The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-07-27
TwAIN's AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
He Tells Peculiarities Of Some Long
Dead Ancestors.

He Tells Peculiarities of Some Long
Dead Ancestors.
Mark Twain has at last written his
autobiography, remarks writer in Put
nam's Monthly, the opening chapters
Of which have appeared in the North
American Review. Mr.. Clemens has
been working on his autobiography for
many years, but it was his intention
that it should not be published until
after his death. His publishers, how
ever, have persuaded him to publish
1t now, and the present generation
owes them a debt Of gratitude. won,
der how many people remember that
Mark Twain wrote his autobiography
as long ago as 1871. To be sure, the
autobiography then published was a
burlesque. On the title-page was print
ed the Twain family tree.
Ours Is a noble old house (wrOte
Mr.. Clemens) and stretches long way
back into antiquity. The earliest an
cestors the Twains have any record OF
was a friend of the family by the
name of Higgins. This was in the
eleventh century, when our people
were living In Aberdeen, County OF
Cork, England. Why it is that our
long line has ever since borne the ma
ternal name Except when one Of them
now and then took playful refuge
in an alias to avert foolishness) instead
of Higgins, is mystery which none OF
us has ever felt much desire to stir.
1t Is kind Of vague, pretty romance,
and we leave it alone. All the old
families do that way.
Arthur Twain was a man OF con-
siderable note-a solicitor on the high
way in William Rufus's time. At about
the age of 30 he went to one of those
fine old English places of resort called
Newgate, to see about something, and
never returned again. While there he
died suddenly.
The present representative of the
family, Mark Twain, seems to have
resembled his ancestor, Augustus
Twain, who made something Of stir
about the year 116O." He was born
humorist. The first Twain to come to
America was John Morgan Twain.
"He came over to this country with
Columbus in 1892, as passenger. He
appears to have been Of a crusty, un-
comfortable disposition. He complain
ed Of the food all the way over, and
was always threatening to 60 ashore
unless there was change. He wanted
fresh shad." Charles Henry Twain,
we are told, lived during the latter
part of the seventeenth century, and
was a jealous and distinguished mis-
sionary. "He converted sixteen thou
sand South Sea islanders, and taught
them that dog-tooth necklace and a
pair Of spectacles was not enough cloth
ing to come to divine service in. His
poor flock loved him very, very dear
ly; and when his funeral was over,
they got up in body (and came out
of the restaurant) with tears In their
eyes, and saying, one to another, that
he was good, tender missionary, and
they wished they had some more of
him."
The reader Of this little pamphlet
will see that it is only of his ancestors
that Mark Twain writes. "My own his
tory" he says, would really seem SO
tame contrasted with that of my an
cestors, that it is simply wisdom to
leave it unwritten until am hanged"
As Mr. Clomons hoe uriftou his oy,+o
biography, and as, according to latest
accounts he Is still unhanged, he ap-
parently has changed his mind.
Car Horses Ready for War.