Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-10-28
Mark Twaln's Letter to the California
Pioneers.

ELMIRA, Oct, II, 1869.
To the California Pioneers:
GENTLEMEN: Circumstances render II
out of my power to take advantage OF the
invitation extended to me through MIR.
Simonton, and be present at your dinner
in New York | regret this very much,
for there are several among you whom
would have a right 20 join hands with on
the score of OIL friendship, and | suppose
| would have a sublime general right to
shake hands with the rest of you on the
score of kinsnip in Californian ups and
downs is search of fortune. If | were to
tell some Of my experiences, you would
recognize Californian blood in me, fancy.
The old, old story would sound familiar,
no doubt have the usual stock OF remi-
niscences. For instance: | went to Es-
meralda, early. | purchased largely in
the "Wide West" the Winnemucca," and
other fine claims, and was very wealthy.
iaired sumptuousIy on bread when flour
was two hundred dollars a barrel, and had
beans for dinner every Sunday, when none
but boated aristocrats could afford such
grandeur. But ! finished by feeding bat
teries in quartz mill at fifteen dollars a
week, and wishing | was battery myself
and had somebody to feed me. My claims
in Esmeralda are there yet. suppose l
could be persuaded to sell. | went to the
Humboldt District when it was new.
became largely interested in the abba
Neuva,n and other claims with gorgeous
names, and was rich again-in prospect
| owned a vast mining property there. |
would not have sold out for less than $780,
600 at that time. But | will now. Finally,
walked home-some 200 miles--partly
for exercise and partly because stage fares
were expensive. Next entered upon an
aflluent career in Virginia City, and by a
/ iudcious investment Of labor and the
/ capital Of friends, became the owner
/ of about all the worthless wildcat
mines there were in that part Of the
1 country. Assessments did the business
| for me there There were III assessments
| to one dividend, and the proportion OF
1 income to outlay was little against me.
My financial thermometer went down to
30 degrees Fahrenheit, and the subscriber
was frozen out, took up extensions on
the main lead-eXtensions that reached 70
| British America in one direction and to
the lshmuS of Panama III the other, and
verify believe | would have been rich
man if | had ever found those internal eX-
tensions. But | didn't. ran tunnels till
| tapped the Arctic Ocean, and | sunk
shafts till | broke through the root OF
perdition; but those extensions turned VI
missing every time. | am willing to sell
all that property and throw in the i'm
provements. Perhaps you remember the
celebrated North Ophir.' ! bought thai
mine. 1t was very rich in pure silver
You could take it out in Jumps as large a.
a flbert But when 1t was discovered
that those Jumps were melted half dollars
and hardly melted at that, a painful cast
of "salting" was apparent and the under
signed adjourned to the poor-house again
paid assessments on Hale & Norcross
! till they sold me out, and | had to take il
, washing for a liying-and the next month
that infamous stock went up 60 $1,000
foot. own millions and millions Of fee
of atiluent silver leads in Nevada--in fact
own the entire undercrust of that coun
: Try, nearly, and If Congress would NOV
that State of my property so that coul,
get at it, | would be wealthy yet. But no
there She squats and here am l. Failin!
health persuades me to sell. If you know
! Of any one desiring permanent invest
! ment, can furnish him one that will hay
9 the virtue of being eternal
, have been through the California mil