Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-02-27

THEIR GREAT INDIAN FIGHT IN MENDoCISo
cot,STy-EyTrRMINATIS REDSKINS WITH
DAHBTT METAL-THEY FIRE A WHOLE
PRINTING OFFICE FROM A HowIrzER-A
TYPOGRAPHICAL SEDAN.

MISUNDERSTANDING REDSKINS WITH
BABBTT METAL-THEY FIRE A WHOLE
PRINTING OFFICE FROM A HowITzER-A
TYPOGRAPHICAL SEDAN.
from the Carson Appeal
1t was nearly twenty years ago when
Dan De Quille and Mark Twain attempt
ed TO start paper in Mendocino County.
Tlev took the type and material Of their
recently defunct newspaper establish
ment in San Francisco, and loading the
stuff on a big wagon, struck out INTO the
country to retrieve their fortunes They
packed their type Just as it stood III the
forms, tied up the articles with stout cords
by n process well known to printers, and
packing them closely in boxes, vowed to
establish a newspaper somewhere which
would be the leading exponent OF poll
ties and history for the Pacific Coast
Had not IN unfortunate circumstance
taken place it is quite evident that the
same newspaper which they contempla-
ted founding would have been ilive to-
day. Their Journey over the mountains
was utterly nneventful until they reached
| SIMPSONS Station, spot well known to
| old travellers on that route. Here they
met party of emigrants making for
Lower California, and the latter hal with
I them a small mountain howitzer which
! they hal brought with them across the
I plains.
Twain took great fancy to this gun,
and offered $50 for it with two kegs of
powder thrown in The emigrants were
| glad enough to part with it. as they con-
cluded the timo for its use had passed
Dan thought the purchase of the artil-
lery and military supplies was reckless
piece of extravaganza and SAID as much,
but Twain replied:
when We start our paper we must lire
n salute. 4 newspaper office with artll-
lery has a big bulge on the business. No
well-regulated office III California should
/ be without howitZer. If n man comes
i'll for a-retraction we can blow HIM INTO
| the next country. The howitzer goes.
This silenced the argument, and the
next day the two journalists took the road
with their printing outfit and artillery.
On the next night they camped i'll n
mountain rayine fifteen miles from Simp-
sons, and after building the usual camp
/ fire fell asleep. About IL O'Clock the
| horses awakened them by prancng about,
and the two journalists Were led to the
! conclusion that nothing less than party
of Indians were making arrangements for
Il night attack. In the clear moonlight
( they could he distinguished about half II
mile away at the foot of the ravine. The
I idea of encountering Indians had never
/ entered the heads of the two fortune seek
crs, and they had no arms. Suddenly
! Twain frightened up, remarking;
The howitzer.
We've got nothing but powder, SAID
/ Dan.
We'll, powler'll scare EN-, AMI well
load her up"
The piece was Immediately loaded with
Il good big charge and the two men felt
/ quite certain that the Indians. hearing
! the roar Of the gun. would beat an I'M
conditional retreat. The piece was hard
I ly loaded and placed i'll position when
about fifty of the redskins came charging
/ up the ravine.
/ Twain seized brand from the camp
! fire and was about to lay it on the touch
| hole. when Dan yelled Hold on, rs he
rammed something into the month of the
! piece. and remarked
Turn 'er loose
/ The roar Of the howitzer echoed through
the lonely forests and the savages, with
/ frantic cries of pain, reeled down the
ravine i'll wild confusion.
What did you put i'll y asked Mark.
"A column of solid nonpareil and a
couple of sticks of your spring poetry"
The poetry did the buiness, Dan. Get
| one of your geological articles ready for
the next charge and l guess it'll let the
red devils out for the present campaign"
The savages again advanced. Mark at
/ tended to the powder and Dan sorted the
shot, SO to speak.
, "Jeems Pipes's song, My Mountain
Home
Good for three Indians: sock'er in"
AN acrostic 10y John r. Ride i'll long
primer"
"It1l paralyzo EN-"
Frank Pixley on the Constitution, half
! n column of loaded brewer.
