The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-06-13

WQ6Q one ClluhS VI I1duuiuol, Uho.'
his mind reverts unconsciously to
Mark Twain. The two are insepara-
BILE; and, although it is now an i'm
portant and progressive city, Hannl-
ba's chief claim to fame will be as
the home of Americas greatest hu-
morist-as the place where he spent
his boyhood and where he gathered
the materials for the two books so
dear to the heart of every boy. And
Hannibal is proud of the distinction.
The commercial club is now making
plans for the dedicatory exercises
when the home of the author will be
presented to the city and preserved.
Not long ago it was said that the
home of Mark Twain was to be torn
down to make room for a modern
apatment house. Hannibal was just
ly indignant. To prevent this desc
Grafton George A. Mahan, wealthy
lawyer of Hannibal and great ad-
mirer of Mark Twain, bought this
house and gave it to the city.
When Mark Twain's father moved
to Hannibal from Florida, Mo-, IN
1889, it was already corporate COM
munity and had an atmosphere OF us
own. It was town with distinct
ly Southern flavor and somnolent,
slave holding community, TRANQUILITY
content. It had it's own aristocracy
and was proud of it. The chief char
acteristic of the place was the natu-
raj beauty with which it was sur
rounded. There were glens and cliffs
and islands with caves which would
inspire the imagination Of any boy
of an adventurous nature. And with
the broad Mississippi in the fore
ground there was little to be desired
in the way of setting.
So it was into this community that
Judge John Marshall Clemens moved
his family November 13, 1889. He
built a two-story house on Hill street,
said to be the first of its kind that
the town could claim. And it is this
same house, still fairly well preserv-
ed, that will be officially presented to
the city of Hannibal with appropri-
ate exercises.
Young Clemens and his gang
ranged from Holidays Hill on the
north to the now famous cave on the
south, and over the fields and through
all the woods about. They naVtgated
the river from Turtle Island to
Glasscock's Island (now Pearl, or
Tom Sawyer's Island) and far below:
they penetrated the wilderness of the
Illinois shore. 1t is no wonder that
among these surroundings the youth
formed a restless, rowing spirit, and
that many of his stories were merely
of his experiences, assisted by the un-
limited fund of humor and fertility
of imagination that have made the
name of Mark Twain famous.
The thrilling experience of Tom
Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and lnJun
Joe in the cave is founded on fact,
and the old cave is now the chief
point of interest in Hannibal. Tour
lists often go out to wander over the
great cavern so graphically depicted
in tom Sawyer" and some enter
prising easterner has installed elec-
trio lights in it. At the time the incl
dent described in tom Sawyer TOOK
place the cave had been open to visit
ors only a few weeks, it having been
closed by it's owner, an eccentric phy-
sician of st. Louis, once connected
with the earliest medical college es-
tablished in that city.
For some unexplained reason he
had the entrance to the cave closed.
This proceeding naturally excited the
curiosity of the whole community.
All desired to know what mystery
was concealed in these underground
chambers. They would go out and
gaze at the door in perplexity. One
day a few more bold than the rest
tore down the massive door which
blocked the entrance and explored
the winding galleries. They were re-
warded beyond their anticipation. 4
strange and uncanny object was
found in the "cofin-shaped cham
ber," and many were the stories told
the boys of corpse with long, black
hair, which swung from chains in
metal cofin-the cavern's silent and
only inhabitant.
These alluring stories were too
much for the adventurous youngsters
in the town. So one day Sam Glenn
ems gathered them together and pro-
posed that they explore the wonder
full cave. All the members of the