Last modified: 2004-07-31 by marc pasquin
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by Rochard Hervé
There is a flag in the LUCKY LUKE's album titled "EMPEREUR SMITH". It is the story of one man (SMITH) who wanted to be "Emperor of the USA". The flag is the US flag, but instead of the 50 stars there is an "S" in white. The story of the comic is based on an authentic story :
Joshua A. Norton, born in Great-Britain the 4 february of 1819, arrives in San Francisco in 1849. He made lots of money and was very wealthy. But a few years after he was bankrupted because of a bad deal. He lost his mind, and decided to be NORTON Ist, Emperor of the USA, Protector of Mexico. The habitants of San Francisco were amused by this poor little man and liked him. They used to send him telegrams signed by other head of states and published proclamations in the name of NORTON Ist. He was a very popular man, good and courteous. There were 10 000 peoples at his funerals, the 8 january of 1880.Translation of a story reported by the authors, Goscinny and Morris.