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[written by Enterprise Staff]
Mark Twain we have a right to claim as a Washoe humorist, and claiming him let us not fail to do what we can to encourage him by showing him that we appreciate his efforts to amuse and instruct us. He comes back to us after many wanderings by sea and land in foreign countries, with his mind and portfolio enriched with choice collections of fact and fancy gleaned in places holy and not holy. He is a living budget of not the jokes of all nations but of jokes upon all nations, suggested by their peculiarities of manners, customs, and appearance. We predict for him the most crowded and brilliant audience of the season. All who have ever seen or heard of Mark Twain and his genius as a brilliant descriptive writer, wit, and humorist - and who has not? - will desire to go with him aboard the Quaker City, carpet bag in hand, and gaze on the sleek faces and heads of the pious pilgrims to the Holy Land, all as yet unafflicted with the wilting nausea of sea-sickness, and looking forward with godly and courageous eyes toward the sacred soil and cities of the country in which scriptures were born; all will wish to accompany Mark to Palestine and ramble with him among the musty old palaces, churches, and tombs - in short, all will wish to follow him wherever he goes. As his followers will be many, let those who do not desire to be left behind on the voyage go early tomorrow and secure seats for the through trip.
[reprinted in Mark Twain in Nevada, Effie Mona Mack, (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1947), pp. 351-52.]
