Friends, Wanted to pass this along: Frank and Donna Salter have loaned
(for as long as Regina Faden is associated with the museum) their copy
of the justice of the peace records of John Marshall Clemens.  I
understand they are being transcribed and will be available to the
public.  (Lots of sleepy collections cases as well as minor infractions
and the case of Henry the slave getting his lashes.)  They are partial
records from JMC's tenure as JP.   There was a nice ceremony for the
presentation.  Frank and Donna Salter are a couple of generous,
community-minded people here in Hannibal.  You can find a warm editorial
in yesterday's Hannibal Courier Post about them.
    Bruce Michelson was the speaker for the birthday celebration for
Sam.  He gave an outstanding talk drawn from his new book Printer's
Devil, Mark Twain and the American Publishing Revolution.  He did a
great job of linking Twain to the communications revolution that is
still reverberating throughout society
    As long as I'm posting,  Doug Brinkley's op-ed piece in the
Washington Post has a reference to Twain as leader of the
anti-imperialists.  I found it particularly interesting as I am wading
through Charles Maier's essay, Among Empires, American Ascendancy and
its Predecessors.  (please note: though I haven't finished it, I checked
the index and Maier wrote an entire book purportedly about America and
history and failed to cite to Twain once!  Obviously Maier lacks the
gravitas I expect of an American historian.  I'll finish it anyway.)
    Terrell