“At Tacoma early this morning Mr. S. E. Moffett, of the San Francisco
_Examiner_, appeared. He is ‘Mark’s’ nephew and resembles his uncle very
much. On his arrival ‘Mark’ took occasion to blaspheme for a few
minutes, that his relative might realize that men are not all alike. He
cursed the journey, the fatigues and annoyances, winding up by
acknowledging that if everything had been made and arranged by the
Almighty for the occasion, it could not have been better or more
comfortable, but he ‘was not travelling for pleasure,’ etc.
“He and I reached Portland on time, 8:22, and found the Marquam Grand
packed with a waiting audience and the sign ‘Standing Room Only’ out.
The lecture was a grand success. After it ‘Mark’s’ friend, Colonel Wood,
formerly of the United States army, gave a supper at the Portland Club,
where about two dozen of the leading men were entertained for two hours
with ‘Mark’s’ story-telling. They will remember that evening as long as
they live. There is surely but one ‘Mark Twain.’
* * * * *
“Saturday, August 10th, Portland to Olympia.
“Smoke, smoke, smoke! It was not easy to tear ourselves away from
Portland so early. _The Oregonian_ contains one of the best notices that
‘Mark’ has had. He is pleased with it, and is very jolly to-day.
“We left for Olympia at eleven o’clock, via Northern Pacific Railroad.
Somehow ‘Mark’ seems to grow greater from day to day. Each time it
seemed as though his entertainment had reached perfection, but last
night surpassed all. A gentleman on the train, a physician from
Portland, said that no man ever left a better impression on a Portland
audience; that ‘Mark Twain’ was the theme on the streets and in all
business places. A young reporter for _The Oregonian_ met ‘Mark’ as he
was boarding the train for Olympia, and had probably five minutes’ talk
with him. He wrote a two-column interview which ‘Mark’ declared was the
most accurate and the best that had ever been reported of him.
“On the train a bevy of young ladies ventured to introduce themselves to
him, and he entertained them all the way to Olympia, where a delegation
of leading citizens met us, headed by John Miller Murphy, editor of the
oldest paper in Washington. They met us outside the city, in order that
we might enjoy a ride on a new trolley car through the town. As ‘Mark’
stepped from the train, Mr. Miller said:
“‘Mr. Twain, as chairman of the reception committee, allow me to welcome
you to the capital of the youngest and most picturesque State in the
Union. I am sorry the smoke is so dense that you cannot see our
mountains and our forests, which are now on fire.’
“‘Mark’ said: ‘I regret to see--I mean to learn (I can’t see, of course,
for the smoke) that your magnificent forests are being destroyed by
fire. As for the smoke, I do not so much mind. I am accustomed to that.
I am a perpetual smoker myself.’
* * * * *
“Monday, August 12th, Tacoma, Wash.--The Tacoma.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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