Sam and Winnie's Birthday/ St Andrew's day in scotland

Dunan Castle-my little bit of Scotland 

To all our Scottish friends Happy St. Andrew's Day. St. A is the patron saint of Scotland and half a dozen or more European counties.

Perhaps more importantly, today is the anniversary of the birth of Samuel Clemons and Winston Churchill.


The 2 met twice and did not form a mutual admiration society.  Each felt he was the center of the known world, and didn't cotton to intruders.  Twain the older, and more experienced of the two men found listening to Churchill trying.  When asked about their first encounter, after a dinner in London, Churchill was effusive over their conversation.  Twain replied "I had a good smoke."

Whenever I'm asked who in history I would wish to have dinner with, my list ends with these two.  If you haven't yet read Cita Stelzer's "Dinner with Churchill" put it on your holiday shopping list, it makes a great winter read.

Toad

Uncle Jim

I had the privilege to attend a funeral recently, the burial held in the same cemetery where many of my kin are buried. It felt odd. I hadn't been there in over 40 years then twice in a month.

Last time I was there I liberated a brochure which included a map of where local notables were buried and highlights of the grounds. Amongst the finery is an art glass door on a mausoleum. The glass is from the private chapel of James Clemens Jr, of Saint Louis.

The chapel today

Clemens' door

Clemens was uncle to a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River. Those who recognize the name, may recall that the pilot served on the steamship Pennsylvania, and had set his younger brother Henry up as a mud clerk (apprentice) on the same boat. An altercation with the captain led the older brother to leave the boat while in New Orleans. The younger stayed on, with the two brothers planning to meet at their uncle Jim's house (ostensibly to worship in his private chapel).

Uncle Jim's house, chapel is on the right

While on its return to St. Louis, the Pennsylvania exploded, killing Henry. An event his brother blamed himself and for which he never forgave himself.

On this date in 1910 James Clemens Jr. of St. Louis would have received news his nephew, former river boat pilot, Samuel L. Clemens of Redding, Connecticut had died.

Of course we know him better as Mark Twain, the original Man in White.

Toad

Sam's Birthday

happy Birthday Mr. Clemons. I'm still wraslin with the Autobiography.

Toad

Rest in Peace

Today is the 100th anniversary of the death of Samuel L. Clemons.

Like many kids of my generation, my first exposure to Mark Twain was Hal Holbrook's portrayal on television. In the mid '60's PBS was littered with Hal doing his one man Twain show. I came to Mark Twain via television, not his books.



Later, I found his books. For the life of me I will never understand book censorship. Busybodies, and improvers annoy me to no end. One of the few things I am intolerant of is intolerance. I had to read his books just because. Whenever a self appointed do gooder tells me no, I say yes. Mark Twain's writings have become one of the treasures of my life.

I especially enjoy his later works, mostly short stories, but most of all the book, Twain's family waited until 1962 to publish, "Letters From The Earth".

This is Twain at his full element. Completed near his death, its a diatribe against organized religion, a parody of the the book of Exodus, and beautiful satire.

If you are unfamiliar with "Letters From The Earth", it is on line here.

As Mark Twain wrote, "Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand."

Toad