The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-09-05

Mark Twain nm Interview.
In a letter tn the Boston Journal William
]. BOX, of New York, writes as follows:
Not long ago l was permitted the pleas
ure of n talk on literary and other matters
with Mark Twain, with II view To publica-
ton. Desiring that my report of the in
terview should me accurate. j sent the
manuscript tn the humorist for his appro-
val. The following highly interesting let
ter was the answer u evoked. While 1
have perfect faith i'm the value of the cx-
Rressed interview as written, Mr.. Glenn
ents's desire will, of course suppress it's
publication. The letter printed below is,
however, an ample substitute for the in-
tended stalk"
My Dear Mr.. Box: No.. not is like
most interviews, pure twaddle and vaiue-
less.
For several unite plain and simple rea-
SONS an interview" must, AS q rule, he am
Ii is an attempt tn use IL boat on land, or
n wagon ON water, tn speak figuratively
speech is sp.se another. PRINT Is Tpr,"per
vehicle for the latter, but il isn't for the
former. The moment talk" is put into
was when you heard il; yon perceive that
an immelse something has disaprcarssd
ing but a dead carcass left on yoar hands.
Color, play of feature, the varying mo<ln-
lations of voice, the laugh, the smile, the
gave that body warmth, grace, friendIi-
ness and charm, and commended IL to
SSSr Affection e aSn:' or . a. lS Sass,S to yo;s .,, , S,,s =
pallid, stiff and rep,ilsive cadaver.
Such is ''talk" almost invariably, MS you
see il lying i'm state In an ''interview."
The interviewer seldom tries to tell one
how a thing was said; lie merely puts I'm
the naked remark and stops there. When
one writes for print his methods are very
different. He follows forms which have
hut little resemblance tn conversation hut
they make the reader understand what
the writer is trying to convey. And when
the writer IL making u story and finds IL
necessary tn report some of the talk of his
| <.hn ra.tnrs nlssprpn hnxy n,ass.alr aud
anxiously he goes at that risky and
difficult thing.
presence said Alfred, taking a mock
heroic attitude. and casting an arch glance
upon the company "bi""d would have
eff he had dared to say tina thing i'm my
presence said Hardwood, with that in
his eye which caused more than one heart
eff he had dared to say that thing i'm my
presence" said the paltry blustcrer, with
yaior ON his tongue and I,ailor ON his lips,
''blood would have fiowcd.''
So painfully aware is the novelist that
naked talk i'm print conveys nc meaning,
that he loads, and often o~r.rloads. almost
every n~tterance of his character with ex-
plantations and Interpretations. Ii is a
loud confession that print is "a poor vchi-
Gle for talk !" IL il Al recognition that un-
,nserrup.ed talk in print wG,ld ,,.sni, in
Now: i'm your interview you have GER
tainly been most accurate; you have So!
| Nio"h the seIlNeIlSfeS u uttS'rts aS u AL
them. But you have not "a word of cx-
PLANTATION; mai my manner was at sew
eral points IL not indicated. Therefore
no reader can possibly know where 1 was
i'm earnest and where i was joking; al
whether / was joking altogether, or in
earnest altogether. Such N report of a
conversation has no value. Ii can convey
many meanings To the reader, but never
the right one. To al Interpretation
which would convey the right meaning !,
IA something which would require-what
An art so hiRh and fine and difficult tina
no possessor of il would ever he allowes
tn waste il on interviews.
No; spare the reader and spare me
leave the whole interview out; il is rub
bish. wouldn't talk i'm my sleep il
couldn't talk better than that.
If you wish to print anything, print thi,
letter; il may have some value, for IL ma!
explain To IA reader here and there why /
is that in interviews, as IA rule, men seen
to talk like anybody but themselves. Sin
cerely yours,
MARI TWAIN.
Two Theories.
From the New York Weekly.
Fond Mother lin passengsr car with he