A student of mine had a question about Twain's use of Fingerprints in
_Pudd'nhead Wilson_.  It seems as if I have heard this answer discussed
somewhere before, but I can't remember so I told him I'd bring it to the
forum.

He asks:  Was this the first time fingerprints were widely discussed in
an American literary text?

Thanks for your input,

Carolyn L. Richey