Charles Luther Webster (September 24, 1851 – April 28, 1891) served as

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

's business manager and was eventually installed as the head of Twain's publishing company, Charles L. Webster and Co., named for Webster. Webster was born in

Charlotte, New York Charlotte is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 1,521. Charlotte is centrally located in the county, north of Jamestown and south of Dunkirk. History The area was first settled ...

in 1851 and married Annie Moffett, Mark Twain's niece, in 1875.Charles L. Webster
''The Mark Twain Project'' The following year, Annie gave birth to a daughter, Alice Jane Chandler Webster. In 1881, Twain hired Webster to oversee the development of Twain's investments for the Kaolatype process for making engraved printing plates. When Twain decided to start his own publishing company in 1884, he hired Webster to head the company and named it after him, promoting him to full partner in March 1885. Twain came to feel Webster was incompetent and removed him from the company in 1888, while retaining Webster's name. In his autobiography, Twain described Webster as "one of the most assful persons I have ever met–perhaps the most assful." In a letter to Twain's brother,

Orion Clemens Orion Clemens (July 17, 1825 – December 11, 1897) was the first and only Secretary of the Nevada Territory. His younger brother Samuel Langhorne Clemens became a famous author under the pen name Mark Twain. Early life Born in Gainesboro, ...

, he wrote that he never hated anyone as much as he hated Webster. Webster's son, Samuel Charles Webster, published the book ''Mark Twain, Business Man'' in 1946 to rehabilitate his father's reputation. Webster died in

Fredonia, New York Fredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 9,871 as of the 2020 census. Fredonia is in the town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie. The village is the home of the State University of New York at Fredonia ( ...

on April 28, 1891.

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Further reading