The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-18
DINEo WITH The GOVERNOR
Mark Twain's Story OF the Old Salt VIII
Knew Gov. Russell

Know Gov. Russell
Mark Twain told capital story
capitally the other day. which he sale
had never been in print, bat whiei
deserves to be if for no other reasos
than TO allow it TO fail into she handi
of the self-appointed managers of ths
embryo presidential boom OF its hero
1t was on the ship coming home iron
Europe at the entertainment given il
aid Of poor sailors that Mr.. Clemens 70
called the tale in response 20 the en-
core demanded after he read selec
ton from his own writings Naturally
he turned to the sea and seafclk fos
inspiration This was the story,
robbed persorce Of all the inimitable
features OF tie telling peculiar to Marh
Twain in his happiest mood. when the
words drawl their slow length along.
fairly floating in their humo-. which
is frequently far more in the style OF
utterance 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 q craft OF his own. was reminiscing
about the queer characters and odd cx
periences he had encountered first aud
fast in his day. Shortly before thu
,Nantucketer and Mark Twain came
across each other the old captain, just
home from long voyage, together
with the mate of his vessel. had gone
up to Boston to see the sights. Among
them they concluded 10 take lun-
cheon at = swell hotel just to sec what
a swell hotel was like. After many
meanderings they fetched up at tlia
fremont house. now soon To be no
more. and got fairly seated at one al
the tables in the main diniug-roon.
While they were waiting for their best
substitute for plum duff they noticed
that a great deal Of attention was bo-
ing paid to a gentleman who had Just
como in, accompanied by two ladies'
They were SO impressed by this that the
captain asked his waiter who the im-
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 seamsn's love OF dramatic 81.
fects, he turned To his mate and bet
a fiver" that he'd 20 over and shake
hands with tho governor. The mate
bet a flyer no "dAssents 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 "a
dinner. The mate accepted this wager.
too. and the captain 'gavo a hitch b
his trousers" which IS q trick all see
men 'larn," and got up.
In telling the story he said he almost
felt ready to lose his wager after ne
started. but hc didn't want to make .
fool OF himself. rs he went over 20 the
governors table and made his best bow
and said: 'How do you do7" The gov.
ernor said: ''How do you do9" TOO. but
went on TO say that he wasn't sble ta
place the face, and SO on. The captain
had his pedigree all resdyy IL eoosisted
of his own name and the name Of his
vessel The mate, who was looking
on, saw a change como over the face al
the governor. and walters and all wero
much surprised 10 sec tho stated dignk
tary leave his chaar ut stop, gsasp the
hand Of the quecr-lnokinS old codger
and shake IL vigorously. Tho captain
was asked at onco TO sit down and have
some luncheon. but he said he couldn't
IA he'd left his mate over aft there
well. 60 get your mate" said his ex
cellency; 'theros room for eli of us,
IL there isn't we'll have room madei
here, waiter"
The upshot OF it was that she Hrss
lady in the Bay state and her sister
and his excellcncy, the governos, and
tho captain and his mate stA togethes
IA pesce and harmony md . food Of
old-time memories, and the mato Loaf
his two fyera The governor waa VII
liam L EusssI, Massachusetts, sboyf
governor. who allied the executive
chair with his dsmocratic presence 80
we'll that he Oiled Il for three years ia
that pr~verbialiy repu hlicsn ststA-G
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