December 5 Sunday – The New York Times ran an interesting article, “Banquet Hall Orators” on p.4, which contained a story about Sam and a “joke” played on Senator William M. Evarts:

Evarts’s special weakness as a presiding officer is the interjecting of facetious comments on the efforts of the other speakers. He delights to diffuse mirth and good fellowship, and his facetiousness never has the sting of acerbity. Occasionally, in attempting to score a point on a fellow-speaker, he suffers the fate of a boomerang thrower. An instance in point occurred at the New-England society dinner last Winter. Mark Twain had just finished an extraordinarily piquant address when Mr. Evarts arose, shoved both of his hands down into his trousers pockets, as is his habit, and laughingly remarked: “Doesn’t it strike this company as a little unusual that a professional humorist should be funny?”

Mark Twain waited until the laughter excited by this sally had subsided and then drawled out: “Doesn’t it strike this company as a little unusual that a lawyer should have his hands in his own pockets?”

Note: There is no listing in MTDBD – I for such a dinner in the winter of 1885. The New York Times Dec. 23, 1885 p.2 “Sons of the Pioneers” article describing that dinner does not relate the incident, nor a talk by either man, though Sam was in New York on that day. The story may be apocryphal.

Also in the Times on p.12 is a three-column story, “MCCLELLAN’S OWN STORY,” quoting his friend and advisor to Mrs. McClellan, William C. Prime. The article focuses on McClellan’s war exploits and gives Webster & Co. Free advertising.