Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23
Col. Sellers Prototype.

Col. Sellers Prototype.
Mark Twains Autobiography in North American
Review.
A past theatrical generation found one OF
its most amusing figures in Col Mulberry
Sellers, as played by Mr.. John t. Raymond
in dramatization of Mark Twain's 'Gild-
ed Age" produced in 1876. Many persons
regarded Colonel Sellers fiction, an
invention, an extravagant impossibility, In
this they We're mistaken, We are informed,
for the prototype of this eccentric figure
was James hampton, the favortte cousin OF
Mark Twains mother. a whose own
words uttered with blazing enthusiasm,
were, There's millions in it-millions!
Mark Twain merely put him on paper as
he was; he was not a person who could be
exaggerated But the real Colonel Sellers
had some points Of difference from his
counterfeit presentment as may be seen in
the following:
1.-The incidents which looked most ext ava
giant, Doth in the book and on the stage,
We're not inventions of NINE but were facts
of his life; and 1 was present when they
were developed. John T. Raymond's audi
ences used to come near to dying with
laughter over the turnip-eating scene; but
extravagant as the scene was, 1t was faith
Aui " lLe IdCtS, III all us ABSURD details.
The thing happened in Lampton's own house
and l was present. In fact, 1 was myself
the guest who ate the turnips. In the hands
of great actor that piteous scene would
have dimmed any manly spectators eyes
with tears and racl1ed his ribs apart with
laughter at the same time. But Raymond
was great in humorous portrayal only In
that he was superb, he was wonderfu-in
"ord, great; IN all things else he was
no Ylyr yrr,ia
The real Colonel Sellers, as knew him in
James hampton. was pathetic and beauti-
1ul spirit, manly man, a straight and hon.
oruple man. man with big, foolish, I'M
se!hSh heart IN his bosom, man born to
pc loved; and he was loved by all his
friends. and by his family worshiped. 1t is
Ihe right word. To them he was but little
less than god. The real Colonel Sellers
was never on the stage Only half of hin,
was there Raymond could not play the
other half of him; 1t was above his level
W., I WAS was made up of qualities of
Whlch raymond was wholly destitute For
raymond was not a manly man he uas
NOT an honorable man nor an honest one
ne was empty and selfish and vulgar and
i5 I;, ant anu SHY. and there was vacancy
~ ~ nm nm where his heart should have been
mere was only one man who could have
p Pa! the whole of Colonel Sellers. and
that was Frank Mayo" anu
James Hampton, continues tho o,.o,,
rdpher, hoated all his DAYS I'm tinteJ rnist
W hashincent dreams, and died AT last
without seeing one of them realized ,, IL
opp nI Tor the last time In the presence
" nus lmmortalizer when Mark Twain and
george w. Cable were appearing fointiv on
these words: own iii
Il saw him last in 1884 when it had been
tWenty-six years since / ate the basin of
raw turnips and washed them down with a
bucket of water in his house He was he
come old and white-headed but he entered
10 me In the same old breezy way of his
ha oil
a detail wanting: the happy light in his eve
the Astounding hope in his heart, the per
suaslve tongue, the miracle breeding imagi-
na.i I9 We're all there; and before
couid turn around he was polishing I'D his
Aiadd1n.s lamp and flashing the secret
riches of the world before me- / said 10 nv
sen, l did not overdraw him by a shade. I
set him down as he was: and hn Is tha
same man today. Gable Will recognize him.
asked him to excuse me a moment, and
ran INTO the next room, which was Cables.
CaDie ana were stamping the Union on a.
reading tour / said:
am going 10 leave your door omen co
that you can listen. There Is man In
there who is interesting
Il went back and asked hampton what he
was doing now. He began to tell me of a
small venture he had begun in New Mex
leo through his son; only little thing-a
mere tritie-partly to amuse my leisure
partly to keep my capital from lying idle,
but mainly to develop the boy-deyelon the
boy; fortunes wheel Is ever revolving. he
may have to work for his living some day
as strange things have happened in this
world. But It's only little thing-a mere
trifie, | said
Ana so II was-as he began 1t. But under
his def hands it grew. and blossomed, and
spread-oh, beyond imagination. At The end
of half an hour he finished; finished with
the remark, uttered in adorably languid
manner:
- Yes, it is but trife as things go now
adays-a bagatelle-but amusing II passes
the time. The boy thinks great things of il
but he is young. you know, and imagina-
tive: racks the experience which comes Of
handling large affairs and which tempers
the fancy and perfects the judgment 1
suppose there's a couple of millions In It,
possibly three but not more, | think; still
for a boy, you know, just starting in life
II is not bad. l should not want him to
make fortune-fet that come later 1t
would turn his head, at his time of life, and
in many ways be damage TO him.
Then he said something about his having
left his pocketbook lying on the table in
the main drawing room at home, and about
its being after banking hours, now, and
II stopped him there, and begged him to
honor Cable and me by being our guest at
the lecture-with many friends as might
be willing to do us the like honor. He ac-
cepted. And he thanked me as a prince
might who had granted us a grace. The
reason / stopped his speech about the tick
cts was because | saw that he was going
10 ask me to furnish them to him and ret
him pay next day; and l knew that If he
made the debt he would pay 1t If ne had to
pawn his clothes. After little further chat
he shook hands heartily and affectionately.
and took his leave. Cable put his head in
at the door and said:
That was Colonel SeHers. !"