He makes the geographical connection himself;
see Barb Schmidt's entry on it from the NYTimes
in 1907:
 
_http://twainquotes.com/19070113.html_ 
(http://twainquotes.com/19070113.html) 
 
Roger Durrett
 
 
In a message dated 8/2/2010 9:14:34 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  dbrid4
[log in to unmask] writes:

I have  asked this previously, 3 or 4 years ago, but does anyone know of 
any  
comments Twain or SLC had about Lincoln?   Given that they lived  only 100 
miles 
apart when Sam was in Hannibal and that Twain commented on  everyone else 
who was 
anyone (or no one)  it is hard to find   anything that Twain said about the 
giant 
of the  prairie.  I  find that to be very curious, almost inexplicable, 
given 
their proximities  and their comparable positions in American history and 
culture.  





________________________________
From: Gretchen  Sharlow <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Fri,  July 30, 2010 11:12:58 AM
Subject: Re: Lincoln = the MT of our  politics?

Hi Hal and Folks,
The answer to question 1 is -  Yes, see Fred Kaplan's Lincoln: The 
Biography of 
A Writer.  It's an  excellent summer read!  

Enjoy,
Gretchen Sharlow

---- Harold Bush <[log in to unmask]> wrote:  
> Folks, as you all know, it was WDH who called our beloved MT the  
"Lincoln of
> our literature."
> 
> What I am wondering is  the extent to which it may be plausible to turn 
that
> around, and talk  about Lincoln as the "Mark Twain of our politics."
> 
> First,  does anyone know of any writing or criticism that makes that
>  connection?
> 
> Second, does anyone have any response or  corroboration for such a 
concept?
> 
> happy waning summer  days...
> 
> -- 
> Harold K. Bush, Ph.D
> Professor of  English
> Saint Louis University
> St. Louis, MO   63108
> 314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h)
>  <www.slu.edu/x23809.xml>