I can't remember ever hearing that he played the banjo.  Just recently a
friend lent me his copy of a Mark Twain edition in 1929 which included an
article by Cyril Clemens talking about visiting the Gilles family in our
California foothills.  I'd love to hear that it is TRUE Mark Twain played
the banjo.  Can any of you confirm or deny this story?  It is the bass
voice and the banjo playing that has me interested.

Here are the notes I made:

Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine  April 1929
Founded by Bret Harte in 1868

Mark Twain Number
Vol 87 April 1929 No. 4
price 25 cents

page  116  Article by Cyril Clemens
"A Visit to Mark Twain's Country"
127 cont.
Author visited Tuttletown, (or Turtletown) where Bill Gillis lived.  Mr &
Mrs Gillis (he 90) told stories they remembered of Mark Twain's visits.
One incident involving two local girls, "The Chapperal Quails" two sisters
who lived not far away.  Sam and Bill took them for a walk one Sunday
afternoon and got lost, not returning til 11PM!  The mother blamed Sam
saying they'd been out with Bill Gillis before and were never late.

"Sam saw that his presence was no longer desired, and was casting one final
despairing glance around the room preparatory to his departing, when his
gaze lighted upon a banjo.  Snatching this up quickly he began to play such
favorite airs as, "Fly Away, Pretty Moth" and "Araly's Daughter"  He sang
so well__Sam had an excellent bass voice--that before long the household
was in tears.  Sam and Bill then arose to depart, but the mother said that
she couldn't let them go without a bit to eat.  They heard a chicken squawk
in the kitchen and in about twenty minutes the old lady came in with a
large plater of fried chicken and a plate of biscuits.

As they were going home Bill said to Sam:

"Well, you saved your bacon."

"Saved my bacon," Sam replied indignantly, "that was the best fried chicken
I have ever eaten in my life,""

Gillis also pointed out a large bed in the cabin and said they used to
sleep in it during his visit.  "Sam always slept on the outside so he could
be near his pipe and tobacco which he smoked incessantly.  Gillis said that
Sam was extremely ticklish and used to get terribly provoked when Bill
would torment him by tickling."

Look forward to enlightenment,
Arianne Laidlaw