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<h1> THE AMERICAN CLAIMANT </h1>
<h3> by Mark Twain </h3>
<h3> 1892 </h3>
<hr/>
<h2> EXPLANATORY </h2>
<p><br/><br/></p>
<p>The Colonel Mulberry Sellers here re-introduced to the public is the same
person who appeared as Eschol Sellers in the first edition of the tale
entitled "The Gilded Age," years ago, and as Beriah Sellers in the
subsequent editions of the same book, and finally as Mulberry Sellers in
the drama played afterward by John T. Raymond.</p>
<p>The name was changed from Eschol to Beriah to accommodate an Eschol
Sellers who rose up out of the vasty deeps of uncharted space and
preferred his request—backed by threat of a libel suit—then
went his way appeased, and came no more. In the play Beriah had to be
dropped to satisfy another member of the race, and Mulberry was
substituted in the hope that the objectors would be tired by that time and
let it pass unchallenged. So far it has occupied the field in peace;
therefore we chance it again, feeling reasonably safe, this time, under
shelter of the statute of limitations.</p>
<p>MARK TWAIN. Hartford, 1891.</p>
<p><br/><br/><br/><br/></p>
<h2> THE WEATHER IN THIS BOOK. </h2>
<p><br/><br/></p>
<p>No weather will be found in this book. This is an attempt to pull a book
through without weather. It being the first attempt of the kind in
fictitious literature, it may prove a failure, but it seemed worth the
while of some dare-devil person to try it, and the author was in just the
mood.</p>
<p>Many a reader who wanted to read a tale through was not able to do it
because of delays on account of the weather. Nothing breaks up an author's
progress like having to stop every few pages to fuss-up the weather. Thus
it is plain that persistent intrusions of weather are bad for both reader
and author.</p>
<p>Of course weather is necessary to a narrative of human experience. That is
conceded. But it ought to be put where it will not be in the way; where it
will not interrupt the flow of the narrative. And it ought to be the
ablest weather that can be had, not ignorant, poor-quality, amateur
weather. Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn
out a good article of it. The present author can do only a few trifling
ordinary kinds of weather, and he cannot do those very good. So it has
seemed wisest to borrow such weather as is necessary for the book from
qualified and recognized experts—giving credit, of course. This
weather will be found over in the back part of the book, out of the way.
See Appendix. The reader is requested to turn over and help himself from
time to time as he goes along.</p>
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