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PUBLISHED IN THE 4-29-2005 COMSTOCK CHRONICLE, THE SAME EDITION FROM WHICH THE COLUMN ENTITLED "THE FINGER OF GOD" WAS CENSORED.

Dear Editor:

One of the world's great entrepreneurs came to the Comstock many years ago and made a name for himself. His name was Samuel Clemens, you will know him better by the name he adopted as he worked as a journalist in Virginia City, Mark Twain.

In the millions of words that he spoke, wrote and published, I have never forgotten one particular sentence: "It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt."

The column that appeared in the Comstock Chronicle on Friday, April 8, 2005, entitled "Shoes of the Fisherman," by Andrew Barbano, brought this quote by Mark Twain to mind.

Mr. Barbano produced a flatulence of words, over 1200 in fact, and intelligent people can only hope and pray the "enlightenment" that he wished for Pope John Paul II would eventually descend by osmosis on his gray matter (that means a brain for his information) in the course of time.

Hope does spring eternal, even for this man. People of unchallenged wit are not expected to produce in words, thoughts or deeds any semblance of lasting import. This certainly is the case in the column entitled "Shoes of the Fisherman."

I give credit to this newspaper for publishing rightly so all points of view, from the learned and the ignorant, this is a great country.

Sincerely,

Joe Anthony
St. Mary's in the Mountains
Administrator pro tem
Virginia City, Nevada

ANDREW BARBANO'S FIRST IMPRESSION: I invite the reader to please read the columns in question, keeping in mind that Mr. Anthony disputes none of the facts nor any of the philosophy therein. He merely calls names. The only specific complaint I can interpolate from his letter concerns the number of words, which actually came in at 1,058 — not including title or biographical note. I hope he writes again. I may have more on this later. Perhaps not. Be well. Raise hell.