Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-04-16

| WHO ever dreamed TIE Shaggy He;tu
brown hair covered the brains whicl
should later make him q wclcom,
guest at the palace of the German
Emperor.
There are many stories over herr
about his early adventures. TIL,
Londoners know that he was once ,
pilot on the Mississippi, but they have
but little notion of where the Mis-
sissippi is. He is known as a journal
ist, but the most active journalism ht
ever talks about is his term as city
editor OF the Enterprise, published il
Virginia City, New, or as joint re
porter and Deputy Sheriff at Dutch
Flats, in the Sierra Nevadas. This
was in 1862 and 1868, while he was
searching fame and wealth in the
West and before he had pushed him.
self into the attention of the East ol
the admiration of the critics and
and people over here.
He came over the Atlantic first in
1867. He had previously rambled
over the islands of the Pacific and had
begun the publication of articles
which we're beginning to attract at.
tention. He returned to America
from the continent, and Innocents
Abroad" in 1869, rather placed him
in the public eye as professional
humorist. 1t gave him the reputation
for broad and healthy humor. The
first impression was that he would
not succeed in any other field.
1t was about this time that Prof.
Charles F. Richardson, in his book on
the literature of the country, advised
Mark Twain to make hay while the
sun shone-" since 20 years hence, I'M
less the school enshrines its wits in
some higher literary achievement, its
unknown SUCCESSORS will be the priv
ileged comedians of the republic"
There have been no successors, un-
known or otherwise, and more than
20 years have passed.
He has proved the proverb OF Com
modore Vanderbilt that it is easier to
earn a fortune than to keep it. His
earnings were immense from the be-
ginning and have exceeded twice over
that of any other American writer.
Bronson Howard made over 100000
in the royalties on his plays, but
Twain received more than that for
"Innocents Abroad" His income
from this source was 100000 during
the first three years. Miss Alcott
made 100000 out of Little Men"
and Little Women" but Twain's
"Gilded Age" was worth $4,000 to
his rapidly growing fortune. "Tom
Sawyer" was gold mine. Rough.
ing 1t" was as good. "Life Upon the
Mississippi" and "A Tramp Abroad
had sales that were marvellous.
The hay he made while the sun
shone amounted to $500, 900, and good
investments made him as much more.
The financial sun began to set in
1884, although Pudd'nhead Wilson
and other short sketches went to prove
that he had vein other than the one
he had worked 80 successfully-some
thing to make people laugh and ther
think. 1t was then that he began tc
handle actively his large means. The
prospects of the publishing firm o.
Webster & Co. seemed glitterng, and
he put his capital into it. He wa.
then so years old and was preparing
to settle in London and take life a.
his hard work deserved he should. Il
was at the beginning of this plan tha
he was forced to the realization O
absolute bankruptcy.
Mark Twain had pulled himself W
by his own boot straps, and he started
out to rebuild his fortune. His nam,
as literary man-not as busines.
man-was all he had left. He foun(
it was worth money, and he signed :
contract for series of European letter.
for American magazines at the un'
precedented rate of $1,000 per letter
He secured other contracts, and, hat
he been the same as he was 80 year
ago, there was enough in sight to wip'
out his obligations made by the pub
fishing house and put him on his feet
He was not equal to the opportunities
A few months ago he came bacl
from trip to Africa. He is putting
the experiences he had into his book
and should he live long enough t.
complete the story he hopes to pa,
the last cent of his Indebtedness ant
leave something for his family. Th'