Mark Twain Dies in Redding, April 21st, 1910

"The report of my death was an exaggeration."

Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835 and died in Redding, Connecticut on April 21, 1910.

His legacy stills lives, his popularity continues to grow, his writings are still being published and his quotes still ring true... I'd say it was an exaggeration too.

The Last Day at Stormfield
By Bliss Carman, Collier's Weekly

At Redding, Connecticut,
The April sunrise pours
Over the hardwood ridges
Softening and greening now
In the first magic of Spring.

The wild cherry-trees are in bloom,
The bloodroot is white underfoot,
The serene early light flows on,
Touching with glory the world,
And flooding the large upper room
Where a sick man sleeps.
Slowly he opens his eyes,
After long weariness, smiles,
And stretches arms overhead,
While those about him take heart.

With his awakening strength,
(Morning and spring in the air,
The strong clean scents of earth,
The call of the golden shaft,
Ringing across the hills)
He takes up his heartening book,
Opens the volume and reads,
A page of old rugged Carlyle,
The dour philosopher
Who looked askance upon life,
Lurid, ironical, grim,
Yet sound at the core.
But weariness returns;
He lays the book aside
With his glasses upon the bed,
And gladly sleeps. Sleep,
Blessed abundant sleep,
Is all that he needs.

And when the close of day
Reddens upon the hills
And washes the room with rose,
In the twilight hush
The Summoner comes to him
Ever so gently, unseen,
Touches him on the shoulder;
And with the departing sun
Our great funning friend is gone.

How he has made us laugh!
A whole generation of men
Smiled in the joy of his wit.
But who knows whether he was not
Like those deep jesters of old
Who dwelt at the courts of Kings,
Arthur's, Pendragon's, Lear's,
Plying the wise fool's trade,
Making men merry at will,
Hiding their deeper thoughts
Under a motley array,--
Keen-eyed, serious men,
Watching the sorry world,
The gaudy pageant of life,
With pity and wisdom and love?

Fearless, extravagant, wild,
His caustic merciless mirth
Was leveled at pompous shams.
Doubt not behind that mask
There dwelt the soul of a man,
Resolute, sorrowing, sage,
As sure a champion of good
As ever rode forth to fray.

Haply--who knows?--somewhere
In Avalon, Isle of Dreams,
In vast contentment at last,
With every grief done away,
While Chaucer and Shakespeare wait,
And Moliere hangs on his words,
And Cervantes not far off
Listens and smiles apart,
With that incomparable drawl
He is jesting with Dagonet now.

[Copyright, 1910, by Collier's Weekly.]

Mark Twain's Only Grandchild

If you are not a member of the Mark Twain Forum, I would highly recommend you sign-up today: http://www.twainweb.net/

The Mark Twain Forum is an e-mail list that includes all the World's top scholars and enthusiasts. Last week a true gem arrived from R. Kent Rasmussen. Mr. Rasmussen is an author of six book on Twain and is considered an authority in Mark Twain studies.

"A moment ago, I noticed that today's date is August 18 and recalled its significance in Clemens family history. As much was made of last year's centennial of Mark Twain's death, it may be worth mentioning that today is both the 115th anniversary of Susy Clemens death and the 101st anniversary of Mark Twain's only grandchild, Nina Gabrilowitsch's birth.

It's hard not to wonder what Mark Twain would have made of that coincidence."

He went on to wonder out loud where in the house Nina was born, noting that it was doubtful that Clara would use the same bed that her father had died in just months before.

That question was answered by Kevin Mac Donnell, a Twain collector and top-tier authority on both Mark Twain's works and his life.

"I have Nina's original birth certificate and it doesn't say. Clara's music room was over the loggia, but her bedroom was near the top of the stairs. It was roomy with a terrific view of the backyard, pergola, and Redding, and had it's own big bathroom, so I suspect that's where Nina made her debut. The bedroom, not the bathroom. I have a batch of letters from Clara from just before and after Nina's birth and no clues there either."

So, my mission for next August 18th is to have more information on where Nina Gabrilowitsch's birth took place at Stormfield.




A Photo shopped image I created to show Sam and Nina, side-by-side.

Linking Connecticut Towns to Mark Twain

I grew up in Redding, yet it was not until a recent discovery that I realized there was a connection between Redding and Easton outside of each town originally being a part of the Town of Fairfield and the Region #9 school district [Joel Barlow High School]. As I was digging through the Mark Twain Library archives last winter out popped a note about Samuel L. Clemens and his home written by Helen Keller in 1909. Having wondered why Helen Keller was named for the Middle School in Easton and feeling a little guilty for the jokes we made about the name in middle school I was drawn to the entry in his guestbook:

"I have been in Eden three days and I saw a King. I knew he was a King the minute I touched him. Though I had never touched a King before."

-A Daughter of Eve
Helen Keller, January 11, 1909

Ms. Keller was a fan of Redding, CT and the man known to the World as Mark Twain! After all she refers to Redding as "Eden" and Twain as a "King".

Several more file cabinets later I found the photo below:




In case it is tough to read I'll quote it:

"I have visited Stormfield [Twain's home in Redding] since Mark Twain's death [April,1910]. The flowers still bloom; the breezes still whisper and sough in the cedars, which have grown statelier year by year; the birds still sing, they tell me. But for me the place is bereft of its lover. The last time I was there, the house was in ruins. Only the great chimney was standing, a charred pile of bricks in the bright autumn landscape."

This is likely after 1923 when Stormfield burnt to the ground during renovation work.

During her lifetime, Helen Keller lived in many different places—Tuscumbia, Alabama; Cambridge and Wrentham, Massachusetts; Forest Hills, New York, but perhaps her favorite residence was her last, the house in Easton, Connecticut she called "Arcan Ridge."

