by 
sleidman
ANSWERS: 3
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Presumably so he wouldn't have to live in the shadow of his famous brother Roger... Seriously, the best I could come up with for this is from the wikipedia article on Twain *grimace* - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain#Pen_names explains why he chose the pen name he did, although the reason for choosing a pen name at all is not explored. It was not a rare thing to do though, and pen names are still widely used by modern authors... I imagine it is because it allows them to write different types of works, satire, seruious novels, poetry and philosophical essays, without being judged on their reputations for whatever they are most famous for, so allowing them greater freedom in what they write. But I couldn't go as far as to say for sure that any particular reason applies in the case of Clemens/Twain.
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Probably bevause he liked the wat it sounded from his steamboat days. "Mark twain" means two fathoms or twelve feet of water on the river. Depths (this was before channel markers) were emasured by a rope with a knot every six feet. A deckhand called out the depth to the boat captian or pilot so the boat wouldn'y run aground. Another reason may be that Samuel Clemens enlisted in the Confederate infantry for a period of about two. Deatils are murky, but he may have been a deserter. He subsequently travelled to the West where he worked in Virginia City Nevada and California. Clemens also later visited Hawaii and was fascinated by the native women and the culture.
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Doesn't it stem from his newspapering days? Samuel Clemens doesn't really have a ring to it, as a byline. Mark Twain, with its strong spondee, definitely rings. Charles Dickens in his newspapering days was "Boz."
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