Missouri Ruralist from Topeka, Kansas • 6

MISSOURI RURALIST May 23, 1912. The Mark Twain Home Old Home Presented to the City of Hannibal Marks Agricultural-Editorial Effort His Humor and Walter Williamss BY HARRY W. GRAHAM Mark Twains humor was simple and direct, never strained, and it has been described as a sort of good natured satire in which the reader could see his oavii absurdities reflected. As an after-dinner speaker he Avas in a class by himself. Walter Williams, Humorist.

As a humorist, Walter Williams is worthy of a state that produced a TAvain, Ilis is a kind of humor that shoAver, for lie lias a brain that sparkles. From an address delivered by Walter Williams several years ago in defense of The Missouri Dialect, the following is an excerpt: A Tribute to the Missouri Farmer. We are rural folk out in Missouri. We arc inclined to speak an archaic language. Let us consider its varied sources.

It is from the English of South and Middle England that the Sy ft vV Sy The Mark Twain homo, tlu old homo of his boyhood day a at 20(5 Hill street, Hannibal, wan purchased last sum wor by lion. George A. Mahan, who last Wednesday, May presented tho property to the city of Hannibal as a memorial in honor of tho oolobratod humorist and writer and speech maker. A great parade preceded the dedicatory exercises. Tin; line included business men, school children, the first regiment band, the commercial and tradesmens clubs of Hannibal, and was followed by carriages bearing lion.

Walter Williams, dean of the School of Jour-Kali sin, University of Missouri, who C'- ffatft. s.C yp Fan w' V. -s 4 'Ay Ijg'V' SvA PM tv PM Ay' 441 wyG' if 'ftH v.i I so without misgivings. Neither would a landsman take command of a ship without was in circumstances salary an object. He worked bard and after tho paper had gone to press, lie waited a day with some solicitude to sec if his effort would attract attention.

The next day lie began to have reasons secretly to be pleased with his effort. On going up the steps to liis office lie heard cheery voices and great laughter and as lie opened the door lie caught a glimpse of two rural-looking men both of whom plunged through the window with a great crash at the sight of him. Half ail hour later an old gentleman entered the office, lie took a seat, cleaned his spectacles and produced a copy of the paper, and asked Are you the new editor I said I Avas. Have you ever edited an agricultural paper before? No, 1 said; this is my first attempt. Wry likely.

Have you Had any experience in agriculture, practically? No; 1 believe I have not. Some instinct told me so, said the old gentleman. Then the old farmer proceeded to read from the paper the item that made him have the instinct: Turnips should never be pulled. It Injures them. It is much hotter to send a boy up and let him shake the tree.

Twain tried to convince the old farmer that the language was only a figurative speech. Anybody that knows anything Avill know that I meant that the boy should shake the vine, said TAvain and the old man got up and left. Soon after another farmer came in with a copy of the paper and indicating the paragraph, said: There, you wrote that? Bead it to me quick! Relieve me. I suffer. The article referred to read as sisfelsfrif 'V THE OLD MARK TWAIN HOME.

Presented to the city of Hannibal May 15, 1912, city. Within the home a bronze tablet bearing-a bust Mr. Mahan with an inscription. He wrote as follows; poverty is an incentive rather than a bar, and that by Hon. Geo.

A. Mahan of that of the humorist was placed by Mark Twains life teaches tlat any boy, however humble lii birth and surroundings, may by honesty and industry accomplish great things. bubbles oatt Avith Avit and good nature. It is said Mark TAvain had saich men as Walter Williams in mind Avlien he offered the following responsive toast Oil Babies Jt a earliest Missourians brought unchanged their language. They had come these earliest English speaking Missourians- from Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee.

There are yet more Missourians from Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, than banquet in 1879 in I from any other three American states, honor of General Grant at Chicago: if we except Illinois. These early Southerners brought their English speech from the Middle South of England the speech of Cambridge and Oxford and of Stratford-on-Avon. I have heard in Missouri and in other states an expression that may be dialect or slang, but Avhich to me at least ahvays suggests a smile. Speaking of visiting delegates, a good Avoman said: I can eat em but I cant sleep em. Indeed, much that we call peculiarly Missourian is common to all states belt ol NeAV England to even the pie It is evident that we are to have a backward season for grain.

