Quote: everybody talks about the weather (1897) (antedating attrib Charles Dudley Warner 1901, attrib Mark Twain 1915)

[Garson O'Toole]

>
> 1910 attribution to Twain:
>
> NY Times Jun 27, 1910 p. 10
> The Financial Situation
> The Markets of Europe
> ....
> It must be watched, of course, but it is well to remember that Nature
> has a way
> of her own in adjusting these matters, and the position of those dependent on
> her benevolence is exactly described by the late Mark Twain when he said that
> he heard a great deal of complaint about the weather, but no one seemed to do
> anything about it.
>
> Stephen

Here are some further citations for the protean quotation about the
weather: attributions to Mark Twain in 1905 and 1909. So the quote was
assigned to Twain when he was still alive.

Citation: 1905, Sketches of Some Early Shefford Pioneers by John
Powell Noyes, Page 13, Gazette Print. Co. (Google Books full view.
Date on Preface looks ok. Worldcat agrees with date.)

There were letters printed in favor of the idea in the far away city
papers, but as Mark Twain said of complaints about the weather, -
"Nothing was done."

http://books.google.com/books?id=BLYOAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Twain+said%22#v=snippet&q=%22Twain%20said%22&f=false


Citation: 1909 November, Transactions of the Commonwealth Club of
California, Vol. IV, No. 6, Page 354, The Hetch Hetchy Water Supply by
Mr. J. D. Galloway. (Google Books full view. Date from cover image of
Transactions issue.)

Much discussion has gone up into empty air, but, as Mark Twain
complained about the weather, while there is much talk nothing is ever
done.

http://books.google.com/books?id=PL8UAAAAYAAJ&q=Twain#v=snippet&q=Twain&f=false

Garson

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