Explanatory Notes
Apparatus Notes
MTPDocEd
[begin page 383]
Eddypus Fragment

(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.”

Textual Commentary

The manuscript is copy-text; there are no textual notes.

[begin page 384]
Eddypus Fragment

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 solealteration in the MS purpose and function of furnishing light at night to an earthalteration 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-likealteration 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 ambushedemendation. 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: ‘Ifalteration in the MS you had a gasalteration in the MS contract to light a thousand citiesalteration 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.

Editorial Emendations Eddypus Fragment
  ambushed ●  abushed
Alterations in the Manuscript Eddypus Fragment
 the sole] ‘the’ interlined with a caret above canceled ‘a’.
 function . . . earth] originally ‘function—to furnish light’; ‘of’ interlined with a caret above canceled ‘—to’; the ‘ing’ of ‘furnishing’ squeezed in; ‘light’ followed by canceled ‘to the earth at night.’
 the unbusiness-like] follows canceled ‘in’.
 ‘If] the single quotation mark mended from double quotation marks.
 gas] interlined with a caret.
 cities] follows one or two wiped-out unrecovered letters.
 built?'] the question mark added.
 never . . . ruins.] originally ‘never to rise from its ruins more’; ‘more’ canceled then interlined with a caret to follow ‘never’; a period and quotation marks added after ‘ruins’; the quotation marks canceled.