The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-09-02
WHO GOT the MONEY!


A Tale by Bret Harte Of What Be
fell Him in Chicago.
From the London World.
Mr.. Harte was born forty years agt
in Albany, n. V. where be passed
his boyhood without any specia
promise Of future genius. The dis
covery of gold in California MAS fol
lowed BY q wave of emigration from
all the States east Of the Rocky
MouDtsins. and Bret Hsrte M,
caught by this wave and carried in
1854 to the new Ell Dorado. He
tried his hand at mining. at school
teaching and other employmenis.
hut with NO conspicuous success snsl
finally driftei tn San Francisco. BE.
fore leaving New York he had worked
as q printer. and accordingly s.ught
employment in the Office Of the
Golden Era, which was then n
flouri-hing weekly devoted To news,
stories, humorous sketches and other
matters calculated to interest the
Californian. While working ut the
printers case he found time To write
some sketches drawn from his
experience in the mining regions. and
with trembling hesitation he sub
miiiesl one ot them to the editor.
This latter pers"nage was a huff.
hearty, genial diamond in the rough.
He is now living ut Flushing. n-ar
New York City. and one 81 his
prouslest ln,asis is that he conducted
The paper that brought out Bret Hnrie
and Mark Twain. The etiii"r read
the sketch, saw its merit aud sail
"Y"ur place is in the editorial r"m.
and not nj the case. IL Ms n.i
without difficulty that Mr.. Hsrie Was
induced Ia surrender the comprising
stick for the pm. but he succre,l-,l.
and the new writer was duly installed
and hogan work. He found the same
trouble then that he has since enI'er-
imposeib,liiy If wiring
regularly and writing we'll. H.
could not furnish firsi-rate sketch IL
order any more than he could
execute commission to charter ten
steamships Of the tonnage Of the
Great Eastern. He continued t.
write for the Golden Era and for
other papers on the Pacific coast. He
in 1864 the appointment of
Of the United States Branch
Mint i'm San Francisco and retained it |
lbOut six years. When the Overland |
was founded in 1868 he be-
anne its editor and principal CON-
ributor. The popularity which his
tories obtained through the Eastern
states induced him to quit California
nd seek residence on the Atlantic
cast, and 50 in the course Of time he
rosscd the Sierras and made his wav
Dwaris the rising sun.
The diflidence which IL q part Of
lr. Harte's character is shown in q
title incident Of tins Eastern journey.
here then existed in Chicago . maya
me known as the Lakeside Mouthly,
nd many of the enterprisirg mer-
hants OF that Aourishing city we're
esirous OF inducing Mr.. H.rte to
sume the editorial control Of the
nblication. When it was know that
: was on his way Eastward they
TO entertain him. and
arranged a public dinner
} q grand scale. The Mayor and
sding citizens, with their wives xnd
lughters, were To ne there, and the
inner Was intended tn fill q bright
'ge 10 the history of Chicago. The
vitation WAS given and accepted.
d for several days little else ~. !
|ked Of except the forthcoming
nquet. The marty assembled at the !
pointed hour the dinner vas ready
d 20 we're the diners. But the
est came not, and when . carriage | &
y sent to seek him he could not be
and. Mr.. Harte was allowed to 6
osecute his journey without fur
er efforts ut his detentiop. His 8
lection to b lioni1ed cost him on
It occasion no leas . cum than
{. 900; . check for that amount
d been made out n q present. bit
backsheesh which might add to
, inducements to remain in Chicago.
ugh il involved him in no oblies-i
D whatever. 1t was lying under
plate. and would have proved IN
'eeable sakushka. the little appeai- 8
which the Ruseians swallow :.
fore soup deserved. &.