I've been reading "Newspaper Articles by Mark Twain" for Librivox.org and came across the fact that Samuel Clemens apparently first spoke before a large audience on January 27th, 1864. On the following day, in the Territorial Enterprise, datelined Carson City, he wrote: "I delivered that message last night, but I didn't talk loud enough— people in the far end of the hall could not hear me. They said "Louder— louder," occasionally, but I thought that was a way they had—a joke, as it were. I had never talked to a crowd before, and knew none of the tactics of the public speaker. I suppose I spoke loud enough for some houses, but not for that District Court room, which is about seventy- five feet from floor to roof, and has no ceiling. I hope the people will deal as mildly with me, however, as I did with the public officers in the annual message. Some folks heard the entire document, though—there is some comfort in that. ..."