The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-12-28

!:
q with . box Of ci-
~ gars under your
arm" "D0n't be
disturbed, dear
al MADAME replied
~ Mark, In . conf
Dental tone, ~I'm
m Just moving
~ again."
~ With character
istic hum0r Sam
uel La n q Ofne
Clemens Indicated
-. vicissitudes Of His early days. He
vas born In Florida, Mo-, Nov. 30. 1885.
The common schools gave him all the
formal education he got.
uRouehine It," '"The Gilded Age" Tin
eonjunction with Charles Dudley War;
.erI. sTom Sawyer" "A Tramp Abroad"
sSrhe Prince and the Pauper," "Huckle-
,.rry Finn,- ~The Tragedy Of Pudd'.-
head wilson," were some Of the va
Nous books which kept Americans and
europeans laughing for many year,.
Mark Twain died April Fl, 1910.
Missouri side Of the Missis-
- sippi, in 1880. was a modest
village with few claims to distinction.
Conspicuous among her first citizens
was York Leicester Driscoll, forty
years of age. Judge Of the county court,
of unblemished Virginia stock. unhap-
PLY childless, and esteemed by every
body that knew him. Another citizen
of repute was Col. Cecil Burleigh Es-
SEX who. except for one important
particular, later disclosed. has nothing
to do with this story. Resident here
also was a certain Percy Northumber-
land Driscoll. brother Of the judge,
married, and a prosperous owner OF
slaves, among whom was likely
wench Of twenty. Roxana by name.
Into the Driscoll home on the first of
February, $780, two boy babies were
born. One of these, christened Tom
was the son of Percy Northumberland
The other. tagged with the name OF
Valet de Chambre, or Chambers" for
short, was the son Of the slave-girl
Roxana, by father Mt first unknown
but later revelaed to be Colonel Essex
Within week of the birth Of Dris-
coils son the mother died, and in the
natural course of events both boys
were entrusted to the maternal care
Of the slave-mother.
About the same time into this quiet
community came one David Wilson
hopefully anticipating successful
legal career. a hope blasted in the
bornng. since gift of irony, one OF
Davd's most tangible assets. fell upon
ears so literal as to be unapprecia
tive, and suspicious of humor.
Il wish l owned half of that dog,
said David one morning when a snarl
Ing yellow cur disturbed him.
"Why?' asked somebody.
Because then l would kill my half =
replied David.
His hearers fell away from him IN
alarm. How could a man kill half Of q
dog without killing the other half also
Surely this man must be out Of his
mind.
"A lummox," said one.
"A perfect jackass." said another.
Hes puddnhead, that's what he
ISL" said third.
And from that day forward "Pudd'n
head Wilson" he was.
Now Pudd'nhead had two fads-
palmistry, and fnger-prints. The first
ne occasionally praeticed, lacking eli.
ents to practice law upon, and the
second he collected with great assidu.
Hy. No man. woman or child, ever
entered the circle of Pudd'nhead's &C
quaintance without leaving finger.
print, or his thumb-mark. behind. and
all OF these were carefully named, re-
corded. dated and filed. Thus it hap
pehed that one day came Roxana and
ner TWO charges, Tom, the son Of Dris.
coil' and Chambers, the son Of her.
'eit and another. AS like as two peas
we're the babies, in color, size and
'heaihents-sO like that save to a
mothers eyes they were indistinguish.
aole and the finger-prints Of all were
.aSen' labeled. dated. and added to
"e collection of Pudd'nhead Wilson.
-, "hat more natural than that the
"Aehess Of the two infants-TOm's
own father could not tell him from
ue save-baby-should- suggest to a
Nao.hers heart an interchange Of the
cn'ldren by which the slave should be-
e''he the master and the master the
save especially when the heart was
INSTANTLY ,aa oppressed by the fear that
Mneh her babe grew to manhood h,
"sht be sold down the river" that
s',er-present tormenting dread Of the
s'aVe OF the upper waters? What
."o'e natural that. there being no
o'ance of detection, Roxana for love
W, :. her son should yield to that tempta-
m nun and forthwith turn Chambers into
IO"i and Tom into Chambers by a
ne'e Interchange Of garments. these
.'ne the only outward and visible
.p saS by which the boys were differ
.a''ated anyhow 1t was in this man
sss ' 'hat 1t came to be the proud off,
,"g OF the house Of DriscsA grew
AstV lilo RlOv a. hon r9>ornhc.c ohva>.l