The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1910-04-29

nominally the editor Of the Bufal,
Express. In 1871 he Joined the Liter
airy colony at Hartford, Conn, wher'
he lived for a great many years, ant
where he did the greater part of tn.
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 1876. and "Huckle
berry Finn" nine years later. OF the
stories with an historical setting 1.-THE
Prince and the Pauper." "A Connec
ticut Yankee at the Court Of Kinl
Arthur" and Personal Recollection
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 & Co., In which he was the
largest stakeholder, 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 a 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 bumorist met
H. Rogers, the Standard OH mag
nate, and the men became fast friends.
Rogers gave his literary friend the aid
of his financial experience. and Glenn
ems was soon in possession Of a com
Portable income.
And now misfortune selected an
other weapon with which 20 attack the
white-haired author. Heretofore his
books had escaped harsh criticisms.
but in November, 1907, 'TTGm Sawyer"
and "Huckleberry Finn" his 10y mas
terpieces, were withheld fro-n youths
by the Brooklyn public Libraries, Is
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 a Massachusetts,
public library refused to give shelf
room to his Ewes Diary" declaring
the book was shocking"
Worn out by his lectures, after din
ner speeches and misfortunes, Twain"
a farm in Redding, Conn,
and erected a $4,000 villa, which he
called "Stormfield." With his two
Clara and Jean, he moved
there in 1908, and settled down to q
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 Ill health
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
a farm which he had presented
his former secretary, Mrs. Ralph
Ashcroft, on her wedding day; and
which he later attached on the advice
If his daughter.
The facts regarding this disagree
able affair yer aired in the press.
much to the humiliation of the veter-
IN humOrist.
In the early part Of 1909 his stanch
riend and adviser, H. H. Rogers, died
suddenly at his New York home. This
,reat financier and the white haired
lumorist had been inseparable COM
,anions for q number of years. They
lad made trips to Bermuda together,
md when Rogers opened his railroad
Virginia, Twain" was one of the
guests Of honor. The author was
affected by the financier's sud-
len death.
In the latter part of 1909, Twain"
- A-l- " n-----