The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1910-05-05
Samuel L. Clemens.

Causes World of Letters to
Mourn-Brief Sketch of His
Life-Some of His Noted
Bcoks-A Tribute to His
Memory-Story of How He
Came to Adopt His Pen
Name.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Ameri-
cas- foremost humorist and known
the world over as Mark Twain, who
has just died at his home in Redding,
Conn, was born in the little town OF
Hannibal, Mo-, on November Both,
1885.
His father, John Marshall Clemens.
came from an old Virginia family and
with his young wife Elizabeth Lamp
ton. a descendant of the early settlers
OF Kentucky, he Joined the sturdy
band of pioneers, who pushed West
over the Alleganies in the early part
of the last century and settled along
the banks of the Mississippi river.
In the uncouth environment OF the
then little frontier town, Hannibal,
the famous author spent his boyhood
days. Here he fished, hunted and
lounged along the river banks with
his sturdy companions, living a heal
thy outdoor existence, which un-
.doubtedly accounted for his long life
in the face of bis many Affections.
At the age OF II years his school
days ended by the death OF his father
and he entered the printing office OF
| his brother OrionS. Clemens, at Han
nibal as a printers devil. Later he
began a wandering life working at his
| trade. Still later he became a steam
boat pilot and at the outbreak OF the
Civil War, enlisted in the Confederate
Army and saw service for a short
while. Not liking a soldiers life he
soon Joined his brother Orion, and
aided him as Secretary OF the Terri
tory of Nevada, but with little to do
and less pay, he spent most OF his
time in the mining camps. After
some years he began his literary ca.
reer on the staff of the Virginia City
Enterprise. He next did editorial
work in Sacramento, California, and
from time to time issued one and an
other of his books. trip to the
Orient and his letters, together with
such books as he had written, attract
ed notice and his fame was soon made
His varied life afforded him many ex
periences which he utilized in hi
works. In 1870 he was married tt
Miss Olivia L. Langdon at Elmira
N. Y, and four children blessed thei
union. He edited the Buffalo Express
for time, lived many years in Hart
ford. Conn, in the literary colony
But he had his misfortunes as well al
success. He organized a publishing
firm and it failed and when ALREADY
well advanced in life, lost everything
he had. From his works and on th,
lecture platform, in two years, h
paid off his debts and in due tim'
: gathered another fortune, refusing
all aid. In 1904 his wife died a.
Florence, Italy, where she had gon'
for health. He lost his only son. Th,
last crushing blow was the death O
his favorite daughter, only short
time ago, from an epileptic fit whil'
: in bath tub, and few weeks after
broken in health and heart he wen
to Bermuda, from whence he returned
only a few weeks ago to PEACEFUL,
end his days at his Redding home.
An august figure passes from tn
world of time to the world OF eternit.
in Mark Twain. For forty years h
has held a place alone. No man writ
ing in English, here or in England
has been more widely read in al
lands. No author SO united limitles
circulation in his own day, with I
Just claim for immortal fame, whicl
the future will honor. No contem
5 porary has covered range so wild
from the most lambent humor, bot
broad and biting, to romance whicl
; touched, moved and inspired.
He was the product OF the Amer
:. can newspaper. There he began
There he had his training. To tn
end of his days his work had th
!; touch and inspiration OF the iournaI
i list, keen, actual, rapid and lit wit
: mingled humor and the broader philc
e sophy OF life. His early humor, pre-
i cisely expressed in the Innocent
}, Abroad" and in the "Gilded Age,
n the attitude of the American to tn
D still past OF the old world and to tn
{ seething activity OF the new life wit
0 speculative fervor. He knew boy
e hood, as TON Sawyer" showed, an
: he knew the youthful American a
}. "Huckleberry Finn" proved. Wha
had been humor, and humor alone
: in his first books, took a deeper forr
and shape OF ''King Arthur's Court,
as seen through American eyes, an
'e his final int depreciation of the mediae
= val age in Joan OF Arc" gave hir
II a place among those who have q me'
5, sage for other ages and other land
than their own.
Much that he wrote will disappear
Much was ephemeral. Some page
> men will perfer to forget. Humor
q not perennial. His "Joan OF Arc
l. will forever touch the young, an
e tom Sawyer" will never cease (
L recall boyhood to the mature. Tram
9 lated into all the tongues OF EuroI
{; and some of Asia, his success in thei
q proves that bis humor will outlast b
3, day. He has given to the America
u temperament an unexampled expreI
'e sion. He has wiiened the joys {
= letters and multiplied the laughter (
u men. He has given the world q ne
u -. H>.Afan A Rh:Ia