RE: Artemus Ward Not only did Ward play a role within the environment of Twain's early career. Twain announced his connection to Ward explicitly in his inaugural "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog." The frame for this tale is a letter Twain wrote to "Mr. A. Ward" acknowledging that Ward had directed him to look up Leonidas W. Smiley--which the writer now suspects was a practical joke, a premise by which Twain would be subjected to Simon Wheeler's storytelling. Of course, the original query from the New Guy (there's a sobriquet that works, I suggest that its owner make the most of it) was about the influence of Charles Brockden Brown on Twain, of which I know none, unless you count an indirect influence by way of Poe. I doubt that C.B. Brown was even in print during Twain's life, or even mentioned in the latter half of the 19th century for Twain to have been aware of him. --LH At 09:08 AM 4/30/99 EDT, you wrote: >Artemus Ward -- Charles Farrar Browne -- >was also a 19th century humorist. > >As I recall, his eccentricities on the plat- >form and in his personal life make his >popularity back then unfathomable to >modern day readers. > >This is a man who used the same speech >year after year after year and began it with >the drop-dead laugh line "We are all descended >from our grandfathers." Try that out next time >you have to give a speech! Go figure. > >There is a famous picture taken of Mark Twain >in a three-shot with Josh Billings and Petroleum >V. Nasby where Twain is seen standing in the >center with the other two seated to his left and >right. He towers over them in the photo, just as >he does in talent and legacy. (See Kaplan, Mr. >Clemens and Mark Twain, p.216) Similarly, >Twain eclipses Ward. But their friendship went >back as far as the days out West, where they >were not only itinerant lecturers but drinking >buddies as well. > >The point being that in understanding Twain one >might do well to understand the context and >"characters" of his time. Ward plays a part in >that, thereby making Twain's life and achievement >all the more remarkable by comparison. > >One man's opinion. > >Regards, >Roger Durrett >