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Directory of Mark Twain's maxims, quotations, and various opinions:

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NOAH

As for the dinosaur--But Noah's conscience was easy; it was not named in his cargo list and he and the boys were not aware that there was such a creature. He said he could not blame himself for not knowing about the dinosaur, because it was an American animal, and America had not then been discovered.
- "Adam's Soliloquy"

Such is the human race. Often it does seem such a pity that Noah and his party did not miss the boat.
- Christian Science

Even Noah got no salary for the first six months--partly on account of the weather and partly because he was learning navigation.
- Mark Twain in Eruption

Adam and Noah were ancestors of mine. I never thought much of them. Adam lacked character. He couldn't be trusted with apples. Noah had an absurd idea that he could navigate without any knowledge of navigation, and he ran into the only shoal place on earth.
- speech, November 9, 1901. Reported in The New York Times, November 10, 1901

In the Commodore's jacket
Photo of Clemens at Stormfield 1908 in
Commodore Dow's jacket.
Dow was captain of the Lusitania. Clemens borrowed the uniform for this photo.
From the Dave Thomson collection

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