The Dickinson press., 1907-12-07
MARK TWAIN AS A BOWLER.
6ewilderins Results He Achieved In
His. First Game.

~eewi!derins Results He Achieved In
His.First Game. /,
More than forty years ago in San
Francisco the office staff adjourned up
on conclusion Of it's work at 2 o'clock
in the morning to a great bowling es-
adjustment where there were twelve.
alleys. l was invited, rather perfume
torily and as a matter of etiquette-by
which I mean that 1 was invited pc
litely, but not urgently. But when !
dilidently declined with thanks and
explained that L knew nothing about
the game those lively young fellows
became at once eager and anxious and
urgent to have my society. This fat
tered me, for I perceived no. trap, and
l innocently and gratefully accepted
their invitation. I was given an alley
all to myself. The boys explained the
game to me, and they also explained to
me that there would be an hours play
and that the player who scored the
fewest ten strikes in the hour would
have to provide oysters and beer for
the combination. This disturbed me
very seriously. since it promised me
bankruptcy, and I was sorry that this
detail had been overlooked In the be-
ginning. But my pride would not al
low me to back out now, SO I stayed
In and did what I could to- look salts
fed and glad I had come. It is not
likely that I looked as contented as I
wanted to, but the others looked glad
enough to make up for it, for they
were quite unable to hide their evil
Joy. They showed me how to stand
and how to stoop and how to aim the
ball and how to let fly, and then the
game began. 4aa
The results were astonishing. In
my ignorance I delivered the balls in
apparently every way except the right
one, but no matter-during half an
hour I never started q ball down the
alley that didn't score a ten strike
every time at the other end. The 9TH
ers lost their grip early and their joy
along with 1t. Now and then one OF
them got a ten strike, but the occur,
renee was so rare that 1t made no
show alongside Of my giant score The
boys surrendered at the end Of the
half hour and put on their coats and
gathered around me and in courteous
but sufficiently definite language ex-
pressed their opinion Of an experience
worn and seasoned expert who would
stoop to lying and deception in order
to rob kind and well meaning friends
who had put their trust In him under
the delusion that he was honest and
honorable. I was not able to convince
them that l had not lied. for now my
character was gone, and they refused
TO attach any value to anything said
The proprietor Of the place stood by
for awhile saying nothing; then be
came to my defense. He said: Ut looke
like q mystery, gentlemen, but It isn't
q mystery after it's explained. That
10 agrooved alley; you've only to star
q ball down It any way you pleast
and the groove will do the rest; twill
61lam the ball against theSnorthe1N1ea
curyeS ofs the head PIN eyefyt time, la
morning can save the - from g s,fn
Il va rue. The boys made the e
pefiment, and they found that sthsr,
!. wsss no art that could send bal
!. dOWn#that alley and fail II Scpre |
ten%Fsttrike whit WhenssI I had +ebt
tho6e boys that I knew MeofhlnS abpu
that game was speaking only q.
truth Butltrwas ever thus ~ througsl
my Me-whenever haye, diyerget
from4custom and principls andsuttnel