Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-06

working on a new photographic device, which
he was installing in the mouth of the iron horse
so that it would neigh every day at IL o'clock
Hearing this news, Immediately threw off
my braided cavaliers cape and plumed hat and
walked into the grounds. When / found Edi-
son I introduced myself to him. He was at
that time about 80 or 80 years of age. We
talked Of many things which held mutual in
terest for us, among them the circus and I ex-
poded for him numerous secrets Of the pro-
fession. Then, to my chagrin, I realized was
chewing tobacco Shamefacedly and as adroitly
as could took the cud from my mouth hid
1t IN my hand and when thought was un-
observed. threw it down. But Edison caught
me IN the act. He reached his hand down in
his pocket, drew out plug Of his own tobacco
and said:
Here, try mine
"He thought was fixing to take a fresh
chew. Thereupon ensued a dissertation on the
relative merits of different brands Of tobacco
The parade went on without me and I had to
walk back to the lot. Thomas Edison and
have been friends for 48 years 1t Is my GUS
tom TO send him on his birthday white car
nation tor each year Of his life"
1t was not difficult to divine that the ex-clowu
revered the famous inventor. But it was men,
ton Of the author of "Huckleberry Finn" that
brought a suspicious moisture to his eyes.
Il met Mark Twain in 1879" explained Mr..
Sherwood. He was at the time ON a joint
lecture tour with Bill Nye and was billed to
speak at the university at Oberlin, Ohio, then
theological institution. After the lecture Bill
smoked for which the faculty criticized him
severely. The next day Mark and Bill Nye
were billed to appear in Bryan, Ohio, where
Barnum'S circus also was exhibiting.
Mark came to the afternoon performance
and was introduced to the performers. A little
later he and sat on upturned pals outside
the padroom and smoked corncob pipes, which
hIsEsl called Missouri meerschaumS.' He also
rad calabash pipe, which I greatly admired.
He gave it to me and it is now one Of my most
precious possessions. asked him what in
spired him to visit the circus. He then told me
about the Oberlin incident.
81 thought it was about time for me to look
up people of my own stripe he said in his
dron way. adding that he guessed he was not
as ariStocratic as he had thought he was.
so you are the man who corrupted Ober-
linz remarked, whereupon Mark said he
thought he would put the incident into print.
This was the affair that formed the theme for
The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg.
s" MET Mark internationally after that. Then
in the year 1888, when the Barnum show
was at the Olympic Gardens in London saw
him again. He was there finishing his manu-
script, Following the Equator We used to
meet daily in Hyde Park for walks and talks,
for after the first week the show did not parade
mornings. During one of our talks the subject
of publicity arose. The circus was carrying
wild West show that season, with Bucky Taylor
as star broncho buster. He gave many exhibit
tons before Queen Victoria and acquired
great deal of publicity.
Thinking of Buckys success, I suggested to
Mark that he do something sensational for the
same purpose, using bit of Barnums methods.
He said he would think it over and might try
something later. The next morning was as
founded to find him in our usual meeting place
in Hyde Park, dressed in pa jamas and bathrobe.
The act brought widespread publicity Punch
took it up, and he was caricatured, and all the
London papers gave it space"
delightful memory associated with the boy
hood OF man who arose to high station IN
life was then raked forth from the ashes OF
the past