Year: 1868

Mark TWa.n Seeks Enfornsa'fon


On his CDcie's Account.


Could you give me any information re-
specting such islands, it any, as the gov
ernment is going to purchase ? 1t is an
uncle of mine that wants tn know. He is
an industrious MN, and we'll dis.
posed. and wants to make living in an
honest, humble way, but more especially
he wants to be quiet. He wishes to settle
down and be quiet and transformations.
He has been to the new lsla ld-St. Thorn
as-but he says he thinks things are un-
settled there He went there early with
an attachc Of the state department. who
was sent down with money to pay for the
island Ny uncle had his money in the
same box. and SO when they went ashore,
eivin. Il receipt The sailors broke open
the box and took all the money. not ma
king any distinction between government
money, which was legitimate money to he
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 lever down there, YOU k;Ow. and rs
his blood was out Of order by reason of
want of sleep and general wear and tear
of mind, he fai led to cure the first fever,
and then somehow, got the other six.
He is not kind of man that enjoys lc-
vers. though he is well-meanmg and al
ways does what he thinks is right, and SO
he was good deal annoyed when it ap-
peared that he was going to die.


But he worried through and got well,
and started a farm. He fenced it in. and
the next day the great storm came and
washed it over 10 Gibralter, or around there
somewhere lie ONLY said in his patient
way, that 1t was gone, and he wSuldn t
bother about trying to tind out we're it
went, though it was his opinion it went to
Gibra.ter


Then he invested in mountain. and
started farm up there, so rs To be out Of
the way of the sea when it came ashore
again. 1t was good mouutain and
Il good farm but it was nj any
use an earthquake came next night
aud shook it all down. 1t was all
fragments, you know. and SO mixed up
with another mans property that he
could not tell which were his fragments
without going to law, and he would not
do that f1r his main object in going to S..
Thomas vas 70 tie quiet


He thought it all over, and finally he
concluded 10 try the low ground again,
especially as he wanted to start brick
yard this time He bought Il fat and put
out 10000 bricks to dry, preparatory to
baking them. But luck appeared to lie
against him. \ volcano showed itself
through there that NIGHT. and clcvated his
brick yard about 2.000 feet in the air. 1t
irrtatcd him n good deal He has b. en
up there. aud he says the bricks arc all
bakc6 right enough bu: he can't get them
down. At first he thought may be the
government would yet the bric"s fos HIM.
but If government bought the island it
ought to protect the property where Il man
has invested in good faith bat all lie
wants is quiet, and 50 he is going to apply
fjr the subsidy he was thinking about


lie went back there last week in !,
couple of ships OF war. to prospect around
the coast for safe place for farm,
where he could be quiet; but another earth
quake came and hoiSted both IF the ships
out into one of the interior counties. and
he came near losing his life. So he has
given up prospecting in ship and is dis
couragcd


Well now he don't know what to do.
He has tried Walrus-ia; but the bears
kept after him 50 much and kept him 50
on the jump. as it were, that he had to
eive the country. He cou not be quie:
there. with those bears prancing after
HIM all the time. That is how he came
to 20 to the new island we have boughi-
st. Thomas But he is getting to think
St. Thomas is not quite enough for man
Of his turn of mind. aud that is WHY liz
wishes me to find out If government is
Likely to buy some more islands shortly
He has heard that government is talking
of buying Porto Rico if it is quiet place
How is Porto Rico for this style of man
poyou think the government will buy it ?
MARK TWAIN.