Year: 1868

In the following extract from recent letter
by Mark Twain, he happily hits Oft the folly
of Mr.. Seward's last investment in real estate
for the benefit (?) of the nation:


Could You give me any information respect
ing such islands, if any, as the Government Is
going to purchase? 1t is an uncle Of mine


that wants to know. He is an Industrious


man, and we'll disposed, and wants to make a


living in an honest, humble way, but more es-


pecially he wants to be quiet. He has been to


the new isand-St. Thomas-but he thinks


they are unsettled there. He went there early,


with an attache of the State Department, who


was sent down with the money to pay for the


the island. My uncle had his money in the


same box, and so when they went ashore, get


ting receipt, the sailors broke open the box


and took all the money, not making any dis
tinction between Government money, which


was legitimate money to be stolen, and my
uncle s. which was his own private property,


and should have been respected. But he came


home and got some more, and went back.
! And then he took the fever. There are seven
| kinds of fever down there, you know, and as


his blood was out of order by reason of loss of
! sleep and general wear and tear of mind, he


failed to cure the first fever, and then some


how he got the other six. He is not a kind OF


man that enjoys feyers, though he is we'll


meaning and always does what he thinks is
IL,
it appeared that he was going to die.


! But he worried through and got we'll, and


started farm. He fenced it in, and the next
dav that great storm came and washed the
4 most of it over to Gibralter, or around there
somewhere He only said, in his patient way,
that it was gone, and he would Mt bother about
trying to find out where it went to, though il
, was his opinion it went to Gibraltar


Then he invested in a mountain, and start
| Il k1aeo IN hn mt nf NJ
way when the sea came ashore again. 1t wat
a good mountain and a good farm--but II
was mt any use-an earthquake came the mex
: night and shook it all down. 1t was all frag
! ments, YOU know, and so mixed up witt
! another mans property that he could not tel
I which were his fragments withoutgoing to law
b and he would not do that, because his mail


object in going to st. Thomas was to be quiet


He thought it all over, and finally he con
v cluded to try the low ground again, especial!
5 as he wanted to start brick yard this time
+ He bought fat and put out ten thousan'
n bricks to dry, preparatory to baking them
r But luck appeared to be against hiln. A vol
- cano showed itself through there that night ant
{ elevated his brick yard about two thOusan'
s feet in the air It irFitated him great deal
y He has been up there, and he says the brick
4 are all baked right enough, but he can't ge
x them down. At first he thought may be tn
ICTOVernulenL MOhO gcb Ouo DliVho uOMh ~
q him., because if Government bought the islam
d it ought to protect the property where a maj
n has invested in good faith; but all he want
4, is quiet and so he is not going to apply for th
a subsidy he was thinking about owed a9
ST Hewente back there last week in couple {
d ships-of-war to prospect around the coast for
al safe place for farm, where he could be quie
in but another earthquake came and hoisted bot
in of the ships into one of the interior cOuntie
r and he came near losing his life. SO he hs
le given up prospecting in the ship and is di
ut couraged. es---------..


r. Well, now he don't know what to do. i
III has tried Walrussia but the bears kept aft
Mt him SO much and kept him so on the jump,
q it were, that he had to leave the country


That is how he CAME to 60 to the new islaI
NJ we have bought-St. Thomas But he is sc
n ting TO think 81. Thomas is not quiet enoaI


for man Of his turn Of mind, and that u WI