(1901–1902)
Mark Twain probably intended to insert this untitled fragment in his “Eddypus” manuscript; however he failed to indicate where it should be placed, and the writing materials are so common that it cannot be determined whether the fragment was written during the composition of Book 1 or Book 2.
This brief section is interesting for its quotation of “one S. L. Clemens” by the Bishop (who in “Eddypus” is “Mark Twain,” as remembered a thousand years later). Clemens himself thus appears as the ultimate authority on that time of most ancient record, the nineteenth century. In “Eddypus” the future historian relies heavily on the writings of the Bishop; here it is disclosed that the Bishop quotes Clemens “with . . . much frequency and confidence.”
Elsewhere in his book the Bishop quotes this remark from one S. L. Clemens:
“While Herschel's mighty discoveries were new to the astonished world it was the privilege of Andrew Jackson to point out their destructive bearing upon the ancient and accepted theory that the stars had been devised and created for the soleⒶalteration in the MS purpose and function of furnishing light at night to an earthⒶalteration in the MS only six thousand years old. It being now known and proved that some of these lamps were so far away that it took their light two million years to reach the earth and do their office, the unbusiness-likeⒶalteration in the MS anomaly was presented of a lamp made and set going at great expense two million years before its light could become valuable. Andrew Jackson believed there was an improbability lurking here somewhere, and said so. He believed he knew where that improbability was ambushedⒶemendation. He said it was distinctly improbable that the stars [begin page 385] were created for the purpose claimed. He was a hard-headed, commercial-minded person, and he lit up his objection with this striking common-sense suggestion: ‘IfⒶalteration in the MS you had a gasⒶalteration in the MS contract to light a thousand citiesⒶalteration in the MS in the Sahara,’ said he, ‘would you put in the whole plant and start up the whole business now, or would you wait till some of the cities were built?’Ⓐalteration in the MS The world recognized the simple strength of the argument, and the venerable notion that the stars were created to give light to the earth went down with a crash, never more to rise from its ruins.Ⓐalteration in the MS In recognition of this important service to science he was chosen President in the ensuing election.”
Such is the version of Clemens. We do not know who he was, since the Bishop does not explain; but he must have known things which the Bishop was not certain about or he would not have quoted him with so much frequency and confidence.
The manuscript is copy-text; there are no textual notes.