Page 41 - 2009 DT 7 issues

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Sam Clemens...................................1

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News & Notes.................................2
Programs & Hikes...........................4
June 2009 Desk Schedule...............................6
Bulletin Board................................8

Sam Clemens, Florida, Missouri where he had set up in music and story telling. He was
a successful store. Although John ini- a sickly child, but soon found ways
part 1
tially helped his brother-in-law in the of making himself the center of at-
by Dan Wray store, he soon set up a law practice and traction. He was a great mimic and
began to dabble in politics, becoming very mischievous.
oday, identity theft is a big a Monroe County Court Judge. The birth of a brother, Henry,
problem. Losing one’s identity
It was here that Sam was born in brought a challenge to Sam’s position
Tcan be traumatic, but would it the modest family home. The dour as center of attraction and he began to
be any less traumatic to lose it volun- sleepwalk. His mother attributed
tarily? Our subject did just that. this to second sight rather than
The premature baby born to John any psychological problem. One
Marshall Clemens and his wife on night, Sam went into the room
th
30 November 1835 was heralded by where his sister Margaret lay
Halley’s Comet. Little did the proud ill and touched the bedclothes.
parents know that their son was to Margaret died within days and the
become perhaps the most brilliant star episode served only to reinforce
of American Literature.
his mother’s attribution. Perhaps
John Clemens named his son she made too much of this to
Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Sam’s Sam. Certainly when later Sam’s
father had ambitions and pretensions brother Ben died, Sam took
which, for the greater part of his life, this very much to heart and felt
were beyond his means. Sam’s mother,
somehow responsible. Margaret’s
Jane, claimed to have descended from death was followed by another
minor British Royalty, although she unsettling event for Sam. The
came from an impoverished family. family moved to Hannibal where
Nevertheless it was a happy marriage Sam had his first introduction to
which Sam later described as courte-
the Mississippi.
ous and considerate. Each member of the family
The family led a somewhat attempted to contribute to the
nomadic existence, although John family finances. Sam’s brother,
managed to stay long enough in
Tennessee to become County Commis- Orion, got a job as a compositor
sioner for Fentress County and to start and his sister, Pamela, gave music
buying land. When the town declined lessons. Despite the family’s ever-
and with it, the legal work, the family character of his father and quiet tem- varying financial position, Sam was
was once more on the move. perament of his mother were more
This time they followed Jane’s than compensated for by the influence
sister and her husband John Quales to of the Quales family, who delighted Sam Clemens, continued on page 6