The evening times., 1895-08-17
Mark Twain on His
Tour and His D8btS

Vancouver, B. C., Aug. l7.-Samuel L.
Clemens Mark Twain), who is about leav-
ing for Australia. in an interview concern
ing the purpose OF his long trip, said:
II am idle until lecture time Write
and will dictate and sign.
My run across the continent, covering
the first 4 200 miles OF this lecture tour
around the world, has revealed to me SO
many friends, of whose existence was IN
conscious before, and SO much kindly
andgenerous sympathy with me In my finnn.
ciai niishaps, that feel that 1t win not
be obtrusive seif-assertion, but an act
Of simple Justice to that loyal friendship, as
well as to my own reputation, to make a
public statement of the purpose which I
have held from the beginning and which
is now In process Of execution.
'It has been reported that sacrificed,
for the benefit of the creditors, the prop.
erty OF the publishing firm, whose finan.
cial hacker was, and that am now Iectur-
ing for my own benefit. This 70 An error.
intend the lectures, az well as The prop
erty, for the creditors. The law recognizes
no law on a mans brain, and n merchant
who has given up all he has may Ia ke advan.
tage Of the rules of insolvency and start
free again; but am not a business man,
and honor Is a harder master than the law.
1t cannot compromise for less than a hum
drsd cents on the dollar and its debts never
outlaw"
81 had two-thirds interest in the pub
fishing firm, whose capital I furnished
II the firm had prospered should have
expected to collect two-thirds of the profits.
As it is, expect to pay all the debts. My
partner has no resources, and do not look
for assistance from him. By far the largest
single creditor of this firm is my wife,
whose contributions in cash, from her
private means, have nearly equaled the
isfaction of this great and Just claim she has
taken nothing, except to avail herself of
the opportunity Of retaining control Of the
copyrights OF my books, which, for many
easily understood reasons, of which finan-
cial ones are the least, We do not desire to
see in the hands of strangers.
ION the contrary, she has helped and IN
tends to help me to satisfy the obligations
due to the rest. The present situation
is that the wreckage of the firm, together
with what money l can scrape together
with my wife's aid, will enable me to pay
the other creditors about SO per cent of
their claims 1t is my intention to ask
them TO accept that as a legal discharge
and trust to my honor TO pay the other 90
per cent. as fast as can earn It. From
my receptions thus far on my lecture am
confident that II live can pay off the
last debt within four years, after which
at the age of 81 can make fresh aud I'M
iucumbered start In life.
II do not enjoy the hard travel and broken
rest inseparable from lecture, and IL it
had not been for the inperious moral ne
cessity OF pa yipg these debts which never
contracted, but which were accumulated
Oh the faith OF My name by those who had
q presumptive right to use it, I should
never have taken to the road at my time
Of life. I could have supported myself
comfortably by writing, but writing is
too slow for the demands that have to
meet; therefore, have: begun to lecture
my way around the world I am going
to Australia, IDtlio and South Africa,
and next year hope to make q tour OF
the great cities OF the United States.
''In my preliminary run through the
smaller cities on the Northern route, have
found q reception. the cordiality of which
has touched my heart and made me feel how
small thing money u in comparison with
friendship. s--,s -,
Il meant when began tp give my credi-
tors all the benefit Of this, bnt ] begtn to
feed that l, am gaining something from. 1t,
too, and that my Dividends, II not available
for banking puIpoaes, may b even more
satisfactory than theirsA so
tsignedl NARK TWAIN"