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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 28 September 2019
Young Sam Clemens’ signature found on Mark Twain Cave wall

By JIM SALTER named a National Historic
Associated Press Landmark, that writing on
Against all odds, what the walls was prohibited.
appears to be Samuel On July 26, Lovell and Cole-
Clemens’ signature from berd decided to search
his youth has turned up, again. While the scholars
scrawled on the wall of the in town for a symposium
Missouri cave he made fa- known as the Clemens
mous in “The Adventures of Conference toured the lit
Tom Sawyer.” portion of the cave, they
In the mid-1800s, long be- set out in a darkened area
fore he took on the pen known to have thousands
name Mark Twain, Clemens of signatures. Two men from
and his young pals romped the group tagged along.
around the cave near the The foursome had wan-
Mississippi River on the out- dered for only a few mo-
skirts of Hannibal. ments when Lovell made
As a group of Twain scholars her startling discovery. She
toured what is now known took cellphone photos and
as the Mark Twain Cave this immediately began shar-
summer, cave owner Linda ing them with experts to
Coleberd, self-proclaimed authenticate the signature.
“Twainiac” Cindy Lovell Lovell meanwhile took her
and two others broke off in In this Aug. 6, 2019 photo provided by David Leaning Samuel Clemens’ signature is seen inside the brother-in-law, David Lean-
search of the long-elusive Mark Twain Cave in Hannibal, Mo., Clemens’ boyhood home. ing, to the site with his high-
signature, which was long Associated Press resolution camera. His pho-
believed to be among the til weeks later that a high- the people and places he residents that draws hun- tos showed the word “Sam”
thousands of names signed resolution photo of the knew from the rough-hewn dreds of thousands of visi- or “Saml” (a common ab-
on the cave’s limestone signature revealed “Sam” river town were fodder for tors each year. Each adult breviation for Samuel in the
walls. As Coleberd waved etched at the same place, his most famous works. pays $19.95 for a one-hour mid-19th century) etched,
the group’s lone flashlight indicating the signature The cave itself became a cave tour. but not written, at the same
around an otherwise dark was that of the famed au- tourist destination after the Lovell and Coleberd have site. Lovell believes Clem-
area of the cave, Lovell thor and not a relative. 1876 publication of “The been searching for Clem- ens likely started to etch his
happened to catch the The signature was discov- Adventures of Tom Saw- ens’ signature for a quar- name, found it difficult, and
beam of light as it shined ered in July, but details yer,” as people flocked ter of a century. It was a wrote his last name “in a
on a signature: “Clemens,” weren’t announced until to the place that inspired daunting task. beautiful cursive” in pencil.
written in pencil. this week, only after several some of the book’s key ad- The cave’s size and popu- Two leading experts on
Lovell, former director of Twain experts were able to ventures — where Tom and larity made finding any hint Twain and his handwrit-
Hannibal’s Mark Twain Mu- study the signature and de- Becky got lost, where Tom of Clemens’ signature dif- ing — Auburn University
seum who now works in termine it was almost cer- and Huck found the trea- ficult because the brown at Montgomery professor
New Smyrna Beach, Flor- tainly real. sure box, and where Injun’ walls are covered with an emeritus Alan Gribben and
ida, couldn’t contain her Clemens was born in Flor- Joe died. estimated 250,000 names rare books collector and
excitement. ida, Missouri, in 1835, but Today, the cave, 3 miles (5 scrawled in everything dealer Kevin Mac Donnell
“I started yelling, ‘Clemens! his family moved to Han- kilometers) long, is among from pencil to candle wax of Austin, Texas — agreed
Clemens! I see Clemens!’” nibal when he was 4. He the most popular tourist to berry juice. It wasn’t un- the signature is likely
she recalled. It wasn’t un- stayed until he was 17, and sites in the town of 17,500 til 1979, after the cave was authentic.q

J. Lo, Shakira to perform at

Super Bowl halftime show

By MESFIN FEKADU the news. “Going to see a tour to celebrate her
AP Music Writer the world on fire,” Lopez 50th birthday, and her lat-
NEW YORK (AP) — Jenni- wrote. “It doesn’t get any est movie, “Hustlers,” has
fer Lopez and Shakira are bigger than this! So excit- been a box-office hit and
going to bring the heat to ed about getting on that has even earned her Os-
the 2020 Pepsi Super Bowl #SuperBowlLIV #PepsiHalf- car buzz. Shakira released
Halftime Show. time stage!” Shakira wrote. her first album in 1991 and
NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation Both Lopez and Shakira crossed over with 2001’s
announced Thursday that have had major success “Laundry Service,” which
the superstar performers, the pop and Latin charts featured the hits “When-
who have released mu- over the years with multiple ever, Wherever” and “Un-
sic in Spanish and English hit songs and albums. Lo- derneath Your Clothes.” This combination photo shows actress-singer Jennifer Lopez
since the 1990s, will per- pez released her multi-hit The singer topped the Hot performing at the Directv Super Saturday Night in Minneapolis
form on Feb. 2 at Hard debut in 1999 and topped 100 chart with the Wyclef on Feb. 3, 2018, left, and Shakira performing at Madison
Rock Stadium in Miami the Billboard Hot 100 chart Jean-assisted anthem Square Garden in New York on Aug. 10, 2018.
Gardens, Florida. with songs like “If You Had “Hips Don’t Lie.” Shakira Associated Press
Lopez and Shakira both My Love,” ‘’All I Have” and has won 11 Latin Gram- precedent for what this formance for the ages,”
posted a photo of them the remixes of “I’m Real” mys and three Grammys. show can become, and Todd Kaplan, Pepsi’s vice
standing side by side on and “Ain’t It Funny.” Lo- “These two remarkable we’re confident that this president of marketing,
social media to announce pez recently wrapped up artists are setting a new will be an incredible per- said in a statement.q