Year: 1867

MARX Twain, p" writes 10 the New YORK
Tribune, under date OF Washington, Deem
Der 10, 1867, as follows:


Could you give me any information re-
specting such islands, if any, as the Govern.
ment is going to purchase? 1t is an uncle
of mine that wants to know. lie is an in
dustrious man, and well-disposed, and wants
to make living in an honest, humble way,
but more especially he wants 10 be quiet.
He wishes to settle down and be quiet and
unostentatious. He has been 10 the new
Island-st. Thomas-but he says he thinks
things are unsettled there. He went there,
carly, with an attache OF the State Depart
ment, who YVES sent down with money 10
pay for the island. My uncle had his money
In the same box, and SO whom they went
ashore, getting receipt, the sailors broke
open the box and took all the money, not
making any distinction between Government
money, which was legitimate money to be
stolen, and my uncle's, which was his own
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 somehow he got tho other
six. He is not kind of man that enjoys
levers, though be is well-meaning, and al
ways does what he thinks is right, and SO
he was good deal annoyed when 1t appear
ed that he wis going 10 die.


But ho worried through and got well, and
started farm. He fenced 1t IN, and the
next day that great storm came and washed
the most of il over to Gibraltar, or around
there somewhere. He only said, in his pa.
tent way, that it was gone, and he wouldn't
bother about trying TO find out where il went
TO, though 1t was his opinion it went 10 Glib
raltar.


Then he invested in mountain, and
started furm up there, SO as to be out of
the way when the sea came ashore again.
1t was good mountain and a good farm;
but it wasn't any use. An earthquake came
the next night and 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 10 law, and lie would not do
that, because his main object in going to
81. Thomas was TO be quiet All that he
wanted was to settle down and be quiet.


He thought it all over, and finally he con-
eluded to try the low ground again, espe-
cially as he wanted TO start brickyard this
time. He bought flat and put out 10, 600
bricks 10 dry preparatory to baking them.
But luck appeared to be against him. A
volcano showed itself through there that
night, and elevated his brickyard about 2, 900
feet in the air. Ii irritated him good deal.
He has been up there, and says the bricks
are all baked right enough, but he can't get
them down. AT first he thought may be
Government would get the bricks down for
him, because il Government bought the
island 1t ought to protect the property where
a man has invested in good faith; but all he
wants is quiet, and SO he is not going to
apply for the subsidy he was thinking about.
He went back there last week IN couple
OF ships of war, 10 prospect around the
coast for safe place for farm, where he
could be quiet; but another earthquake came
and hoisted both of the ships out into one o.
the interior counties, and he came neal
losing his life. So he has given up prospect
ing In a ship, and is discouraged. Well
now he don't. know what to do. He hal
tried Walrussia; but the bears kept aflel
I him so much, and kept him so on the jump
as it were, that he had 10 leave the country
4 He could not be quiet there, with those
bears prancing after him all the time. Tina
/ is how he came to 60 to the new island We
g have bought-St. Thomas. But heis getting
TO think St. Thomas is not quiet enough fol
man of his turn of mind, and that is why
he wishes me to find out if Government II
likely TO buy some more islands shortly


He has heard that Government is thinking
about buying Porto Rico. If that is true hi
, wishes to try Porto Rico if it is quiet place
: How is Porto Rico for this style of a man
h Do you think the Government will buy III