The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-04-22
The DEATH OF
SAMUEL CLEMENS
CONTINUED from page u


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work and the saving of money fol-
travelling expenses he saw the world 4
fair at Kew York and visited all the
eastern cities, but was finally com
PEELED by financial stress, TO seeE
cover near home.
At Keokuk he apprenticed himself
to Captain Bixby to learn the infin,
tie mysteries of steamboat plotting
Those were the days when the wheel
men of Mississippi river packets
were accounted prices. Their dress
was at once the JOY and perplexity
of the river towns They carried
guns and fought their way by a sin
gular code of honor up and down the
mystic river, famed for its capricious
habit of changing beds over night. In
tom SAWYER, "Huckleberry Finn. 2
"Puddin Head Wilson, and Life on
the Mississippi which came from his
pen in later years, every incident of
this vanishing estate is dwelt upon
lovingly.
In the midst of this phase of his
career the civil war was declared.
and born of slave-holding parents. the
youth piloted his boat through the
blockades to the north and joined the
confederate army This army ex-
perience lasted two weeks, when he
resigned, assigning the cause TO '.in-
capacity by fatigue through persistent
retreating."
Returning to Hannibal he joined his
brother, Orion, who had accepted the
appointment as first secretary of the
new territory of Nevada. Samuel &C.
cepted the private secretaryship.
which mis- brother explained was "a
good JOB, with nothing 10 do and no
salary.
At Virginia City young Clemens
amused himself by writing letters TO
the Virginia City Territorial Enter
prise. and was finally engaged as leg
islative correspondent at Carson City.
To these letters he first signed the
name Marx Twain, which he adopt
ed from the old Mississippi river
term for a two-fathom sounding
struck vital spot in the emotions of
Editor Laird of the Virginia Union.
The latter proposed duel as a salve
TO his honor Colts reviewers being
the only available weapons, Twain
sought our the proposed dueling
grounds for practice. expanding an
enormous amount of ammunition and
hitting everything but the mark. AT
the appointed hour OF the meeting
Mark was taking last practice shot
when g luckless bird coliided with a
random bullet Laird. from afar on.
saw the decapiiated bird il its fall TO
the ground, and Inst no time making
The apologies necessary 10 he sband
ment d the duel
The authorities. however. we're not
satisfied, and determined 10 uaEs an
erang8e 81 5hose viso broke the law
ferbia7iag. TIC accordance Of a duel
challenge AZ a result Marx Twain
s-d ne censpir1ors were hustled
across Tie border into California
Tir7ng Of hfs berth q city editor II
The sar FTancisco Call. Mark Twain
penetrated The Sierras il search OF
gold, bit bsIng tnapt As p-ospector,
be sailed for Hawaii Is correspondent
If the Sacramento Tnicn- arriving
inst ia tine 10 report 1he sensational
burning q the clipper Hornet WHICH
vas his first real scoop
lrnocents A5rosd.
After six-month stay he returned
to California and Joined the QUAKER
City Excursion 10 the Holy LAID ss
representative 81 Alta California. On
this, one Of the first persanally con
ductes. world tours. Mark Twain OF
tanned the material which found itx
way into 'Innocents Abroad his
first real Introduction to the world Of
literature Another fatetul influence
upon his life vas furnished by the
Quaker City excursion through his
meeting Miss Olivia l.. I.angdon Of
Elmira, \. Y. In 1870 they were mar
ried. and throughout one Of the most
ideal marital relationships recorded
10 history four children were born 10
them Langdon, a son, came in 1870
and died in 1872 Susan Olivia born
in the latter year lived to be twenty
four-long enough 10 develop extraor-
binary mental powers and strength
of character. lwo other daughters
Clara and Jean, were born in 1874
and 1880 respectively Jean died OF