In my article I explain all of that in detail, just as you say, but leeward 
(pronounced "loowerd") scuppers were in fact treated like sewer drains on 
19th century sailing vessels. When a ship's cook would gut fish they'd do it 
by the lee scuppers so the entrails could be washed overboard.

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: "Kenneth M. Sanderson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2013 2:46 PM
Subject: Re: A New Theory on "Mark Twain" |


> Kevin,
>
> You'd be off the mark if you identified a lee scupper as a sewer drain.  A
> scupper is an opening in the ship's side at deck level to allow water on
> the deck to drain over the side.  A lee scupper is a scupper on the 
> leeward
> (downwind, and thus the "downhill" side of the deck) side of the vessel.
> In rough weather, a ship might take water on deck in rough weather, and
> the water would drain off the deck through the lee scuppers.
>
> Pretty finnicky, but I can't help it.  I'm an editor, by inclination and 
> by
> twaining.
>
> Ken Sanderson
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 10:58 AM, Kevin Mac Donnell <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> A story about my Mark Twain Journal article on the origins of Mark 
>> Twain's
>> nom de plume has appeared on the LA Review of Books. Here's the link:
>>
>> http://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/a-new-theory-on-mark-twain
>>
>> He does a very nice job of explaining my wonky research to a broader
>> readership, although true Twainians should all be loyal subscribers to 
>> the
>> Mark Twain Journal and read the original.  There is one typo in his
>> piece --"mark two" should read "mark 2." I suppose I'd also change 
>> "drain"
>> to "sewer drain" for clarity.
>>
>> 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
>>
>
>
>
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