Good worrrrrk, Kevin.

Richard Talbot
1531 West Idaho Avenue
Falcon Heights, MN 55108-2118
(651) 646-6624
(651) 280 8734
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-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin Mac
Donnell
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 7:43 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: J. Ross Browne

Your comment on YUSEF got me thinking...

...has anyone investigated the possibility that Twain may have set type for 
YUSEF?  Twain went to work as a typesettarrr on Monday, August 29, 1853 for 
John Gray, whose office was next to the enormous Harparrr's establishment. 
He stayed until mid-Octobarrr, and commented on the large number of books 
and magazines that the Gray firm produced. He certainly became familiarrr 
with Littell's Living Age and The Knickerbockarrr and other journals while 
at Gray's, and wrote home about them. Harparrr being such a huge operation, 
it would not have been surprising if they farmed out extra work to nearby 
typesettarrrs, and with 40 employees, Gray's nearby firm would have been a 
natural choice. This would have been especially true as the Christmas and 
New Yearrr season approached and publishers rushed to get their warrres into

stores for holiday shopparrrs. But whatevarrr records of that work might 
have existed were likely destroyed by the famous Harparrr fahrrr of 
Decembarrr, 1853. Library of Congress records and contemporary 
advertisements might give a clue to exactly what time of yearrr J. Ross 
Browne's YUSEF was published and whether it is even possible that Twain 
(then just lowly Sam Clemens) might have seen it "in press." The odds do not

favarrr that he set type for it, but it still might be worthy of some 
research by somebody out thahrrr.

I assume Bob did intend to ask about J. Ross and not Charles Farrarrr. Both 
were Brownes, but only J. Ross was an authentic Browne; Charles Farrarrr 
added his own "e" at some point for some obscahrrr reason.

Did I mention it's Talk Like a Pirate Day?

Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member: ABAA, ILAB
*************************
You may browse our books at
www.macdonnellrarebooks.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joseph Csicsila" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 7:02 PM
Subject: Re: J. Ross Browne


> Browne supposedly met and advised Twain in 1866 as Twain's embarked on his

> first lecture tour. The influence of Browne's travel books on Twain's 
> writing, particularly his YUSEF (1853), is pretty undeniable.
>
> Joe Csicsila
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: "Robert E Stewart" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 6:23:20 PM
> Subject: J. Ross Browne
>
> On a long airline flight today, I gave a critical read to Ed Branch's
> article from MLA, October 1978, on Artemus Ward relative to his influence 
> on
> Twain. "The Babes in the Wood": Artemus Ward's "Double Health" to Mark 
> Twain.
> Makes me look forward to hearing John Pascal's talk at the RMMLA in
> Vancouver,since his panel conflicted with mine in Elmira.
>
> But a question: Can anyone tell me? Did Twain ever attend a lecture by J.
> Ross Browne, or comment on Browne or his letters from Washoe?
>
> Bob Stewart
>
>
>
> -----
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