Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-04
MARK TwAIN's FAMOUS GANG
How Samuel Clemens and His Pals Be-
came Lost Exploring Famous Cave.

How Samuel Clemens and His Pals Be-
came Lost Exploring Famous Cave.
When one thinks ofHannibal, Mo.
his mind reverts unconsciously tt
Mark Twain. The two are insepara-
BILE; and, although 1t is now an i'm.
portant and progressive city, Hanni.
balls chief claim to fame will be as the
home Of Americas greatest humorist-
as the place where he spent his boy.
hood and where he gathered the ma
terials for the two books so dear tc
the heart Of every boy. And Hanni.
bal 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 1t was said that the
home Of Mark Twain was to be tori
down to make room for a modern
apartment house. Hannibal was just.
ly indignant. To prevent this desc
Grafton George A. Mahan, a wealthy
lawyer Of Hannibal and great admir-.
er 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 a corporate community
and had an atmosphere Of Its own
1t was a town with distinctly south
ern flavor, and a somnolent, slave
holding community, TRANQUILITY content
It had its own aristocracy and wa.
proud of 1t. The chief characteristic
of the place was the natural beauty
with which 1t was surrounded. There
were glens and cliffs and islands witt
caves which would inspire the imag
ination of any boy Of an adventurou
nature. And with the broad Mississippi
In the foreground there was little t
be desired in the way Of setting.
So it was into this community tina
Judge John Marshall Clemens movet
his family November 13, 1889. 81
built a two-story house on Hill street
said to be the first Of its kind that th'
town could claim. And 1t is thi
same house, still fairly well preserved
that will be officially presented to tn
city of Hannibal with appropriate ex
ercises.
Young Clemens and his gang
ranged from Holidays Hill on the nortl
to the now famous cave on the south
and over the fields and through all TIT
woods about. They navigated the riv
er from Turtle Island to Glasscock'
Island (now Fearl, or Tom Sawyer
Island) and far below: they penetrat
ed the wilderness of the Illinois shore
1t is no wonder that among these sur
roundings the youth formed restless
rowing spirit, and that many Of hi
stories were merely Of his experiences
assisted by the unlimited fund o
humor and fertility Of imagination
that have made the name Of Mari
Twain famous.
The thrilling experience Of Ton
Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Injui
Joe in the cave Is founded on fact
and the old cave is now the chic
point of interest in Hannibal. Tourist
often go out to wander over the grea
cavern so graphically depicted IL
tom Sawyer" and some enterprisint
easterner has installed electric light'
in it. At the time the incident de
scribed in tom Sawyer" took place
the cave had been open to visitors
only few weeks, It having been CLOSED
by its owner, an eccentric physician
Of St. Louis, once connected with thu
eal ,iest medical college established II
that city.
For some unexplained reason he hat
the entrance to the cave closed. Thi:
proceeding naturally excited the GU
rosity of the whole community. Al
desired to know what mystery wa!
concealed in these underground cham
bers. They would go out and gaze a
the door in perplexity. One day
few more bold than the rest tore dowr
the massive door which blocked the