The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-01-11

~ again."
With character
istic humOF Sam.
uel La n 9 b Orne
Clemens Indicated
H. vieissitudes Of his early days. He
M bern In Florida, Mo-, Nov. 30. 1895.
The common schools gave him all the
formal education he got.
aRoughinE IT, 1.-THE GiIded Age" (in
es.iupction with Charles Dudley War
per), ~Tom Sawyer" "A Tramp Abroad"
ere Prince and the Pauper," "Huckle-
very Finn,r 1.-THE Tragedy Of PuS1'n-
head wilson," were some of the va
r,svs books which kept Americans and
Europeans laughing for many years.
Mark Twain died April Fl, 1910.
DAWSON'S LANDING, on the
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 certain Percy Northumber-
land Driscoll, brother Of the Judge,
married, and prosperous owner of
slaves. among whom was a likely
wench of twenty. Roxana by name.
Into the Driscoll home on the first Of
February, 1880, two boy babies were
born. One of these, christened Tom.
was the son of Percy Northumberland
The other, tagged with the narue o.
Valet de Chambre, or chambers" for
short. was the son of the slave-girl
Roxana, by father at first unknown
but later revelaed to be Colonel Essex.
Within a 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, hope blasted in the
oomIng. since a gift Of irony, one Of
uaVld's most tangible assets, fell upon
ears so literal as to be unapprecia-
I'VE. and suspicious of humor.
i wish owned half of that dog,
SAID David one morning when a snarl.
ing yellow cur disturbed him.
"Why? asked somebody.
Because then would kill my half -
replied David.
Ills hearers fell away from him in
slarm How could a man kill half Of a
Jog without killing the other half also
surely this man must be out Of his
mind.
lummox," said one.
A perfect jackass," said another.
Hes a pudd'nhead, that's what he
y" said a third.
And from that day forward "Pudd'n.
aead Wilson" he was.
NOW Pudd'nhead had two fads-
ps'mlstry, and finger-prints. The first
NC occasionally practiced, lacking CHI
su's 10 practice law upon, and the
second he collected with great assidu-
~. NO man, woman or child, ever
uttered the circle Of Pudd'nhead's &C
suaia'ance without leaving a finger
ru' or his thumb-mark. behind. and
au VI these were carefully named, re-
.Otued. dated and filed. Thus 1t hap
Sned that one day came Roxana and
as sa TWO charges. Tom, the son Of Dris-
On, ana Chambers, the son of her
WI ana another. AS like as two peas
, "e1e the babies, in color. size and
m1' like that save to a
aS S'"ers eyes they were indistinguish-
,a. e' and the finger-prints Of all were
s saeh' labeled, dated, and added to
.o'lection of Pudd'nhead Wilson.
MN "nat more natural than that the
eness of the two infants-Tom's
m. rather could not tell him from
m"., s'aVe-baby-shOuld suggest to a
osna heart an interchange of the
su''dren by which the slave should be-
,,a ne The master and the master the
co' especially when the heart was
whs instantly oppressed by the fear that
m;" sn her babe grew to manhood h,
sre s' De sold down the river" tina,
present tOrmenting dread Of the
mo,s VI the upper waters? What
eA. natural that. there being no
a. ee or detection. ROxana for love
". ner son should yield to that tempta-
No.. ana forthwith turn Chambers into
.,.% ana Tom into Chambers by
hs, s'e interchange Of garments, these
.I.as the only outward and visible
,n,1s oy which the boys were differ
ned anyhow? 1t was In this man.
n,,. mat 1t came to be the proud or
H. OF the house of DrisceR grew
w mo slave bOy ChamhePs ahuaasl