The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-09-26
DIkEo WITH The GOVERNOR.
I Twain's story of the Old Salt who
knew Gov. Russell.

n
Knew Gov. Russell.
3rk Twain told a capital story
capgally the other day, which he said
had never been in print, but which
eleTsiTes to be ii for no other reason
fnan u allow it to fail into the hands
q .he felf-appointed managers of the
embryo. presidential boom of its hero.
l. was op the ship coming home from
Europe at the entertainment given in
ana OF poor sailors that Mr.. Clemens re-
called the tale in response to tine en-
core demanded after ne read a selec
tion nom his own writings. Naturally
ne Turned to the sea and seafolll for
inspiration. This was the story,
roooed perforce of all the inimitabe
leatpres of the telling peculiar to Mark
IVAN in his happiest mood, when the
WORDS drawl their slow length along,
falriy Heating in their humor. which
IS frequently far more in the style OF
utteHnce than in the matter itself
lie had the tale from an old salt he
met once en- route to Havana.
The old salt, who was Nantucket
fisherman and for many years master
OF caft of his own, was reminiscing
aboutthe queer characters and odd ex-
/ perleRes he had encountered first and
last Il his day. Shortly before the
| Nantull<eter and Mark Twain came
S,Gfg2sS zach other the old captain, just
long voyage, together
witVHthhnate of his vessel, had gone
up to Bottom to see the sights. Among
/ them thy concluded to take lun-
/ cheon at aswell hotel just to see what
a swell htel was like. After many
meande1ln8 they fetched up at the
/ fremont huse. now soon to be no
/ more, and GIT fairly seated at one of
the tables ii the main dining-room.
/ While they wee waiting for their best
+ substitute for olum duff they noticed
! that great del of attention was be-
/ ing paid to gentleman who had just
come in, accompanied by two ladies.
/ They were SO impressed by this that the
! captain asked hiswaiter who the i'm
! portant parsonage was, and he learned
that he was the governor of Massachu-
SETS When he named the governor
| the captains memory was stirred. and
/ with his seaman's love of dramatic eff
/ fects he turned to his mate and bet
flyer" that he'd go over and shake
! hands with the governor. The mate
bet a fver he ''dassent." But the
captain wasn't daunted; he added that
he was ready to bet another flyer that
the governor would not only shake
hands with him but would ask him to
dinner. The mate accepted this wager,
too and the captain gave hitch to
his trousers, which is a trick all sea-
men ''lain," and got up
In telling the story Ike said he almost
felt ready to lose his wager after he
started hlt he didn't want to make a
fool of himself, as he went over to the
governors table and made his best bow
and said: How do you do?" The gov
ernor said, How do you do" too, but
went on to say that ne wasn't able to
place the face, and so on. The captain
had his pedigree all ready; it consisted
of hi49Wn name and the name of his
ressf MlV9 mate, who was looking
on, Hagk change come over the face OF
t,ittk q S,'sssS and. walters and all were
i mitch Surprised 60 see the stated dignl-
tary leave his chair at step. grasp the
hand 6f the queer-looking old codgeT
and shake it vigorously. The captain
was asked at once to sit down and have
some luncheon. but he said he couldn't
as he'd left his mate over aft there.
We'll. 90 get your mate, said his ex-
cellency; there room for all of us
if there isn't wei have room made
here waiter"
The upshot of it was that the first
lady in the Bay state and her sister
and his excellency, the governor, anc
the captain and his mate ate together
in peace and harmony and flood O
old-time memories, and the mate los
his two fvers The governor was vii
liam e. Russell, Massachusetts boy
governor, who filled the executive
chair with his democratic presence st
well that he filled it for three years il
that proverbially republican state, N
Y. Commercial Advertiser.