If it hits 'em the day is Won.
Your leader on Law and Order"
Save it as a last resort.
! Dan pulled the type out of the boxes
/ and stuffed column after column Ill the
! howizer's mouth rs the savages came
/ charging on Another round from the
gun and the redskins rolled over each
other like boullers swept away by
mountain cloud-burst. Mark, in an
ccstacy of delight, pulled an american
flag out Of his effects, nailed it to the tail
: board of tie wagon and was about to
make speech. when the iusLy figares
! of the foe wvrn once More seen moving to
/ the attack.
/ The piece WAS again loaded, and this
time with double charge Marks lead
er on Law and Order" the puff Of M
auction house by Fred McCeeiish (''as
sickner," Dan said. Frank Gross's vcr-
ses on 1.-The Rebel YELL" agricultural ar
| ticle by Sam Scbaugh, showing the chem
ical properties OF corn juice MS an educa-
| tionul lever, maiden poetical effort OF
Olive Harper, and some verses by Col.
/ Cremcnv and Frank Soule completed the
( load
THAT poetry, reaching EN- first. will
| throw EN- into confusion, and my editori
| al, coming upon the heels of the rest,
will result in lasting Generalization.
/ Ii will he like the last cavalry charge of
/ the French at the battle of Austerlitz.
| For the third and last time The faith
ful howitzer belched its typographical
| compliments To the advancing foe. The
/ havoc WIS terrible This WAS wild yell
| from score of savage throats and then
the low groans of the dying tloated up
| the ravine on the gentle wind. The two
I
and counted tifty-six uboriginals lying IN
/ heaps. The bodies were horribly mutt
lated with n"npnreIl, longrrimrr. two line
| plea, bourgeois, ''cnps, misere dasies,
and unsortcd pie.
My leader cooked that man goose,
said Mark, pointing to II savage with his
bowels hanging over the limb of a cedar.
My geological article did the business
for him, rcjoined Dan. aodding care
/ lessly 10 an Indian whose head Was lying
twenty yards away.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
You bet. iIurrah for Faust and
Gutenberg"
is there any type left ::
Not n pound.
/ Ten days later the two journalistic
tramps reached Virginia City, weary, dis
couraged and foot sore, and secured
| pnce ON the Enterprise.
TWAIN REMEMBERS THE DEAD.
\ ie" 1-.-c ,."o Nlor "-@vi'-1 the fol
! lowing from his iormcrpartner
H,RTFoRp Conn. Jan. l, lo>o.
! DEAR DAS:-I send You The congratulations "i The
| New Year. Do vuu rccnicct the time "" ,Ntermi-
mated the tribe OF unlettered (:l sayageS In Mrn-
docino county? II you can spare The time. wish
! yuu would make pilgrimage to that historic spot,
gather the phUstly relics together aud plant table
mot too expensive and at your own EXPENSE 10 the
] memory OF the departed. Have sho"Ing-stick
| LAYING across 4 Ion" bow. with our monogram ind
/ r1af at arms cuiwinrd, and some Appropriate
| cpplph carved On the stone; an extract iron,
/ CaIl SchGrZ Piece Policy" mlgtt do Enclosed
- i dollar anI halt Tor your Incidental expenses
/ You can dead head travelling expenses.
lOITs.
MARS TWAI'.
| 7. S.-Srnd me u thish-bnnc "i thc iallrn chic!
, hy next express. NJ l.
| Dan will attend to the matter IN the
( spring.
| The old huwitzer used on the occasion
! is sill i'll his possession.
\ worthy deacon owned II parrot which
had been brought up i'll the famiIy. 1t
( had never heard aught but proper Inn
! guaEc. and always being present at family
! prayer had learned many scraps OF hymns
and prayers, would at times rovcrcntly
"cyhort its hearers. and was nick-named
| "rious Poll" One dark. rainy night the