By the time Mark Twain worked as a roving reporter for the Sacramento Union, he had held positions with other newspapers in Nevada and California. However, his assignment in 1866 to visit and report on the Sandwich Islands, changed his life. These 25 "letters" from Hawaii gave him an international "scoop" and opened the door for a lifetime of speaking engagements. “I went to Maui to stay a week and remained five. I had a jolly time. I would not have fooled away any of it writing letters under any consideration whatever.” –Mark Twain