The Detroit times., 1910-04-22

The hour baud had Travelled bu, once
around the clock before the daughter
his conhdantA compaufhn and Nnthn-
ensis-was found dead Ian her hatn ~
their country home "Stormhrld. iFu-
ding. conn. Her last sct had been the
preparation qf mammoth christmas
tree.
Christmas symbols into = hieT-the
shrine OF his last earthlV idol-elwost
completed the wreck made p"sHlpt'
by the ravages of time
Recalling the Stat, mcnt at the pre-
Nicus evening which Knocked hh' ~
mors OF his DEATH. tho author VentuFtd,
pitifully. that the pGnisnimen,t. lS , ,Srs
into "A silent stoic conflict Wlpl MS
latest grief Then his health declined
gradually from Tits canSe, no o ,l,
doubts and Mark Twain himself did
In 1875 while there were less than
a million white inhabitants in the
great empire west ~ the Mississippi
samuel I.anghorne Clemens was horn.
/ II was NoY 30. and the scene ot MS
nativity was a humble cabin az Flor,
4 ia Nh which AT that time marked
/ the extreme fringe of frontier settle
nent Ills parerts We're John Mar
! shall Clemens OF Virginia and his good
wife who was lane Lamhton. OF Ken
The father was lineal descendant
I OF Gregory Clement, one or ne three
] Judges mo fNNUf fIlflrh W UfiAN Y lttAt A'.-
! T. Clement excepted from the genrral
] amnesty following the restoration, lost
I Ills head ln CONSEQUENCE.
Holm Tnmhtur'S T.. hears stroNe with
: Daniel Boone on the dark and 'hloody
ground the scene OF her birth -
/ wears after the building 90 the hrst log
cabin within ia. present confines 81
! famous as dollhouse 81 feminine
beauty. Jane l.ambton became known
rs one Of rho most beautiful and bril-
7 G-f ~ 81 fffr0 IA ~ RlHeRvag
. Clements parents victims of the
! wandrrlust left their small property
in Lexington for n new home at lanes
town on the Cumberland river in Ten
nessee. Next they travelled 20 Missouri,
Passing 81 Louis then city % 10 900
/ FOR what seemed 10 them a land 81
brighter promise They settled at Flor
ida a hamlet described by the author
I'm later wears - the settlement that
( iust divides the desert from the sown. -
n was there that the future Mark
Twain was born and here u was also
that he hrsi encountered that capri
cious Fate which, AZ the age OF three
wears foretold the anomalies OF his ca
, reer
His father. an absent-minded soul
wary OF the scant opportunities AFFORD
Cd by his suTroundings-mig grated from
Florida without thought OF the little
human baggage who laughed and cooed
In the dellghtful occupation OF mud
PIE baking in the sun -bathed garden,
obliVious 10 the disappearance OF the
household cavalcade across the sky
line. Two or three hours later rela-
/ tive found the complacent youngster.
overlook the parents on the wagon
road TO Hannibal and reminded them
! In no uncertain terms OF the eonse-
quenCes OF such carelessness VINO
knows but this incident was the turn
! ing point Ia little Samuels life-the
| influence that set In motion that re-
/ morseless pendulum or Eater
| The father served FOR some years as
\ magistrate in Hannibal was elected
county Judge, but died I'm is45 without
assuming office. His death marked the
end OF the youths systematic educa-
\ ton which had previously been indif-
ferent owing 10 his uncertain health.
\ brothers print shop became his
| high school At intervals shortly at
! ter ne WAS IL years old, he edited the
/ little newspaper TO the Amusement OF
/ the subscribers and the discontinue OF
! the elder brother whose responsibility
! as publisher bore the brunt OF hostile
complaints against the personal jour
nalism" % the juvenile.
| Time and again In leisure hours the
| boy was 1shed out OF the river almost
drowned, but the fond mother out OF
her utter confidence Ia his future.
would remark each time. 1T is no mat
ter one who is born 10 be hanged Is
surely safe I'm the water.
Stricken with a sudden 1T OF Inherit
ed wanderlust young Clemens disap-
peared from Hannibal in 1853. BY
this time lie was accounted mt timer
ant typesetter. BY dint OF hard work
expenses he saw the worlds fair at
New York and visited ali the eastern
cities. but was finally compelled. by
I financial stress, TO seek cover near
home.
Al Keokuk ne apprenticed himself
I to Capt BlNby 10 learn the INFINITE
mysteries OF steamboat plotting Those
were the days when the wSeelmen or
Mississippi river packets were account
ed princes. Their dress was AZ once the
10y and perpleNity OF the river towns
! They carried guns and fought their
way BY singular Gods OF honor up
and down the mystic river, famed for
over night In Tom Sawyer, "Huckle-
berry Finn" "Puddin' Head Wilson,
and Life on the Mississippi, which
came from his pen in later years. every
incident ~ this vanishing estate is
dwelt upon lovingly
In the midst OF this phase OF his ca
born OF slave holding parents. the
youth piloted his boat through the
blockades to the north and Joined the
confederate army. This army expert
sigad. assigning the cause 70 "incapa
city by fatigue through persistent re-
treating"
Returning 10 Hannibal he Joined his
brother. orion. who had accepted the
appointment "a hrst secretary OF the
new territory ot Nevada Samuel ac-
cepted the private seCretarYShip which
his brother explained was "a good job,
with nothing to do and M salary"
AZ Virginia city young Clemens
amused himself by writing letters TO
the Virginia city Territorial Enterprise
and was finally engaged "a legislative
correspondent at Carson CITY. To these
letters he first signed the name Mark
Twain" which he adopted from the
old Mississippi river term for two
fathom sounding.
One OF his barbed literary shafts
struck a a vital spot in the emotions
OF Editor Laird, OF the Virginia linton.
The latter proposed a duel as salve