The same can be said about Samuel L. Clemens...He too fell in love with his final residence and himself wrote:

"I bought this farm of 200 acres three years ago, on the suggestion of Albert Bigelow Paine [Biographer], who said its situation and surroundings would content me- a phophecy which came true 3 years later when I arrived on the grounds. John Howells, Architect + Clara Clemens + Miss Lyons planned the house without help or advice from me + began to build it in June 1907. When I arrived a year later it was all finished + furnished + swept + garnished + it was as homey + cozy + comfortable as if it had been occupied for a generation. This was the 18th of June of the present year [1908] I only came to spend the summer, but I shan't go away anymore."
December 29, 1908

He didn't go away again...he traveled to Bermuda several times but Redding was the last place he'd call home.

Two great Americans, two great towns.

This discovery highlights the great opportunity Connecticut has as we close in on the 100th anniversary of Twain's passing...the opportunity to link Twain to towns and cities across Connecticut.

An idea I've been working on for most of the summer is...

To showcase and celebrate Mark Twain's life in Hartford and Redding, Connecticut throughout the year 2010 to "Mark" the Centennial of his passing.

This will be accomplished by displaying portraits of him in every public library and/or public place, that wants to be a part of this celebration, along with photos and information about his life, his work and his friends in Connecticut.

The friends of Twain aspect is very important because it ties in many Connecticut towns to his life, which allows us to make others aware of these people and their accomplishments. With any luck it will spur community pride as well.

For example: In Easton, Connecticut we would include information & photos about his friendship with Helen Keller; In Ridgefield, Connecticut we'd highlight his friend, Cass Gilbert; In Bethel & Bridgeport, P.T. Barnum; In Norwalk, E.K. Lockwood; In Westport, Ned Wakeman; Cos Cob/Greenwich, Charles & Jean Webster; Saybrook, the Fenwick Hotel; Obviously the Hartford area has many friends.

I feel this idea can be greatly expanded upon once each town and their historians join me to offer their input and ideas...I'm hoping to make connections all over the State so please send names and ideas!

I will be providing the artwork, and Redding information to all public libraries and/or public places interested (free). My hope is that the Mark Twain House will provide some photos and information on Hartford and they have already reached out to me so that's moving in a positive direction.

The artwork: http://www.susandurkee.com/the-mark-twain-gallery.htm

I am also pursuing an official Mark Twain Day in Connecticut on April 21, 2010. If you feel this is a worthwhile effort, you can assist me in pursuing the "Mark Twain Day" idea by contacting Governor Rell's office and asking her to approve it. Governor.Rell@ct.gov

I can be reached at bcolley@colleyweb.com or by phone at 860-364-7475.

It should be great fun,
Brent M. Colley

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Video of Hal Holbrook speaking at the site of the Mark Twain Study at Quarry Farm, Elmira, New York. Hal Holbrook discusses meeting with Clara Clemens during the Elmira Conference.

Why Do You Study Twain? An interesting question and answer video from the attendees of the 2009 Mark Twain Elmira Conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sQCclY-iUY

Attendeees answering in order of appearance:

Bruce Michelson
Patti Philippon
Barb Taylor
Gretchen Sharlow
Jeff Melton
Joe Csicsila
Tom Quirk
Chad Rohman
Lou Budd
Kerry Driscoll
Sharon McCoy
Alan Gribben
Cameron Nickels
Joe Alvarez
Ann Ryan
David L. Smith
Hal Bush
Michael Kiskis (w/ Ann Ryan)
Jan McIntire-Strasburg
Judith Yaross Lee (w/Joe Csicsila)
Jim Caron
Gregg Camfield
Shelley Fisher Fishkin
Hal Holbrook


I study Twain because I am intrigued by his life, especially the final years of his life- 1905-1910, and I find his maxims, quotations, and various opinions interesting, thought provoking and accurate.

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
- Mark Twain, a Biography

When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.
- Notebook, 1898

Stormfield Guestbook

Guestbook's Opening Pages-

I bought this farm of 200 acres three years ago, on the suggestion of Albert Bigelow Paine, who said its situation and surroundings would content me- a prophecy which came true 3 years later, when I arrived on the ground. John Howells, architect and Clara Clemens and Miss Lyon planned the house without help from me, and began to build it in June 1907. When I arrived a year later it was all finished and furnished and swept and garnished and it was as homey and cozy and comfortable as if it had been occupied a generation. This was the 18th of June in the present year [1908] I only came to spend the summer, but I shan't go away anymore.

We installed a guest-book June 27th and used it until four days ago, when this new and more satisfactory one arrived from the hand of my niece Mary Rogers and put it out of commission. I have transferred the names from that one to this one. The autographing of signatures will now be resumed. Has been resumed, I should say: that charming Billie Burke was the first guest to arrive after the coming of the book, and she inaugurated the resuming, her signature heads the page under the date of December 27.
S.L. Clemens
Dec. 29, 1908



In peace and honor rest you here, my guest; repose you here,
Secure from worldly chances and mishaps!
Here lurks no treason, here no envy swells,
Here grows no damned grudges; here are no storms,
No noise, but silence and eternal sleep:
In peace and honor rest you here, my guest!

Titus Andronicus, Act I, Scene I

Helen Keller's entry January 11, 1909:



"I have been in Eden three days and I saw a King. I knew he was a King the minute I touched him though I had never touched a King before."
-A daughter of Eve.
Helen Keller Jan. 11

The guestbook at the Mark Twain Library is in fair shape and it is a copy. It is noted as being given to the library in 1935. The original is with UC Berkeley.

He [Sam] notes and writes about Angelfish in the book. He notes them with an M.A. for Members of the Aquarium. More on them will come in the next post...the dog wants a walk.

Brent
HistoryofRedding.com