Smith's book is a good read on this subject. And it's online for free, use the shortcut URL: https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0807132330 Then at the book, search for Lincoln. It is, overall, an interesting book of antebellum Mississippi River life. Bob Stewart In a message dated 1/29/2015 7:41:40 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: With respect to Kevin's question about Mississippi literature, anyone inter= ested should consult Thomas Ruys Smith's _River of Dreams: Imagining the Mi= ssissippi Before Mark Twain_ (LSU Press). Tom's research is impeccable. = =0A= =0A= --LH=0A= =0A= Larry Howe=0A= Professor of English=0A= Chair, Department of Literature and Languages=0A= Roosevelt University=0A= =0A= Fulbright Distinguished Chair in American Studies, Syddansk Universitet--Od= ense, 2014-15=0A= ________________________________________=0A= From: Mark Twain Forum <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Kevin Mac Donnell <i= [log in to unmask]>=0A= Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 9:27 AM=0A= To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Connection between Twain and Lincoln=0A= =0A= I agree with Larry Howe=3DE2=3D80=3D99s fine posting I decided to go ahead = and =3D=0A= send this private message to the list after reading his comment. Being a = =3D=0A= private message to a colleague it=3DE2=3D80=3D99s a little sharper in tone = =3D=0A= than a public message, but what the heck. The only change I might make =3D= =0A= is to suggest that some might prefer a different beverage than DP. =3D20=0A= =0A= Kevin=0A= @=0A= Mac Donnell Rare Books=0A= 9307 Glenlake Drive=0A= Austin TX 78730=0A= 512-345-4139=0A= Member: ABAA, ILAB=0A= *************************=0A= You may browse our books at:=0A= www.macdonnellrarebooks.com=0A= =0A= I was tempted to post something about it to the MTF but they=3DE2=3D80=3D99= ve =3D=0A= heard enough from me this week.=0A= =0A= The first edition of Howells=3DE2=3D80=3D99 Lincoln bio was 170pp. and got = a =3D=0A= small circulation, although the edition size is unknown. The expanded =3D= =0A= edition was over 400pp. and was widely circulated (cf BAL). Extracts may = =3D=0A= have appeared in newspapers; in fact I=3DE2=3D80=3D99d be more surprised if= =3D=0A= they didn=3DE2=3D80=3D99t, but that=3DE2=3D80=3D99s easy enough to verify. = Whether =3D=0A= Lincoln=3DE2=3D80=3D99s raft story appeared in either, or both, or neither = of =3D=0A= those editions I have no idea. I=3DE2=3D80=3D99m doubtful Twain ever read t= he =3D=0A= thing, but if an extract with the raft story from Howells=3DE2=3D80=3D99 = =3D=0A= Lincoln bio (or the other one) appeared in a newspaper where Twain was =3D= =0A= likely to have seen it, then one could speculate. But comparing this to =3D= =0A= Twain=3DE2=3D80=3D99s likelihood of seeing Vanity Fair in Virginia City is = =3D=0A= comparing apples and oranges. Just because such an extract from =3D=0A= Howells=3DE2=3D80=3D99 Lincoln bio appeared in a city where Twain might hav= e =3D=0A= seen it does not make it likely that he did; he had no compelling reason = =3D=0A= to read every issue of every paper in every city he visited at that time = =3D=0A= in his life. But in Virginia City he was a reporter and one of his major = =3D=0A= chores was to scour over magazines and newspapers from the exchange =3D=0A= system (he used a knife instead of scissors according to a witness) and =3D= =0A= there is strong evidence that exchange files of that magazine were at =3D= =0A= his disposal as well as being sold from a news-stand in Virginia City. =3D= =0A= In the end I think it may depend on how closely the Lincoln raft story =3D= =0A= parallels the HF raft story. I think the more interesting question is =3D= =0A= what =3DE2=3D80=3D9CMississippi raft literature=3DE2=3D80=3D9D =3DE2=3D80= =3D93for lack of =3D=0A= a better name=3DE2=3D80=3D94 had appeared before HF and how it was received= =3D=0A= and which ones Twain might have seen. If the studies of Twain=3DE2=3D80=3D9= 9s =3D=0A= humor in the context of southwestern humor are valid, then a study of =3D= =0A= =3DE2=3D80=3D9CMississippi raft literature=3DE2=3D80=3D9D would be equally = valid =3D=0A= =3DE2=3D80=3D93the evidence is no better or worse. No Davy Crockett =3D=0A= autobiographies or almanacs, or Sut Lovingood books survive from =3D=0A= Twain=3DE2=3D80=3D99s library, and I own the only annotated Artemus Ward bo= ok =3D=0A= from Twain=3DE2=3D80=3D99s library (which doesn=3DE2=3D80=3D99t exactly con= firm the =3D=0A= claims of various scholars since it=3DE2=3D80=3D99s an 1870 edition), but = =3D=0A= nobody questions those influences on his writings. My reaction to all of = =3D=0A= this is that instead of refusing to read others=3DE2=3D80=3D99 research or = =3D=0A= taking uninformed potshots at the work of others, it would be more =3D=0A= useful if some Twainians buckled down and started investigating the =3D=0A= field of =3DE2=3D80=3D9CMississippi raft literature=3DE2=3D80=3D9D and see = what they =3D=0A= find. Like the research you and I do, they could spend hours and even =3D= =0A= days and find nothing, or they might discover something that contributes = =3D=0A= to what we know about Twain. It=3DE2=3D80=3D99s all right in front of them = =3D=0A= =3DE2=3D80=3D93all they need to do is pour a Dr Pepper, keep a pad of post-= it =3D=0A= notes at the ready, and start typing. =3D20=