Scott, These are wonderful, and always a joy to read. Thank you! Dusty Zima Elmira College On 3/20/15, Scott Holmes <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I cam across this "review" of the show quite by fortuitous circumstance. > I was inquiring of the archivist at Northwestern University, Evanston, > IL about the show in that town on January 18, 1885. They did a number > of searches and came up with several references about the students > preparing for the show but found nothing on the actual venue nor a > review of the show but they did find a review of the Ann Arbor show > published in their own newspaper. > > Northwestern: Date 12-19-1884, Page 2; Evanston, Illinois (copyright > NewsBank 2011) > > The Academy says that Mr. George W. Cable shares with Nathaniel > Hawthorne, Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Mr. Bret Harte, the > distinction of striking out a vein of indigenous American fiction, which > is no mere provincial copying of English literature, as the major part > of American fiction, which has not already copied these three, has > hitherto shown itself to be. Mr. Cable and Mark Twain seem to be making > a marked success of their new joint-combination venture, the author of > Creole Days providing the sober, and pathetic, and acting as a > safety-valve for the exuberant humor of his companion. All selections > are taken from the works of the lecturers. A week ago to-night they > succeeded in entertaining an audience of three thousand at University > Hall, Ann Arbor. It is reported that the audience not only greeted the > lecturers, but slapped them on the back, as it were, so enthusiastic was > its cordiality. The students generally, of whom the audience was > largely composed, abandoned themselves to the most thunderous laughter > every time Twain appeared on the stage; staid members of the University > Faculty, who always maintained a twenty degrees below zero countenance > in the classroom, laughed till they were out of breath; law professors, > wrapped up in ponderous legal volumes, and who have not been known to > smile in twenty-one years, fairly rolled off their seats from laughter > at every point Twain made. Even a couple of Japanese students, who, > although having a fair command of English, could not readily see the > incongruities of Twain's remarks, felt in duty bound to join in the > general feeling, and undoubtedly did their best, although several times > they broke forth in the wrong place to the astonishment of those about > them. Mr. Cable gave several selections from Dr. Sevier, and sung in a > fine tenor voice two Creole songs. He was well received, but Mark's > famous whistling story, and his wierd[sic] unearthly “Who-o-o-o's got my > go-o-o-o-old-en arm?” with its unexpected denouement brought down the > house. > > The Senior class has this popular combination billed for the evening of > January 19 next. Be sure and get your tickets. A limited number of > reserved seats is on sale at $1.00 per ticket. Unreserved tickets are > to be obtained for 75 cents. A. F. Mathews, Cornell University, '83, is > acting manager for Messrs. Twain and Cable. > > Courtesy of > Janet C. Olson > Assistant University Archivist > Northwestern University Library > > > > > -- > There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of > in your philosophy. > http://bscottholmes.com >