speaking of miscegenation:-- these discussions always remind me of one of my favorite all-time books in our field, TO WAKE THE NATIONS by Eric Sundquist, and the material there on Plessy vs. Ferguson: On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy boarded a car of the East Louisiana Railroad that was designated by whites for use by white patrons only. Although Plessy was one-eighth black and seven-eighths white, under Louisiana state law he was classified as an African-American, and thus required to sit in the "colored" car. The shameless supreme court voted 7-1 that this logic was fine with them. As Sundquist argues, this and other similar incidents are certainly on Twain's mind around the time of composing his tale. Harold K. Bush, Ph.D St. Louis, MO 63108