Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-04
Carson Appeal.

II WAS nearly twenty years ago when
Dan ID, guile and Mark Twain attempted
to start u newspaper Ia NendocinO county.
they took the type and material Of their
recently detunct newspaper establishment
IN San francisco. and loaded the stuff In 9
big wagon. struck out into the country to
retrieve their fortunes. They packed their
type just as II stood In the forms. tied up
the Articles with stout cords BY q preces,
we'll known to printers, and packing them
in boxes, vowed to establish q
o. newspaper somewhere which would be the
leading exponent OF politics and history
for the Pac.fic slope. Had not 90 unfOrtu.
nate circumstance taken place II is quite
evident that the same newspaper which
hey contemplated building up would have
ben alive to-day. Their journey over the
mountains was utterly uneven,ful until
they reached Simpsons station, u spot
Here they m,t y party OF eMigrAnts making
Tor Lower California, and the latter had
with them a small. mountain hOwiiZer
which they had brought with them across
the plains.
'tiered $50 tor H.. with two kegs of powder
thrown in. The emisranls were GLAD
nnngh 10 part with u, us they concluded
the time Tor its use had passed. Dan though,
he purchase OF artillery and military sup
plies Was a reckless piece of extravaganza
and ssid as much, but Twain replied:
when we start our paper we must fire q
-alu'e. A newspaper Office with artillery
mas a big bulge on the business. No well
regulated office in California should be
~ithou, a no ~nzer. If y man comes in for
!, retraction we can blow him into the pext
county. The howitz. r goes"
This silenceu The argument, and the next
day the tw" turnalists took the road with
printing Oulnt aud artillery.
% the next night they camped IN q
raviue fifteen miles from Slmp-
sons and after building the usua! camp FIRE
fell asleep. About IL o'clock the horses
them by pranc,ng about, and the
two Journalists were led to the conclusion
that nothing less than a party of Indians
were making arraugements for night al.
tack. In the clear moonlight they could tie
iist,nguishe he'd abou! half a mile a away ut the
ot the aviue The idea of encounter.
tng Indians had never entered the heads OF
be for,uae seekers, and they had no arms.
Suddenly Twain frightened up, remark;Dg
The hoMi'zsr."
"We've go, nothing but powder" SAID
Dan.
Well, pnwder'nscare 'em, and we'll load
ner up"
The piece was Immediately loaded with a
good hig charge and the two men felt quite
certain that the Indians, hearing the roar OF
the gum, would beat an unconditional re.
treat. The piece was hardly loaded and
placed in position when about fifty of the
redskins came charging up the ravine.
Twain seized a brand from the campfire
and was about to lay it on the louch-hole,
when Dan yelled hold on" as he rammed
something into the mouth Of the piece, and
remarked
Turn Ter loose"
The roar Of the howitzer echoed through
the lonely forests and the savages with fran.
tic cries Of pain, reeled down the ravine in
wild confusion.
"What in h did you put in 2" asked
Mark.
"a column of solid nonparell and a couple
of sticks Of young spring poetry"
"The poetry did the business, Dan get
on" OF your geological articles ready for the
charge, and 1 guess it'll let the red dev.
Ills out for the present campaign"
The savages a gain advanced. Mark at.
tended to the powder aud Dan sorted the
shot, SO to speak.
Jeems Pipes songs, my Mountain
Home"
"Good for three Indians eock'er in"
IAN acrostic, by John r. Ride, in long
primer"
"Irll paralyze 'em."
Crank Pixley IN the constitution" half
a column of loaded BREWER.
'If it hits 'em the day is won"
"Your leader on law and order.'
Save it az a last resort"
Dan pulled the type out of the boxes and
stuffed column after column IN the howitz.
er's mouth az the savsges came charging on
Another round from the gun and the red
skins rolled over and over each other like
boulders swept away bv a mountain cloud
burst. Mark, in an ecstacy of delight, pulled
an American Gag out Of his effects, nailed j,
to the tailboard Of the wagon and was about
to make a speech, when the dusky figures Of
the foe were once more seen moving to thu
attack.
The piece was again loaded, and thi
time with a double charge. Marks leader
on "Law aud Order" the puff Of an auction
house by Fred. McCrelish Gas arickener.'
Dan said). Frank Gross verses on eth
Rebel Yell" an agricultural article by San
Sebaugh, showing the chemical propertie
,f corr Jaice as an educational lever,
maiden poetical effort of Olive Harper, ane
some verses by Colonel Cremeny and Franz
SouIe completed that load.
"That poetry, reaching 'em first, vii
throw 'em into confusion, and my editorial
coming upon the heels Of the rest, will r.
suit in a lasting decentralization. II will b
like the last cavalry charge OF the French 8
Austerlitz."
For the third and last time the faithfi
howitzer belched its typog raphical compli
men.s 10 the advancing foe. The have
was terrible. There was a wild yell from
score of savage throat-. and then the 10
groans of the diving floa,ed up the ravine q
the gentle wind. The two men walked owe
the field Of slaughter and counted fifty. 81
aboriginals lying in heaps. The bodies vel
horribly mulils,ed with nonpsreil. long pr
mer. ,wo-line plea, bourgeois "caps," miss
dashes and unsorted pi.
"My leader cooked that mans goose
said Mark, pointing TO a savage with b
bowels hanging over the limb Of a cedar.
"My geological article did the busine
for him." rejoined Dan, noddins careless