The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-09-16
TRIBUTES TO MARK TWAIN.
Humorisss Countryrnen Tell What His
Death Means to Americans,


Death Means to Americans.
When President Taft was Informed
of the death of Mr.. Clemens he wrote
personally this statement:
MARK Twain gave pleaSure-real in
tcllectual enjoyment-to millions, and
his works will continue to give such
pleasure TO millions yet to come. He
never wrote line that father could
not read to daughter His humor
was American. but ,he was nearly as
much appreciated by Englishmen and
people of other countries as by his
enduring part of American literature"
The death of Samuel L. Clemens
OZARK Twain has meant to Ameri-
cans everywhere and in all walks of
life what the death of no other Ameri-
can could have meant. His PERSONAL
ty and his humor have been an in
tegral part of American life for so
long that 1t has seemed almost impos-
sible to realize an America without
him. Something of this feeling is ex-
pressed in the tributes to his memory
which, following hard upon his end.
have come from all parts Of the Unit
ed States. Some Of these tributes are
printed below:
William Lyon Phelps. professor OF
English literature at Yale university:
1.-The death Of Mark Twain is very
great loss to American letters. l re-
garded him as our foremost repre-
sentative in literature at the present
day. Tom Sawyer and 'Huckleberry
Finn his two masterpieces, will live
for many years as illustrative Of a
certain phase Of American life"
Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higgin-
son in Boston: 1T is impossible to ex-
aggerate the loss to the country"
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe. now In her
ninety-first year. In Boston: 1.-THE news
Of Mark Twain's death will be sad to
many people. He was personally high
~ esteemed and much beloved. q man
Of letters with a very genuine gift Of
humor and Of serious thought as WELL"
Hamlin Garland. novelist. I'm Chica-
go: mark Twain's death marks the
exit Of literary man who was as dis
tinctly American as was Walt Whit
man. The work of most writer's could
be produced In any country, but think
we as well as everybody In foreign
lands will look upon Twain's work as
being as closely related to this coun-
try as the Mississippi river itself. We
who knew him personally hardly need
to speak Of him as a man, for all the
world knew him. No one ever heard
him speak without being inspired. and
no one ever saw him without being
proud Of him."
George AIDE. at Kentland, Ind: 81
read every line Twain wrote, for he
was kind Of literary god to me. His
influence has already worked itself into
the literature Of our day. We owe
much of our cheerfulness, simplicity
and hope to him."
Booth Harrington, at indianapolis:
"He seemed to me the greatest prose
writer we had. and beyond that
great man. His death Is a national
loss. but we have the consolation that
he and his genius belonged to and were
Of u.s."
Charles Major. at Indianapolis: "He
created new school of humor. the
purpose of which was not only to be
funny, but to be true"
James Whitcomb Riley: THE world
has lost not only genius, but a man
80 ct vilyinc, ohio m ctar of iufuappo md
of boundess resources. He knew the
human heart. and he was sincere. He
knew children, and this knowledge
made him tender"