SEA7.30 Jan 2020 15:52
Firstly, SEA7, I fail to understand why you have almost exactly repeated what I stated previously regarding Mark Twains famous quote. Are you trying to point out or draw attention to some sort of error perhaps?
As in every quote from any person there are always going to be many slightly differing versions...but the sentiment always remains of course.
A Gold Mine Is a Hole in the Ground with a Liar at the Top
Mark Twain? Bill Nye? Mr. Walkup? Eli Perkin? Anonymous?
gold10Dear Quote Investigator: Recently, a business website published an article about investing in gold and mining equities. The columnist began with a very funny and facetious remark attributed to Mark Twain: 1
A gold mine is a hole in the ground with a liar standing on top of it.
The ascription was “unverified” according to the writer, and I have not been able find a convincing citation. What do you think?
Quote Investigator: For more than 130 years numerous variants of this quip have been circulating which makes it difficult to trace. The earliest instance located by QI appeared in “The Detroit Free Press” of Detroit, Michigan in 1881, and the text was rapidly disseminated via reprinting in several other newspapers such as the “New Haven Evening Register” of New Haven, Connecticut, “The Daily Inter Ocean” of Chicago, Illinois, and “The Wayne County Herald” of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Boldface has been added to excerpts: 2 3 4 5
A mine is a hole in the ground. The discoverer of it is a natural liar. The hole in the ground and the liar combine and issue shares and trap fools.—Detroit Free Press.
The earliest instances of this family of jokes did not mention gold specifically; however, the cultural zeitgeist reflected a series of gold rushes that occurred during a multi-decade period.
Mark Twain’s name was not attached to the quip in its initial incarnations, but by 1896 he was being credited. As the phrasing evolved new versions were also ascribed to Twain. Since the famous humorist lived until 1910 it was conceivable that he employed the joke, but QI has found no direct evidence to support this linkage. For example, QI has been unable find an instance in important compilations like “Mark Twain Speaking” edited by Paul Fatout 6 and “Mark Twain at Your Fingertips” edited by Caroline Thomas Harnsberger.
And there is plenty more. So in all truth, SEA7, not only do we not know what was exactly quoted...we also don't know who quoted it in the very first place.
And as for exactly what Twain would have meant by it in the context he employed it...well, that is open to much personal interpretation. But one could justifiably say, I would think anyway, that although any one particular mine might indeed hold rich deposits of gold -- most don't!!
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