The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-11-22
MARK TWAIN'S PIPE
By ONE OF THE vIsIGorHs.1

Ia S@aA VAIN Las cISCk6u many
~ T joke ct tie expense Of other peopl
during his brief snd brilliant caree
AID occasionally other people hay
- succeeded in getting Oae on Mark
~ The robbery ON the Divide betwee
-; 10 Gold Dill and Virginia City was
az notsble instance in which the gres
-. @ humorist was the jokee. But Twai
"a ~ doesn't take joke nearly as well s
he perpetrs;es One--at leas, he di
sn not in The Olden time, though per
ca chance his mood nav have mepde
pS IN this respect. Reading the accoun
on OF bis hospital reception in Londol
- by the Savage Club recalls to min,
:. an unpublished episode OF Mark
- early career in Virginia City, whicl
" VIII possess some interest for tn
a a Chronicles many readers, particular,
~ in the mcuutsln city OF the S,lve
r ,s State. The people of Nevada regsr,
Mark as one OF their productions, an;
= : take nearly IS mu11 pride in him a
~ ~ they do In the ComstOck ledge
= About eight years ago there exist
u ed IN that thriving mountain town ;
y sort of Savage Club on a smsll scale
} 1t wss en- informal organization, com
= posed of ten or twelve genial fellows,
II who at first styled themselves "Com-
. panions Of the Jug" Subsequently
y Joe Goodman, OF the EatsrpriSs-one
OF the principal COmpanioDs-had
the name changed to '.The Visigoths," +"
; and immortalized The Club by sundry
: poetic aposLrophes, generally written
at the close OF meeting and under
tue Immediate inspiration OF half
: gallon OF lager aud . quarter section
, OF redOlent Limberger cheese
Among the Yisigoths were the tso
local reporters of the Enterprise,
Mark Twain and DeQuiIle the two
, proprietOrs of the psper, and Six or
eight private citizens, VITO took min
, gled interest in literature, bad jokes,
beer and cheese.
Meetings were held every alter
} neon In brewery On ID street-a
pllce where ey sold the amber liq-
Gid for dollar S gallon, tlakes OF
Limberger aud caraway. seed bread
for twenty five eeHts a platter,
with mustard sud black Tadishes GG
lib. free OF charge. The sttendsEce
was not restricted 20 members alone
in fact, The festive board was scarce !
ly ever without Il stranger guest, and
the hospitality OF the Visigo,h's was
as boundles5 as the resources of the |
brewery. Prominent actors visiting |
the city on professional business we're
always warmly welcomed Poor
Dan Selchell. the we'll known come
dian, were he living to dsy, could /
bear witpess 10 this, ior he was Citen
an honored guest, and his dToll but
always kindly humor never shown to /
better advantage or 10 a more appre-
ciative audience. Charley Pope, an
other well-remembered scsOr, lived Tor
several months in Virgins City, and
during that period lie was seldom
absent from the Gothic sa!urnalia.
AT times the VIsigoths held their
meetings iu lDeiR halle under Ken
nedy d MaIions store On q street,
and it was during one Of the gather
ings at this place that the unpublished
episode occurred. Some two or three
days before one Of the members had |
noticed magnificent looking pipe in
a tobacccnist's store. Virginia City |
WAS great plsee tor foe meersehaam
pipes IN those days and probably Is |
yet ''Oid Pat - tbe Yisigoth Who
discovered this pipe, Was at once
greatly taken With Its size and beauty
1t was elabOrately oTGamented, aud
looked large and handsome enough
for perlor mantel vase. Pay sighed
TO thinB that his depleted excht quer
prevented him from hecouing the
owner OF such a prirceiy pipe. II
could not, lie thought, be worth less
than $3.50. lie asked Iimidiy what
WAS the price OF tue treasure, and
was amszed when the blaad and emil
ing Wertheiner responded: IL sells
you dis pipe, SIR. BuLman, for Elm
dollar and quarter"
ga dollar and quar- er % and Pat,
fastening his black eyes on the desler
as though he thought him crazT.
Then, rtfiacting that the pipe could
not be genuine meerse ehsnm, he grew
calmer, and remarked, ''Oi course, 10
that case, it must be bogus p
swell said Wertheime:, laughing,
so be sure il isn't meerschaum, bat
it's shenuiEe u!aster baris und white
Of eggs 2"
A brilliant idea struck Patusm, and
nearly rendered existence insuppoFt-
able until he found two or three
other COmpanions cf the jug, and
unburdened himself, which he soon
did His i,ea was 10 play joke on /
Mark Taa;n-;O buy the bogus pipe
ald present l. III one OF the Cub
gs,herings
TIE idea Eas unanimously pro
nounced 8 good ono, and /, was
speedily carried cut. The pipe gas
purchased for 81 % Then 4 splen-
I'D cherry sen, about ysrd in
ieng;h,s = beautiful amber mOutb-piece
and an elcgsn. satin iiue1 case. These
cost SO more The nipe waa then
taken % . sIlversmilh's aud band
s0me!y mounted, With chsssa in
scrip.Ion on the silver cap Thi-
brought the total cost % to abcus
$50, and the magnificent deception
Was complete
All the members Of he Club Hers
duly notified tn be present on the
eccss!on, ard as each except the
victim, vas informed insdvance Oftha
nature OF the "business" 20 be trans
acted, there vas fu.l attendance.
/ Charley Poiye hsd bseH selected 10
make the presentation and after the
| GIs. round 81 beer and cheese, a. 8
preconcerted nod from The AiaIic OF
/ the tribe, the actor rose and addressed
Mark in deep and earBest tones IS
fellow
u feel grestly honcred, Mr.. Clem-
eue, iu having been selected by the
sarm hearted friends who now sur
round US u give expression to their
bigh regard iOr Que whose quaint
hunor and fl&sIiug Wit bath often set
the table Ia Z roar, and whose noble
qualities of mind AID heat have
endesred him to every one. On be
half of the VisigOtbs, Mr. Clemens, | .
present you With this pipe, rs a slight |
token Of their broiheIly love snd /
esteem. Nay the cares snd sorrows
OF this life pass DER your head ss
harmlessly as The blue smoke thst
shall rise from this bowl; and if
percbance in the distant future, our
company shall be broken and seat
tered AMONG mSny lands, may the
recollection OF 20 day be pleasing ard
grateful 10 you, as it sssuredly vii!
be to each Of your friends"
There was an embarrassing pause
at the close OF Pope's remarks.
With professionslfzciity be bad acted
the role assigned him With fidelity
10 nature, the effect OF which had not
been quite anticipated, and even be-
fore ne finished there vas not msD
among the conspiratnrs who did not
feel as mean as if he had been caught
robbiug 2 hen rOcst. Every one had
supposed that be would give Mark
sn inkliug OF tie joke By little pal
pabie irooy or burlesq1e, tus in-
;, stead nl mat his manner vas aS sol
u - ,i.b dear yoirs as full