The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-09-20
Greeley and Hank Monk.
SUPPLEMENT TO THE STORY OF THE
RIDE.

From a thousand platforms on the
Pacific Slope win be told during the
present campaign the anectlote of Hor-
ace Greeley's ride from Carson to
Placerville, and as often as it is told
the bush-whacking orators of Democ-
racy will deduct from the threadbare
story the pointless moral of Keep
your seat, Horace. and we'll get You
through on time '-whereat the abblc
will applaud Justify, they know not
wherefore. We are not disposed to
steal Democratic thunder or to rob
any oratorical pauper OF his scanty
stock in trade: but we are compelled
to use the anecdote in question in or
der to render an account Of an inter-
view with Greeley generally intelligi-
BILE. BY so doing, we trust that 1t will
not be considered that we have want
only encroached upon the prerogatives
Of Democratic stump orators. We
give
THE STORY AS TOLD BY MARK TWAIN
As one of the exaspeiating incidents
of his overland trip. From the time
lie left the Platte, he says, until he ar
rived at Carson, every stranger whom
ile encountered assured him that he
could tell him a most laughable thing
if lie would like to listen to it, and
proceeded with the narrative that
ireeley went over the road once, and
when he was leaving Carson City he
old the driver, Hank Monk, that he
had an engagement to lecture in Plac-
,rville, and was very anxious to go
through quick. Hank cracked his
whip and started off at an awful pace.
The coach bounced up and down in
such terrific way that it jolted the
buttons all off Of IIorace's coat, and
finally
SHOT HIS HEAD CLEAN THROUGH THE
ROOF
OF the stage, and then he yelled to
Hank and begged him to 90 easier
said he wasn't in as much Of hurry
us he was awhile ago. But Hank said,
Keep your seat, Horace. and III get
you there on time" and you bet he
lid, too, what was lett of him. The
story became one of the standard leg
ends of the Sierra Nevada. and was
cited as q happy illustration of pion-
Ger hnmor. Hank Monk felt himself
immortalized by it, and Greeley might
have gracefully accepted the border
adventure as a narrative in which his
name should live long after the world
had forgotten what he knew about
farming.
HoRACE's GRATITUDE.
In the Fall of 1860 we met Hank
Ionk at Reno. as we Were about leav-
Ing for the East. With the recollec-
ION of that ride fresh in Ills memory,
md q sentiment of fellowship toward
is illHstrious passenger, with whom
he had passed hand in hand into litera-
IRE and tame. Hank requested us to
vi upon Greeley and tell him that. in
lemory of their celebrated mountain
We ne Wi;ieu nm = procure y pa.s
AZ wo'uu e1lao.e % Hiil MN 70 s,slt ms
lission cheerfully, believing 1t would
lily be necessary to mention to Gree
~ tho name Of Hank NnuL IN have
l,s reouest o,s.arIed We mot tbe
,hilosopher at the Astor House, and
riefly delivered our message. The
NV was concise and emphatic,
;. ,,,,,,,,,, r,,ox, or I,oo,, :, ,r,.r
y 70 q 1 ~, ,or,r. ~ '"io
D 'o
"Dmn MN tiat lelioW mas dohe
ie more lElrm tiGlh any man III ALI
= ilca" we protested our ignorance
I any INJURY. Bllt there was not
damned WORD q tfilth IN tne whole
'ory J" reJoined Greeley. we began
recoll before the benevolent aspect
iIh belligefellt language OF the great
'Iit0F and deferentlally represented
mat though the aileolote might lack
omewhat Of foundation 1t was never
'heless a good story, and had no
',onbt contributed iII 4 degree to his |
'otoriety and popularity, and that we
rOnsldered it would be only court
"ois and generous act on his part to