Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-11
CHAS. DICKENS EDEN SOLD
Scene Of Martin Chuzlewits ANGLICAN iSpe-
riencts Changes Hands.
Town OF Marion city, Mo, where
Mark Twain Got His Inspiration for
Sellers Metropolis of Napoleon.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
Palmyra, Mo, May 1.-THE record filed
In the county clerks office here Of the
transfer of 1910 acres Of Mississippi bot
tom land located about six miles east of
this city TO H. c, lluiscamp Of ST Louis
for consideration OF Sis, 367 recalls the
story Of the sudden rise and precipitous
fall OF Marion City. with which the names
Of two OF the most famous characters
of modern fiction are associated. These
characters are Martin Chuzzlewit and
Colonel Mulberry Sellers, the former ere
ated by Charles Dickens and the latter by
Mark Twain.
Marion city was founded by Colonel
William Mul1row IN 1910, belng located on
the MISSISSIPPI river about iniuWay be-
tween HANNIBAL, Mo-, and quincy IA. Al.
though widely doomed, after the manner
Of many boom cities VI that period, as the
coming metropolis of the MISSISSIPPI val
ley Il never got beyond the paper stage
and collapsed Just prior TO the visit OF the
great English novenst TO the United
States in 1872.
IL will be recalled that Dickens found
ON that occasion many things about this
country which offended his English sense
OF propriety. Among them was Marion
city. When he returned to his native
land he proceeded 10 anpoon US IN a
most caustic manner and as one OF the
vehicles In which to turn loose his satire
he wrote Martin Chuz1lewit.'
As Dickens tells the story Martin Chuz-
zlewit visited the United states and came
as far west as Missouri. where he invest
ed his money and that Of Mark Tapley
his servant, IN the boom town Of Eden.
This imaginary Eden was In reality Mar
a.. ..a.N
Mark tell In With one General Choke who
introduced them to the agent OF the boom
town. lie showed them a beautiful map
OF the wonderful young town, with It's
market place, public buildings and busy
streets, and they Invested, Chuzzlewit be-
ing assured that there was not an archi-
teCt In the city A couple Of days later
they took boat up the river 20 the
place This, according to Dickens story
is what they found
"As they proceeded farther on their
tracks ana came more and more toward
their Journeys end the mOnotonous desc
lation OF the scene increased to that de-
gree that for any redeeming feature il
presented TO their eyes they might have
entered. In the body, on the grim domains
OF giant despair-a Hat morass, with fallen
timber a marsh, on which the good
growth OF the earth seemed 10 have been
wrecked and cast away
AT last they stopped. Al Eden too. The
waters OF the deluge might have left II
only the week before, so choked with
slime and matted growth was the hideous
swamp which bore that name,
There being no depth Of wtter close In
shore. they landed from the vessels boat,
with all their goods beside them. There
We're a few log houses visible among the
dark trees-the best "A COW shed or a rude
stable--but for the wharfs, the market
a.. ..tallla IffflAinQa--
Here comes an Edener, said Mark,
and come one did.
"'rhev told the man the nature Of their
purchase an Inquired where II lay Close
20 his own dwelling. he said, 50 close that
he had used II for q storehouse for some
corn. lie then gave them to understand,
as an additional scrap OF local chit-Chat,
that ne had buried the last proprietor
with his own hands.
This dismal picture Of Eden was doubt
less an exaggeration Of the real Marion
city. but II leryed Dickens purpose OF
Illustrating peculiar phase Of American
lie that al not please his fancy.
Thirty years after Charles Dickens
wrote his description OF the place Mark
Twain. collaborating with Charles Dudley
Warner. wrOt 'The Gilded Age" IN which
is told the story OF Colonel Mulberry Sell
lcrs who IN real life was Colonel William
Muidr0w. Having lived within a few
miles OF the departed MUlloN CITY dnu DC
ing familiar With It's history and that %
Colonel MuldrOw. il was not strange that
Clemens should have selected II as one OF
the striking events Of golden age
Here IL was that Colonel Mulberry Sell
iers. Mark Twgin's creation Of the most
exaggerated type OF the visionary man,
PROPOSED TO build q great metropolis of
the west which under the name OF Ma
polcon was TO conquer the commercial
world.
In is essential features the story of
Colonel Mulberry Sellers Napoleon was
not materially different from that Of the
Eden In which Martin Chuzzlewit Invest
Cd. and both are fairly representative ~
tho experiences In actual life Of Colonel
Muldrow and his boom town Of Marion
city. the memory OF which Is now revived
after n period OF % years by the transfer
OF the plot OF wild land upon which IL was
proposed 10 build H.