The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-04-28

airy CO lony at Hartford, Conn.,, where
he lived for a great many years. and
where he did the greater part of the
work that has made his name i'm.
mortal.
In 1872 'Roughing 1t" appeared. and
In the same year THE Gilded Age,
written in collaboration with Charles
Dudley Warner, was published. TON
Sawyer" came in 1875, and 'Huckle,
berry Finn" nine years later. OF the
stories with an historical setting THE
Prince and the Pauper," "a Connec
ticut Yankee at the Court Of King
Arthur" and Personal Recollections
Of Joan Of Arc" appeared in 1882
1890 and 1894 respectively. In 1893
that curious philosopher. "Pudd'nhead
Wilson," made his bow.
Misfortune Dogs Him.
But while the great humorist was
meeting with well-deserved success
from a literary standpoint, the imps
of misfortune seemed to dog his very
footsteps.
In 1884 he conceived the idea OF
reaping the publishers as well as the
authors profits from some OF his
works. Accordingly he organized a
stock company known as c. L. Web.
ster 6 Co., in which he was the
largest stockholder, to publish his
works. He had accumulated consider.
able wealth and was rated as a mil
lionaire.
His financial ability, however, was
none of the best, and in 1894 his en-
tire fortune was swept away by the
failure of the publishing house. Mr..
Clemens was abroad at the time, and
although 60 years Of age, he started
out on tour of the globe, delivering
lectures and writing articles in order
to pay the debts of the defunct firm.
He had scarcely begun his great
task when fate struck him another
hard blow. This was the death Of his
eldest and most accomplished daugh-
ter, Miss Olivia s. Clemens, who died
in August, 1896, at the age Of "a. Bro
ken in spirit, he continued his great
task and in two years he had paid OF
his debts.
Wife Passes Away.
AS if in sympathy with her hus.
bands misfortunes, his wife's health
began to fail. He moved to Florence,
Italy, in the hope that the mild climate
would restore her, but it proved Of no
avail, and on November 6, 1904, she
died in that far off land.
About this time the humorist met
H. H. Rogers, the Standard Oil mag.
nate, and the men became fast friends.
Rogers gave his literary friend the aid
of his financial experience, and Clem-
ems was soon in possession Of COM
Portable income.
And now misfortune selected an
other weapon with which to attack the
white-haired author. Heretofore his
books had escaped harsh criticisms,
but in November, 1907, tom Sawyer
and "Huckleberry Finn" his boy mas
terpieces, were withheld from youths
by the Brooklyn public libraries, as
unfit for young minds" Comptroller
Joy of Detroit, Mich, declared his
work, "a Double-Barrelled Detective
Story" was literary junk, unfit for a
public library" and Massachusetts
public library refused to give shelf
room to his Ewes Diary" declaring
that the book was Shocking"
Worn out by his lectures, after din.
ner speeches and misfortunes, Twain
purchased a farm in Redding, Conn.,,
and erected a $4,000 villa, which he
called "Stormfield." With his two
daughters, Clara and Jean, he moved
there in 1908. and settled down to a
life of ease.
But a series of fresh misfortunes
was in store for him. He had vigor.
ously denounced the rule of the late
King Leopold II. in the Kongo Free
State, and just when the reform move.
ment was at its height, his i'll health
compelled him to abandon his work
The "Children's Theater," which
was founded by Mark Twain" in New
York, and which represented one OF
his lifelong ambitions, was forced to
close through lack of funds.
Then the humorist and his daughter
Clara became involved in a lawsuit
over a farm which he had presented
to his former secretary, Mrs. Ralph
Ashcroft, on her wedding day; and
which he later attached on the advice
of his daughter.
The facts regarding this disagree
able affair were aired in the press,
much to the humiliation of the veter.
an humorist.
In the early part of 1909 his stanch
friend and adviser, H. H. Rogers, died
suddenly at his New York home. This
great f1nancier and the white haired
humorist had been inseparable com.
panions for { number Of years. They
had made trips to Bermuda together,
and when Rogers opened his railroad
in Virginia, Twain" was one Of the
guests of honor. The author was
greatly affected by the f1nancier's sud.
den death.
In the latter part of 1909, Twain"
made another trip to Bermuda, and
on his return his feeble appearance at
tracted a great deal of attention. Then
the last crushing blow came the day
before Christmas, when his youngest
daughter, Jean, was found dead in the
bath tub at his Redding home. The
young woman had been a victim of
epileptic fits.