University of Virginia Library

I need not have hurried
here so fast, but I didn't know
that. All passages had to be se-
cured & the Twelve hundred & fifty
dollars fare paid in to-day the
15th, for the Holy Land Excursion,
& so I had to be here I thought —
but the first man I met this
morning was the chief of the
Alta bureau with a check
for $1,250 in his hand & a tele-
graphic dispatch from the
proprietors of the Alta say-
ing "Ship Mark Twain in the
Holy Land Pleasure Excursion
& pay his passage." So we
just went down & attended to the
matter. We had to wait awhile,
because the chief manager was
not in & we did not make our-
selves known. A newspaper
man came in to get & asked
how many names were booked
& what notabilities were going, &

a fellow (I don't know who he
was, but he seemed to be connected
with the concern,) said "Lt. Gen. Sher-
man, Henry Ward Beecher & Mark
Twain are going, & probably Gen.
Banks!" I thought that was very good — an exceedingly good joke for a poor ignorant clerk.

When my jolly old Captain
came in, we squared accounts &
then went down to look at the
ship (steamer Quaker City.) She is
a right stately looking vessel.

My book will probably
be in the booksellers' hands in
about two weeks. After that
I shall lecture. Since I have
been gone, the boys have gotten
up a "call" on me, signed by about
200 Californians.

Don't forget to remember me
to Essie, & "Lou" & all the folks at 1312,
— & tell my pet, Annie, that I will write
her just as soon as the press of
business is over. I will write Katie
Lampton, too.

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