Fuller, an enthusiastic admirer of Mark Twain, overcame
all objections, and engaged Cooper Union for the occasion. Though few
tickets were sold, Fuller cleverly succeeded in packing the hall by
sending out a multitude of complimentary tickets to the school-teachers
of New York City and the adjacent territory. That lecture proved to be
a supreme success--Mark's reputation as a lecturer on the Atlantic coast
was assured.
On June 10, 1867, the Quaker City set sail for its Oriental tour. It
bore on board a comparatively unknown person of the name of Clemens,
who, in applying for passage, represented himself to be a Baptist
minister in ill-health from San Francisco!
It brought back a celebrity, destined to become famous throughout the
world. Prior to sailing he arranged to contribute letters to the 'New
York Tribune' and the 'New York Herald', as well as to the 'Alta
California'.
"His letters to the 'Alta California'," says Noah Brooks, "made him
famous. It was my business to prepare one of these letters for the
Sunday morning paper, taking the topmost letter from a goodly pile that
was stacked in a pigeon-hole of my desk.
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