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About a year after little Margaret was born； John Clemens gave up
Jamestown and moved his family and stock of goods to a point nine miles
distant； known as the Three Forks of Wolf。 The Tennessee land was safe；
of course； and would be worth millions some day； but in the mean time the
struggle for daily substance was becoming hard。
He could not have remained at the Three Forks long； for in 1832 we find
him at still another place； on the right bank of Wolf River； where a
post…office called Pall Mall was established； with John Clemens as
postmaster； usually addressed as 〃Squire〃 or 〃Judge。〃 A store was run in
connection with the postoffice。 At Pall Mall； in June； 1832； another
boy； Benjamin； was born。
The family at this time occupied a log house built by John Clemens
himself； the store being kept in another log house on the opposite bank
of the river。 He no longer practised law。 In The Gilded Age we have
Mark Twain's picture of Squire Hawkins and Obedstown； written from
descriptions supplied in later years by his mother and his brother Orion；
and； while not exact in detail； it is not regarded as an exaggerated
presentation of east Tennessee conditions at that time。 The chapter is
too long and too depressing to be set down here。 The reader may look it
up for himself； if he chooses。 If he does he will not wonder that Jane
Clemens's handsome features had become somewhat sharper； and her manner a
shade graver； with the years and burdens of marriage； or that John
Clemens at thirty…six…out of health； out of tune with his environment
was rapidly getting out of heart。 After all the bright promise of the
beginning； things had somehow gone wrong； and hope seemed dwindling away。
A tall man； he had become thin and unusually pale； he looked older than
his years。 Every spring he was prostrated with what was called
〃sunpain；〃 an acute form of headache； nerve…racking and destroying to all
persistent effort。 Yet he did not retreat from his moral and
intellectual standards； or lose the respect of that shiftless community。
He was never intimidated by the rougher element； and his eyes were of a
kind that would disconcert nine men out of ten。 Gray and deep…set under
bushy brows； they literally looked you through。 Absolutely fearless； he
permitted none to trample on his rights。 It is told of John Clemens； at
Jamestown； that once when he had lost a cow he handed the minister on
Sunday morning a notice of the loss to be read from the pulpit； according
to the custom of that community。 For some reason； the minister put the
document aside and neglected it。 At the close of the service Clemens
rose and； going to the pulpit； read his announcement himself to the
congregation。 Those who knew Mark Twain best will not fail to recall in
him certain of his father's legacies。
The arrival of a letter from 〃Colonel Sellers〃 inviting the Hawkins
family to come to Missouri is told in The Gilded Age。 In reality the
letter was from John Quarles； who had married Jane Clemens's sister；
Patsey Lampton； and settled in Florida； Monroe County； Missouri。 It was
a momentous letter in The Gilded Age； and no less so in reality； for it
shifted the entire scene of the Clemens family fortunes； and it had to do
with the birthplace and the shaping of the career of one whose memory is
likely to last as long as American history。
III
A HUMBLE BIRTHPLACE
Florida； Missouri； was a small village in the early thirtiessmaller
than it is now； perhaps； though in that day it had more promise； even if
less celebrity。 The West was unassembled then； undigested； comparatively
unknown。 Two States； Louisiana and Missouri； with less than half a
million white persons； were all that lay beyond the great river。
St。 Louis； with its boasted ten thousand inhabitants and its river trade
with the South； was the single metropolis in all that vast uncharted
region。 There was no telegraph； there were no railroads； no stage lines
of any consequencescarcely any maps。 For all that one could see or
guess； one place was as promising as another； especially a settlement
like Florida； located at the forks of a pretty stream； Salt River； which
those early settlers believed might one day become navigable and carry
the merchandise of that region down to the mighty Mississippi； thence to
the world outside。
In those days came John A。 Quarles； of Kentucky； with his wife； who had
been Patsey Ann Lampton； also； later； Benjamin Lampton； her father； and
others of the Lampton race。 It was natural that they should want Jane
Clemens and her husband to give up that disheartening east Tennessee
venture and join them in this new and promising land。 It was natural；
too； for John Quarleshappy…hearted； generous； and optimisticto write
the letter。 There were only twenty…one houses in Florida； but Quarles
counted stables； out…buildingseverything with a roof on itand set
down the number at fifty…four。
Florida； with its iridescent promise and negligible future； was just the
kind of a place that John Clemens with unerring instinct would be certain
to select； and the Quarles letter could have but one answer。 Yet there
would be the longing for companionship； too； and Jane Clemens must have
hungered for her people。 In The Gilded Age； the Sellers letter ends：
〃Come！rush！hurry！don't wait for anything！〃
The Clemens family began immediately its preparation for getting away。
The store was sold； and the farm； the last two wagon…loads of produce
were sent to Louisville； and with the aid of the money realized； a few
hundred dollars； John Clemens and his family 〃flitted out into the great
mysterious blank that lay beyond the Knobs of Tennessee。〃 They had a
two…horse barouche； which would seem to have been preserved out of their
earlier fortunes。 The barouche held the parents and the three younger
children； Pamela； Margaret； anal the little boy； Benjamin。 There were
also two extra horses； which Orion； now ten； and Jennie； the house…girl；
a slave； rode。 This was early in the spring of 1835。
They traveled by the way of their old home at Columbia； and paid a visit
to relatives。 At Louisville they embarked on a steamer bound for St。
Louis； thence overland once more through wilderness and solitude into
what was then the Far West； the promised land。
They arrived one evening； and if Florida was not quite all in appearance
that John Clemens had dreamed； it was at least a havenwith John
Quarles； jovial； hospitable； and full of plans。 The great Mississippi
was less than fifty miles away。 Salt River； with a system of locks and
dams； would certainly become navigable to the Forks； with Florida as its
head of navigation。 It was a Sellers fancy； though perhaps it should be
said here that John Quarles was not the chief original of that lovely
character in The Gilded Age。 That was another relativeJames Lampton； a
cousinquite as lovable； and a builder of even more insubstantial
dreams。
John Quarles was already established in merchandise in Florida； and was
prospering in a small way。 He had also acquired a good farm； which he
worked with thirty slaves； and was probably the rich man and leading
citizen of th