The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-12
LOOKS ]kIBEI, Z. TWAIN
rHE FAMOUS HUMonlsT HAS A DoU-
BILE IN KANSAS.

1 x~--~
BILE IN KANSAS.
| ----->t-~ 7~z9s
His Maine Is clemens, ToS. IA IT,.
Dritishers Once Made Life Miser.
able For Him by Insisting That He
Was the Real and Only Mark. I,
Mark Twain has a double and the
no one knows that he cares-in fact, 1t IL
rather uncertain whether tho great Mark
knows Of 1t. The double has Marks own
name, Clemens, with the preaxed initials
Of G. G. He is Kansas socialist-a law
yer by trade--and as no bears striking
resemblance to the real thing, he Is often
taken for 1t, in America and abroad.
People say that they are cousins, and the
socialist has to deny it every other day.
He went to Europe years ago, and people
there dined and wined him, believing that
they had the real old stuff with them.
The more he tried to explain that 1t was
all mistake on their part, and the mad
der that he got, tho more tiokled thoy
were
"Oh, MIR. Twain" they said "you arc
30 funny Now we sec through 1t all, and
you can't conceal your identity from us"
This Is what Mr.. Clemens of Kansas
says when "joshed" by his friends upon
his great relation: II understand that
Mark Twain Is man Of good natured
ability, and, had no turned his attention
to some proper pursuit, he doubtless
would have made his way in the world,
stood well In society and perhaps have
hnav, of hio cit nd
nor of some western state. But no got the
notion into his head that he could write
and threw away his chances to win i'm
mortality by appointing policemen and
notaries public. He took to writing books
even after he must have known the whole
world was laughing over his literary
illusions. He chose his career without
consulting me, and II no is disappointed
with the result let him look to it and not
be saddling himself upon me by claiming
kinship. am in no condition to stand
any foolishness. have hard work to get
credit at my grooers' now"
In the year of the Russo Turkish war
this Kansas Clemens went to Europe to
try his luck as war correspondent. 1t
does not bear on this story, but 1t may be
OF interest to add that he never got a
chance to show his prowess in the line of
war correspondence Possibly his reputa-
ton was enhanced by this absence of op-
portunity. Anyway, Fourth Of July Of
that year found G. G. Clemens on ship
board crossing the Atlantic. Already he
had been taken to be the only Mark, in
spite of all his statements to the contrary.
He made little speech at tho Independ-
ence day celebration, but the main address
of the day was made by some unknown
who bore the title of colonel. Clemens
having been chosen press agent, upon his
arrival in Glasgow, he took the colonel's
speech to the office of a newspaper to have
it printed, with Il report of tho proceed
ings. Ho sent his card to the editor, and
on leaving said to the editor: 'If you
leave cut anything, leave out my own
speech. If you print anything and leave
out tho colonels speech, can't stay here
and DO SAFE" The next day tho city was
placardud with such poster announcements
as this:
Mark Twain on the Old Country
sec Glasgow Evening News"
Clemens got n copy Of the paper, and
there was the colonol's speech, to be sure,
but his own led the story. Clemens tried
all sorts Of arguments to prove that he
wasn't Mark Twain, but all the editor
said was, "If you want to travel incog.,
It all very well, but cannot and will
not tell my readers that the speech that
have published as yours Is not your own"
That night Clemens went to the theater
with some of his steamer friends, and
greatly to their amusement Mark Twain
gags were thrown Mt him from the stage.
The next day crowds of people came to his
honest name In their albums, and they
departed happy.
He began to be afraid that II the real
Mark Twain showed up anywhere he--the
Kansas man-would DO denounced as an
lmposter. So no fled to London and went
10 the Inns of Court hotel. In the next
mornings paper he saw the announce
ment. "Mark Twain OF the Inns Of Court
hotel" Now tho Kansas man felt really
good, because he had made up his mind
10 go to the real Mark and tell him all
about 1t. So he asked the clerk for In
formation about Twain, and he discovered
again that he himself was the Mark talk
ID Of. He was thrown of his feet by this
but he had self possession
enough to skip to Paris. While there
etter came to him from the Glasgow edi-
or, asking him to come at once 10 Glas-
cow Thinking that the truth at last was
about to come out, he returned and found
hat the editor wanted to submit to him
business proposition. The editor was to
print anything that Clemens might choose
20 write denying that he was Mark
Twain, and then pay Clemens well for
travelling over Scotland and write it up
'on the American plan" Clemens was
to be himself and no one else, and he was
20 get big pay for being honest. This
looked like profitable and reputable
scheme, and Clemens wrote the letter
lenying his identity with Mark Twain,
and then started off on his tour. But
when he got to the next town he found
that his letter as published had preceded
MIN. Worse than that, 1t was accepted as
only one more Of Mark Twain things"
whats the use, said Clemens to him
self, "of o poor devil trying to be honest
in such country as thlsp" So he pre-
pared to return to his own Kansas, where
at least he was what he WAS. But he
couldn't make fly by night trip. so it
,amo to pass when he was ON tho ship that
no was placed at the captains right at the
tablo, and for II long days he had to eat
Mark Twain food and drink Mark Twain
drinks. Kind ladies got down Marks
books from tho ships library, and Glenn
Ems had to give readings from "The
jumping Frog" and other of his town
works" He lost his suspender buttons
and collar buttons, which were taken
from him as souvenirs, and as soon as no