel much further without being
called on for few remarks.
And he may be able to explain in
his usual quaint style, why he wanted