Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-26
MARK TWAIN DIES;
Death Of HUMOR|ST
COMES PAINLESSLY
His Last Words Were a Re-
quest That He Be Given His
Glasses in Order That He
Might See to Write

REpDING, Con. April 22.-News OF the
death last night of Samuel l.. Clemens,
Mark Twain at Stormfield did not reach
the country side until the morning pa
pers arrived Expressions OF grief were
then heard on all sides. Several neigh
bors who stood close to him in life were
permitted to view the body as it lay In
bed
Mr.. Clemens did much OF his work in
bed and i'm death he still seemed a part OF
the surroundings of his active life. RangeG
about him were his books. Beside him
was his tabouret set with a tobacco jar,
a collection Of pipes. stand OF cigars
and matches in abundance. Above his
head was a reading lamp. In the old days
he had heartily cursed all chamber mails
because of their hostile ideas OF tidiness.
They always put the poIlow on the op-
posite end of the bed from the gas BURN
err" he wrote, so that while you read
and smoked before sleeping as is the an
citnet and honorable custom of bachelors,
you have to hold your book aloft in an
uncomfortable position TO keep the light
from dazzling your eyes II they canOt
get the light i'm an inconvenient position
any other way, they move the bed They
always put the match box in some other
place
They hunt UP a new place for It
every day and put up a bottle or other
perishable glass things where the box
stood before. This is to cause you to
break that glass thing
They always save up all the old scraps
of printed rubbish you have thrown on
the floor and stand them up carefully
on the table and start the fire with your
valuable manuscripts"
In later years Mark Twain had been
spared all such small discomforts. He
lay today among all the luxuries OF
disorder that he loved Death. that
stamps some faces with indignity. has
left nothing but nobility on his. There
were no lines OF pain. no hint OF sad
neSs-nothing but serene benignity.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE
Mark Twain lived "a years to give
bright and happy thoughts TO his fellow
men. His gentle spirit has now gone out,
and to the millions who have known the
sunshine of his humor and the evening
shades OF his pathos the news Of his loss
70 earth comes as a shock, and to thou
sands is a personal grief.
HE was born in obscurity. poverty.
physical wretchedness. but his brilliant
mind. his splendid talent and glowing
spirit carried him into the hearts OF his
nation. gave his name fame throughout
the civilized world. brought him crafty
ing comfort. though this latter was tardy.
No American in history has occupied
he position that Mark Twain filled in
The world Of letters. His humor was dis
'inctly American. but with such a wealth
Z human truth and feeling in II that IL
spread around the world. He became
more than a writer of books; he was the
american good story teller. He lived to
5rive out drear world care. and his mes
age was of love and cheer and good fell
iowship. Few writer's have ever known
% truly the hearts OF little children as
he and much Of his inspiration was
aught from the minds OF little ones. His
newer OF expressing humorous thought
vas no greater than his ability to open
ne sOul-wells. often causing a tear to
freak a smiling face. In fact Marx
vain knew the principle OF contrast. Of
!-sht and shade.
IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
IN his autobiography his last great work
- tells delightfully."- and humorousfy Of
~-Isy. his first born, and from out OF
is glowing and happy chapter he sud
: My describes her untimely death, and
weep with the unhappy father as
- attempts to describe his grief of that
cay. The hand that wrote Tom Saw
V-r.f also wrote Joan OF Arc; the hand
that wrote Ewes Diary" also wrote 1.-The
Gilded Age" Wonderful was his versatil-
ifv. but never did II leave the paths Of
ruth in pathos and humor.
Mark Twain's life reads like romance
lie had been printer, pilot, journalist
clerk. lecturer and author. As Samuel
anghorne Clemens he was born in the
fsmlet Of Florida, No. November 80.
rs. His father. John Marshall Clemens
II Tennessee, migrated to Missouri, then
On the fringe Of the frontier.
When sam was three the family moved
- Hannibal, Mo-, travelling across coun-
~ in two wagons. The furniture was
2 'aced in one wagon. the family occupy
irs the other. Sans father. an absent
minded mortal. moved away from Flori-
"a. leaving the future author compIa-
nelly making mud pies in the garden
The infant was discovered by Wharton
Hampton. relative, an hour or two lat
err He overlook the cavalcade and repri-
manded the absent-minded parent.
FIRST YEARS ON A FARM
Sans first years were spent on a
compelled to work or study. He employ
ed much OF his time watching the an
tics and studying the disposition OF
other boys. He was a somnambuIist. and
was often found wandering about the
farm at midnight Attending school in
a desultory way did not equip him
with much education. He was fond OF