Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-09-04
Bret Harte.

London World.
Mr.. Harte was born born forty years
ago in Albany, y. Y, where he passed
his boyhood without any special promise
of future genius. The discovery of gold
in California was followed by a wave OF
emigration from all the states east of the
Rocky mountains, and Bret Harte was
caught by this wave and carried in 1854
to the new Eldorado. He tried his hand
at mining, at school teaching and other
employments, but with no conspicuous
success, and finally drifted to San Fran
cisco. Before leaving New York he had
worked as printer, and accordingly
sought employment in the office OF the
Golden Era, which was then flourish
ing weekly, devoted TO news, stories,
humorous sketches and other matter
calculated To interest the Californian.
While working at the printers case he
found time to write some sketches
drawn from his experience in the min
ing regions, and with trembling hesita-
ton he submitted one OF them to the
editor. This latter parsonage was a
bluff, hearty, genial diamond in the
rough. He is now living at Flushing,
near New York city, and one OF his
proudest boasts is that he conducted
the paper that brought out Bret Harte
and Mark Twain. The editor read the
sketch, saw its merit, and said: "GOur
place is in the editorial room, and not at
the case" 1t was not without difficult
" that Mr.. Harte was induced to sur
render the composing stick for the pen,
but he succeeded, and the new writer
was duly installed and began work.
He found the same trouble then that
he has since experienced-the impossi-
bility of writing regularly and writing
well. He could not furnish tirst-rate
sketch to order any more than he could
execute q commission to charter ten
steamships OF the tonnage OF the Great
Eastern. He continued to write for the
Golden Era and for other papers on the
Pacific coast. He received in 1861 the
appointment OF secretary OF the branch
mint in San FrancisCO, and retained il
about six years. When the Overland
Monthly was founded in 1868 he became
its editor and principal contributor.
The popularity which his stories obtain
ed throughout the eastern states Undue
ed him to quit California and seek res
idence on the Atlantic coast, and so in
the course of time he crossed the Ser
ras and made his way toward the rising
sun.
The diffidenCe, which is part OF Mr..
Harte's character, is shown in little
incident of this eastern journey. There
then existed i'm Chicago a magazine
known as the Lakeside Monthly, and many
of the enterpriSing merchants OF that
flourishing city were DESTROYS of Undue
ing Mr.. Harte to assume the editorial
control of the publication. When it
was known that he was on his way east
ward they determined to entertain him,
and accordingly arranged public din
ner on grand scale. The mayor and
leading citizens, with their wives and
daughters, were TO be there, and the
dinner was intended to fill bright page
in the history OF Chicago. The invita-
ton was given and accepted, and for
several days little else was talked OF eX-
cept the forthcoming banquet. The
party assembled at the appointed hour,
the dinner was ready, and so were the
diners. But the guest came not, and
when Il carriage was sent to seek him he
could not be found. Mr.. Harte was al
lowed to prosecute his journey without
further efforts at his detention. His OBJ
lection TO be lionizcd cost him on that
occasion no less a sum than $4,000; a
check for that amount had been made
ont as present, a bit of backSheeSh
which might add to the inducements to
remain in Chicago, though it involved
him in no obligation whatever 1t was
lying under his plate, and would have
proved an agreeable "sakushka,' the
little appetizer which the Russians swal-
low before the soup is served.