Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-10-28

says the carson (NeVada) Appear,
when Dan DeQuille and Mark Twain
attempted to start paper in Mendo-
cino county. They took the type
and material of their recently defunct
newspaper establishment IN San Fran
cisco, and loading the stuff on big
wagon, struck out into the country
to retrieve their fortune. They packed
their type just as it stood in the
forms, tied up the articles with stout
cords by process we'll known to
printers, and packing them closely in
boxes, vowed to establish a news
paper somewhere which would be the
leading exponent of politics and his
tory of the Pacific Coast. Had not
an unfortunate circumstance taken
place it is evident that the newspaper
which they contemplated founding
would have been alive to-day. Their
journey over the mountains was utter
" nneventful until they reached
Simpsons Station, spot well known
to old travellers on that route. Here
they met a party of emigrants making
for Lower California, and the latter
had with them q small mountain
howitzer, which they brought with
them across the plains.
Twain took a great fancy to this
gun, and offered fifty dollars for it,
with two kegs of powder. The emf
grants were glad enough to part with
it, as they concluded the time for its
use had passed. Dan thought the
purchase of the artillery and military
supplies a reckless piece of extrava-
gance, and said as much; but Mark
replied:
"When we start our paper we
must fire salute a newspaper Office
with artillery has a big bulge on the
business; no we'll regulated Office in
California should be without q
howitzer; if man comes in for q
retraction we can blow him into the
next county. The howitzer goes"
This silenced the argument, and
the next day the two journalists took
the road with their printing outfit
and artillery.
The next night they camped in a
mountain ravine, fifteen miles from
simpsons, and after building the
usual camp fire, fell asleep. About
eleven O'Clock the horses wakened
them by prancing about, and the two
journalists were led to the conclusion
that party of Indians were making
arrangements for night attack. In
the clear moonlight human forms
could be distinguished about half a
mile away, at the foot of the ravine
The idea of encountering Indians
had never entered the heads of the
two fortune-seekers, and they had no
arms; suddenly Twain frightened
DIP, remarking:
''The howitzer!"
"We've got nothing but powder, u
said Dan.
"'Well; powder'll scare 'em; and
we'll load her up
The piece was Immediately loaded
with a good big charge, and the two
men felt quite certain that the In.
dians, hearing the roar of the gun,
would beat an unconditional retreat
The piece was hardly loaded and
placed in position when about forty
of the redskins came charging ur
the ravine.
Twain seized a brand from the
campfire apd was about to lay it or
the touch-hole, when Dan yelled
"Hold on!" as he rammed something
in the mouth Of the piece and re-
marked:
ssTurn 'er loose
The roar of the howitzer echoed
through the lonely forest, and thu
savages, with frantic cries of pain
reeled down the ravine in wild con
fusion.
"What in the h-ll did you pu
NJ" asked Mark.
"a column Of solid nonpareil ant
a couple Of sticks Of your sprlnt
poetry"
"The poetry did the business
Dan. Get one Of your biographies
articles ready for the next charge
and I guess it II let the red devil
out for the present cam paign."
The sayages again advanced. Mar
attended to the power. and Dan as
sorted the shot, so to speak. Y
aJeems Pipes song, NV Noun
tain Home"
Good ,or three Indians-sock' e
> in."
"An acrostic, by John B. Ridge
in Long Primer"
eth paralyze 'em."
> Frank Pixley, on the Constit,
tion-half column Of leade
brewer.
8 "If it hits 'em, the day is won.
:. "Your leader on Law and Order.
. s'Save it SIS last resort"
> Dan pulled the type out of Il
: boxes, and stuffed column after CO
umn In the showitzer's mouth as th
! savages came charging on. Anoth'
round from the gun, and the RET
= skins rolled over each other, lii
boulders swept away by mounta
cloud-burst. Mark, in an ecstacy
delight, pulled an American flag o
. of his effects, nailed it to the ta
> board of the wagon, and was abo
to make speech, when the dusl
!. figures OF the foe we're once mo
} seen moving to the attack.
The piece was again loaded, al
. this time with double chare
= Marks leader on s'Law and Order
|, the puff of an auction house, by FIR
J. McCrellish, "as q sickener," D.
said; Frank Gross's verses on ''T
Rebel Yell;" IN agricultural artie
!, by Sam Seabaugh, showing the ehel
- ical properties OF corn-juice as
educational lever; maiden poetic
N effort by Olive Harper, and Sol
. verses by Col. Cremony and Fra
:. Soule completed the load.
oil ssThat poetry reaching 'em d
a. will throw 'em into confusion, q
al my editorial coming on the heels
a. the rest viii result ID . lasting dem,
. Ialization. II will be like the i
cavalry charge Of the French troop
at the battle Of Austerlitz. :
a !. Eor -fha third and laat time 4