Mark Twain and The Purloined Planks

TOM SAWYER’S FENCE: The mystery of the ‘Purloined Planks of Hannibal’

Recently, I was scavenging in an alley looking for some scraps of wood to make some shelves. Not to far away I found upon a bunch of debris that looked as though it had been part of someone’s dismantled porch. There were three panels in particular that were already nailed together and looked to be a perfect size for what I needed. As I picked them up I noticed the initials TS scratched into one of them. I didn’t give it much of a thought as I carried the wood home. But it wasn’t until I found another set of initials that my jaw dropped. Huck F. Huck…F? Huck Finn! Oh my gosh, TS, the other initials must have stood for Tom Sawyer.

The funny thing is that I had just read an article by George Stewart titled ‘The Purloined Planks’ which recounted the story of how some of the wooden planks from Tom Sawyer’s fence mysteriously disappeared shortly after Mark Twain’s death. The perpetrators were never caught, the planks were never recovered and the case of remained an unsolved mystery .

I found it hard to believe that these three pieces of wood that I just happened to find could possibly be those missing planks. But when I noticed a yellow seal stuck to the back of one of them which read “Genuine Authentic Planks “ my doubts disappeared. These were the ‘Purloined Planks’ that I had read about in the article, the real deals. Almost immediately I contacted the Mark Twain Estate and understandably they, too, were at first a bit incredulous. But after I had described the planks in detail, mentioning the initials, as well as the seal of authenticity on the back they, too, were convinced that what I had found were, indeed, the genuine articles.

Arrangements were soon made to return the Purloined Planks to Hannibal. However, when I had mentioned the upcoming commemorative exhibition celebrating Mark Twain on the 100^th anniversary of his death, they insisted that the planks be included. And so, the Oak Park Public Library has been bestowed with the great honor of exhibiting , for the first time ever, the Purloined Planks of Hannibal.

‘Tom’s Original BRUSH With Fame’

In an unexpected gesture of generosity the Mark Twain Estate insisted on sending up the original brush that Tom had used to whitewash the fence. Because this is the first time that the brush will have been exhibited outside of Hannibal, Missouri a special team of security agents was to remain on site. However, to make the presentation less intrusive the library opted to install special security system instead. Although patrons will not be able to touch the actual brush a reproduction of it is provided for them to handle. And should they desire, a bucket of transparent whitewash is available if they should have the urge to ‘paint’ the Purloined Planks as well.