Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-16

| Mary j. Holmes writes from Naples,
| where she Is assoeiating with Vesuvius
this season, to say that she is still old
fashioned enough to patronize the steel pen,
| and by that means has already succeeded in
writing trunk full of blue covered books,
| She is not proud of her penmanship, having
been compelled several times to cross the
Atlantic to make out word for printer
before the work could go on.
MRS. PARTINGToN AND TWAIN.
Mrs. Partington writes that she has never
seen typewriter in her whole life. She
has been able to make errors enough with
her pen without socking her sentences full
offs and other typographical bric-or-brac.
After the breakfast dishes are washed, she
salts the COW, sets the bread so that at even
ing it may come off the nest with group of
little rolls, and then gives few minutes to
silent thought. Then boiling down hand
full Of maple bark and inserting little vim
egar into it. she prepares a fresh supply of
ink. She now brings down a pen from be-
hind the clock, and wiping the perspiration
from her mastiff brow by means of her apron
she sails in.
Mark Twain is not above using the pen.
He smokes pipe while working. 1t is not
strong pipe, but yet there is something
about it which encourages people to let him
alone while he is smoking, doing what little
business they have on hand by means of the
telephone. When he does not feel we'll he
fasts, Many other authors do that way also,
but they go without, generally, in order
that their publishers may have pie six times
day and sweet cakes for breakfast. Mr..
Clemens, however, being himself pub
Usher, is enabled to eat oftener than an
O vrh hn Ic
tage of this system is that it enables Mr..
Clemens, the publisher, to reject the man
uscript of Mark Twain, the author, if he
thinks best, without hurting the authors
feelings. Mr.. Clemens is the Vanderbilt of
literature, and does much good by means OF
his wealth. He looks cross, but behind a
frowning countenance he hides a smiling
face. Possibly am little mixed in the
above quotation, as 1 am writing this on
board the train and some over-zealous pas
senger has taken away the 'Read and Re-
turn" copy OF the Bible, forgetting to bring
it back. This leaves me practically help
less when desire to quote from the Scrip
lures.
l have only given few Of the authors
above, not having sufficient space in which
to even mention one-halt of them. Posi- |
bly, may add another installment or two in
a further letter. 1 had intended to insert |
the name of the typewriter used by the vari-
Gus authors, also my own preference, but the
firm to whom wrote in regard to it, stat
ing terms and so forth, failed to write me |
up to the present time, and so, unless the |
letter and inclosure reach me before my |
next published treatise, / shall leave nv |
readers to select such machines as they may !
deem most suitable. am tired of shower |
ing encomiums on people who meet my gen.
tie advances with kind words and election |
cigars. Three months ago heartily in
dorsed the Postofiee Department, and what
has the P. o. D. done tor 1t? Nothingl
With big store full of clothing in Phila-
delphia, the P. o. D. stands idle and |
watches me as / meander through the sum-
mer, wearing the same dappIed duster with
the same red suspender Greek cross on the
back that I wore last year. As read the |
other day in the editorial column Of my pa |
per, | thinkryIt is high time to call a I
halt!ll'' BILL NVE.