Evening journal., 1903-11-04
MARK TWAIN AND LUCY
American and British Hurnorists
Recall Stories of Each Other.
NOVEL IDEA IN STARTING A PAPER

Henry W. Lucy, the British haMor- ,
ist, better known as Toby, NJ. F., ar
rived In the United States the other
morning at New York for a five weeks
visit Shortly after be arrived Mark .
Twain, with his family, sailed for
Italy. says The New York Times. Tue
chief motive for the trip was the VI
gent need OF an ocean voyage fos Mrs.
Clemens, who is an invalid. Mr. Lucy
as he came or the steamship had a
note in his hand which. he said, was
from Mark Twaia. 1t read, You ar
rive this morning, aud l sail this aet-
ernoon ir order to avoid you"
In explaining the noie he said:
"some time ago Mark Twain and /
were at a surprise dinner TO Il. A. Alb
hey, the artist, when he proposed 10
me that we start q paper called lie
Obituary. We were to print the life
Of every living man Of prominence,
send him the proof ana ask him for
$3.50 for suppressing the story. l con
sidered the matter and wrote 10 Twain
that it was agreeable to me. Since
then he has made every effort, and
successfully, to keep out of my way"
Before Mark Twain sailed he was
told what Lucy had said, and he re-
piled:
THAT'S true; we did talk it over, and
think there never was better paying
institution that could be devised. You
see the idea was TO write the most
scandalous things about a man while
he was alive and tell him 1t would be
published at the time Of his death un-
less he paid TO have ii kept out Of the
papers. If the man paid handsomely
we would allow him to alter the proof
and cover up the spots on his career.
There are very few men who have not
some spots that can be artistically Gov
cred. lie could cut the proof, add TO Il
or polish it as much as he wished, but
he had to pay for that. He could have
as many Of the copies of the paper in
which the article was printed as he
wished, and in the end he could by
/ paying enough money get as good a
reputation as he wanted and one of
which his family could be proud.
I'VE had no circulation to our paper,
for, you see. the circulation end is the
losing end. When | got home 1 found /
could make more money by Twain than
by two. so l gently but firmly had TO
eliminate Lucy from the money propo-
sition. calculated that he would not
land until tomorrow or else | should
not have sent the note until today
( But he is a good fellow. and hope h,
r will do well. However, his situation
c reminds me OF what st. Clair Nickel
= way said TO ME when he learned tina
r the Harpers had promised me n pen
sion for life in consideration Of work
had promised TO do for them. 'Colone
Harvey is living on hope, he said
while you are living on a certainty"
At the pier Mark Twain was occupied
in getting eighteen pieces of baggage
and his wife. two daughters and an
= other lady who. like Mrs Clemens, q
an invalid on board the ship. Some on
suggested that Mr.. Clemens was hav
ing great deal Of trouble
"Well." he replied. Il always wa
sorry for Father Noah, he had so mucl
trouble getting all of his animal
aboard the ark. But, you see, I'm pee
r Wish today. have absorbed all Of m.
wlfc's pugnacity and all Of my daugl
ters' audacity."
At the pier tax assessor from Tan
rytown was waiting for the humUis
When Mr.. Clemens appeared the a.
SCISSOR stepped up to him and said, a
anxious look in his eyes. "When ar
- you coming back" Mr.. Twain did nc
h answer, but, turning TO the reporters
It said:
r Il don't own the Casey house at Tai
+ rytown. l have only rented it for
year. AS matter of fact / am tired @
= renting four houses and being able
occupy but one. / don't see that it ma
4 ters to that fellow at what time ! al
> going to return"
= 1t was remarked that mention ha
Ie been made of the fact that Mr. Glen
It ems had been compared with Rabela
le and Aristophanes.
u "Rabelais. yes" he commented; "Ari
" tophanes, no. ] never knew Aristopl
- anes personally. All Of what knew {
V him was told me by William Dea
o. Howells. ! get quite a confused ide
le OF what he was like Sometimes
ID think Of him sailing up the Englis
~ channel with Sir John Hawkins; agal
r / think Of Aristophanes as the Gree
g physician and again as an Italian vi
y tuoso. II had lived in the ffteeni
n century ] should have, been Rabelai
l know him from top to bottom"
when you wrote 'Huckleberry Fin
and told OF the king. who afler s!ri
VI ping was painted as the tiger for Il
circus. did you have Dowie in mind
., somebody asked.
1e A deep frown cnme over the author
face, and he replied:
IL Il can't trace the slightest rescr
1t blance. FOR |, have revcr seen Dow
disrobe. l have a presentiment that
am TO meet Dowie In the next worl
at but do not know where. II ind hi
a. In one place l will 90 TO the other.
rs don't care how hot OF how cold It
but l do not want to be IN the pla
49, where he is. I want society In the ne
Ss world. but not that OF Dowie"
" Just before the vessel sailed a no
re from Mr.. Lucy brought his love end
wishes fer a good voyage.