Therefore it will be well for the farmer to begin setting out his cornstalks and planting his buckwheat-cakes in July instead of August. Concerning the pumpkin. This berry is a. favorite with the natives of the interior of New England, who prefer it to the gooseberry for the making of fruit-cake, and who likewise give it preference over the raspberry for feeding cows, etc. Among the three or four million cradles now rocking in thei land are some which this nation would preserve for ages as sacred things, if we could know which ones they are.

In one of these cradles the unconscious Farragut of the futue is at this moment teething; in another the future great historian is lying, busying himself with no profounder problem of state than what the mischief has become of his hair so early. Walter Williams is not a teller of other mens stories. He is a speaker who evolves his oavu stuff, Avrites it and speaks it. He makes his oavii epigrams and they come in a meteoric MARK TWAIN (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). made the principal address, and other prominent statesmen and speakers.

A tablet designed by 'Miss Schuyler Church and ordered by Mr. Mahan in commemoration of the dedication, was placed in the home. It bears an inscription telling of its presentation by Mr. Malian to the city of Hannibal as a memorial to Mark Twain. Below a likeness of the 'humorist are the words of the donor MARK TWAINS LIFE TEACHES THAT POVERTY IS AN INCENTIVE RATHER THAN A BAR; AND THAT ANY BOY, HOWEVER HUMBLE HIS BIRTH AND SURROUNDINGS, MAY BY HONESTY AND INDUSTRY.

ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS. The' photograph is one taken of Mark Twain during the last year of his life by Albert Bigelow Paine, and was presented by the executors of the Twain estate. The photograph of the old home, as it now appears, was taken in 1002 during a visit of the humorist to his old home. Mark Twain was one of Missouris most noted products. Among the many The excited feet and said: do.

I know I cause you have Avord for word. listener sprang to his There, there that will am all right now, be-read it just as I did, I thought I Avas crazy. My reason has stood the strain of one of your agricultural articles, and I knoAv that nothing can unseat it iioav. Good-bye, Sir. great men that have gone state his name is out from the and dear to live and will all localities Avhere the older survives uncorrupted by later admixture.

But, you say, there is one expression that is peculiarly Missourian, colloquial, provincial, if you please. You Missourians say you all. Yes, true. All Ave Missourians say you all. But so do all avIio get their English from the Seventeenth century direct and uncorrupted not Missourians alone.

Perhaps no single cause has served more to keep the English of the Seventeenth century some of its phrases in the common speech of the people than the reading of the old Book. Physiologists tell us of rare occasions when the heart of a man may be seen to beat. I have seen the heart-beat of a real Missouri home. And out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. It Avas in an humble farm home one of the thousands upon which the Old Missouri is builded and the Ngav.

The farmer sat by the fireside the wide-throated fireplace heaped high Avith Avood as in the yesterday. His cheeks Avere ruddy with the days toil, his hair silvered with the weight of years. Magazines were on the table and books upon the shelves. The farmers wife, busy with her sewing, their broAvn eyed daughter, their stalwart son, and the stranger within the gates, Avere with him in the home. We talked that night of high things, of duty, desire and destiny.

The evening slipped rapidly aAvay. In a pause in the conversation the old farmer lifted his eyes to his daughter, she walked across the room to a bookshelf in a corner and took therefrom an old volume, its large (Continued on Page 9.) every Missouri household as long as history. The selection of Walter Williams to deliver the principal address was an honor well bestowed.1 The ceremonies were held in front of -the old home and a large crowd Avas in" attendance. I As An Agricultufal Editor. I Mark Twains first literary venture! was at the age of when, as he says, I did my first newspaper scribbling.

I was a printers devil and a progressive and aspiring one, on my uncles paper, the Weekly Hannibal Journal. lie advanced rapidly and a few years biter when his uncle wanted to take a weeks vacation he asked Mark if lie thought he could get out the next weeks issue. Mark took the respon sibilitv and his uncle left town. The result was sensational, for he says, most, unexpectedly to me it stirred up a fine sensation in the community. In after years he was called upon to take temporary charge and editorship an agricultural paper.

I did not do THE EARLY HOME OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, HANNIBAL, MO. (Huckleberry Finn was the companion of Mark Twain in his bojhood days.).