The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-04-29
APerSOnaI ReminisCenCe
of the Late Mark Twain

O. b. Culver has an autopra oh
photograph of the late Samuel L.
Clemens( Mark Twain) the world fam
ous author and humorist who died
last week. which he prizes highly az
souvenir of q most pleasant inter
view with him at Fairhaven (nov
South Bellingham) in 1895. Speak.
ing of the incident. Mr.. Culver said
"Twain was then starting on his lee
ture tour Of the world to retrieve his
fortunes and obtain funds to pay the
heavy losses sustained through the
failure of the publishing house OF
Chas. 1. Webster & Co., of which be
was a silent member and the chief
financial backer. Though in no way
to blame for the companys' failure
he considered himself in honor bound
to SEE that all of it's creditors we're
paid In full and be did. He was
then sixty years old. and looked old
er. His long. wavy hair was almost
as white as snow and he was In poor
health. His last lecture in the Unit
ed States on that tour was delivered
in Whatcom and after the lecture
he was entertained at the Cascade
Club in r'airhaven. Being weak and
hoarse from much speaking. q little
stimulant was brought him and sip
ping that he talked halt humorously
and YET seriously and almost patheti-
cally to the little group of gentlemen
gathered about him. One OF these,
G. W. Howard. now we'll known in
the state as lawyer and politician.
said something about conscience,
which led Twain to say, in the slow.
droll way characteristic of him, that
he didn't think much of conscience.
"a man might as we'll have brick.
bat in him., said be. And yet it
was his conscience that was leading
him, at the age of three score years.
away from hts foved ones and dearest
friends. on an arduons pilgrimage
around the world to pay debts in
Cured by others.
''As correspondent uf the Post In
telligencer and Associated Press, /
went the next morning to Major
Pond, Twain's lecture manager, and
asked him if he supposed that Mark. I"
would give as something to send out
to the press as sort of farewell
message to his countrymen as he was
leaving the United States. 81 don't
know" said the major. who was a
big. kindly man. sswe will 60 and
see. wish he would. The mana
ger of the United Press is personal
friend of mine and il we can get any
thing we will send it out to both as-
sociations. We went to the authors
room in the Fairharen hotel and In
response to his chsery "come in"
entered and told him what we wanted.
tie was still in bed. For that mat
ter he did much of his reading and
writing and smokina-in bed. He
listened kindly and patiently to what
we had to say AID then said slowly
and seriously: 81 would like to do
it. boys, but 1t wouldn't be fair to
Sam," meaning Samuel Mofitt, his
nephew. now we'll known magazine
writer. who was then reporter Oh
the San Francisco Examiner. He
told us that ssSam" was to meet him
in Victoria and that be had promised
to give him his last press interview
before leaving American shores. and
he did. and there was note Of sad
ness in it which caused much COM
ment and intensified the general
e. 5 NJ . athy and respect for him
throughout the United States.
At the railway station at Helena
Major Pond. who carried good cam
era with him. had taken fne "snap-
shot" Of Mr.. Clemens and Mrs Hem
Try Ward Beecher, who was passen
ger on the train enroute to the Sound
to visit her son. Capt. Herbert Beech
or. and Mrs. Pond. As We turned to
leave the room Mr.. Clemens asked
the Major to hand him one Of the pic-
tures. which he did. and sitting up
| in bed Twain wrote with Lis pen
across the back of it.
ssSincerely Your Friend.
Marx Twain
and handed it to me.
On his part it was, Of course only
q simple courtesy. but for fifteen
years I have priced that little picture
- memento not onlysof one Of the
worlds most famous writer's but OF
mobile man VINO valued his honor
4xari3