The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-07-30
MARK TWAIN IN A FIX.
How the Humorist Filled Date on Short
Notice Without His Knowledge.

When Mark Twain was in Washing
ton a week or two ago he told num-
ber of interesting incidents and anec-
dotes. one of which the Post of that city
reproduces A gentleman well known
in political and newspaper circles, on
being introduced to this well-known
author, said to him that he had once
had the pleasure of listening to lee
ture of his which was delivered twenty
years ago.
Ibid you?" asked Mark, in that in
imitable drawl of his. ''Well, now,
I'll have to tell you something about
that lecture. 1t was little the hard
est and roughest experience ever un-
derwent in my whole career as lee
turer. came to Washington with no
intention whatever of delivering lee
ture. l simply came, don't you know.
to meet nv friends, see the city, and
keep a little track of what was going
on in Congress, as do hundreds OF
other people in the course of the WIN
ter. This was twenty years ago, you
remember.
Now, / had not been in the city
more than day or two before friend
of mine came to my room at the hotel
early one morning, wakened me cut OF
a sound sleep, and nearly stunned me
by asking if I was aware of the fact
that was to deliver lecture at Lin
coin Hall that evening. told him no,
and that he must be crazy to get out
of bed at such an unseemly hour simply
to ask such foolish question. But he
soon assured me that he was perfectly
sane by showing the papers, which all
announced that Mark Twain was to
lecture that evening and that his SUBJ
iect would be The Sandwich Islands
| To say that I was surprised would be
drawing it mildly. | was mad, for
thought some one had put up a game
on me.
"Well, on careful inquiry, learned
that an old theatrical friend of mine
| thcUght he would do me a favor. So
he started out by getting drunk. While
| in this condition he made all the neces-
sary arrangements for me to lecture,
with the exception of the slight circum-
stance that he neglected to inform me
| of any of his intentions. He rented
| Lincoln Hall, billed the town and sent
the newspapers advertisements and
notices about the coming lecture, and
the worst of it was that he had done
all his work thoroughly. After learn
ing this 1 was in a dilemma. l had
never prepared any lecture on the
Sandwich Islands. What was to do?
could not back out by telling the peo-
pie that I was unprepared, and that
my friend was intoxicated when he
made these arrangements. No, that
was out of the question. because the
public wouldn't believe it anyway. The
billing of the town had been too we'll
done for that So there was only one
thing left for me to do, and that was to
lock myself in my room and write that
lecture between the breakfast hour and
half-past that evening. Well, did it,
and was on hand at the advertised
hour, facing one of the biggest audi
ences / ever addressed"
Yes, Mr.. Clemens, you were there
all right" said Mr.. -, ':for l heard
the lecture, and very amusing one
it was too; but if remember correctly
you did not read from your notes"
You are right. 1 did not use my
manuscript" replied Mark Twain.
but in those earl v days always had
my lecture in writing, and kept it on
a reading stand at one side of the place
where 1 stood on the platform. 1 was
very good at memorizing, and rarely
had any trouble in speaking without
notes, but the very fact that l had my
manuscript near at hand where l could
readily turn to it without having to
undergo the modification of pulling il
from my pocket gave me courage and
kept me from making awkward pauses.
But the writing of that Sandwich
Island lecture in one day was the
toughest job ever put on me-"