Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-02-26

1t was nearly twenty years HEQ
t says the (Nevada) Appeal, whel
: Dan Dequile and Mark Twain at
e tempted to start a paper in Mendic
4 inc County. They took the typ
: and material of their recently dr
fuact newspaper establishment il
r San FranciscO, and loading the stuf
a on a big wagon, struck out into the
: country to retrive their fortune
They packed their type just as il
| stood in the forms, tied up the arti-
cles with stout cords by process
well known To printers, and pack
, ing closely in boxes, vowed to estab-
li'h a newspaper somewhere, which
would be the leading exponent OF
politics and history of the Pacific
Coast. Had not and unfortunate cir
cumStance taken place. it IS evident
that the newspaper which they con-
templated founding woulf have
been alive to-day. Their journey
over the mountains was utterly un-
eventful until they reached Simp-
sons Station, spot well known 10
old travellers on that route. Here
they met "a party Of emigrants max
ing for Lower California, an the lat
ter had with them a small noun
tain howitzer, which they brought
with them across the plains.
Twain took a great fancy to his
\ gun, and offered fifty dollars for 1t
with two kegs of powder. The em-
igrants were glad to part with it, as
they conclded the time for its use
had passed. Dan thought the pur-
chase of the artillery and military
supplies was a reckless piece OF ex-
travagance, and said as much but
Mark replied:
"When we start our paper we
must fire a salute; a newspaper Of
flee with artillery has 4 big bulge
on the business no we'll regulated
office i'm California should be with
out a howif2er; ifs man comes in
for a retractiJn we can blow him In
to the next county. The howitzer
4 goes"
/ This silenced argument, and next
day the two journalists took the
road with their printing outfit and
artillery.
The next night they camped
in q 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 Indi-
ans were making arrangements for
a night attack. In the clear moon
light human forms could be distin.
gIished about half mile away, at
the foot of the ravine. The idea of
encountering Indians had never en-
tered the heads of the two fortune
seekers, and they had no arms; sud
denly Twain brightenedup remark
ing:
"The howitZer ~
"We've got nothing but powder" /
said Dan.
ssWelI, powder'll scare 'em; and (
We'll load her up"
The piece was Immediately load /
ed with a good big charge, and the
two nen felt quite certain that the
Indians, 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 up
the ravine.
Twain siezed brand from the
campfire and was about to lay 1t
on the touch-hole, when Dan yelled
"Hold on!" as he rammed some
thing in the mouth of the piece and
remarked !:
Turner loose"
The roar of the howitzer echOd
through the lonely forest, and the
savages, with frantic cries, Of pain
reeled down the ravine in wild con-
fusion. IN
"What in the hell did you put in"
asked Mark.
ga column of solid nonpareil and
a couple of sticks of your spring po-
etry."
1.-THE poerty did the business, Dan
Get one Ofyour geographical articles
ready for the next charge, and L ;
guess it'll let the red devils out for +,
the present campaign"
1.-THE savages again advanced.
Mark attended to the powder, and
Dan assorted the shot so to speak. {
"Jeems Pipes song, My noun !
tain Home"
"Good for three Indians-so':k'er
IAN acrostic, by John b.
Ridge, in Long Primmer.
"It'll paralyze 'em." {
Frank PiXley, on the Constltu- I
-ion-half column of loaded bre- I
vier." \
"Ifit hits 'em the day is won" /
"Your leader on Low and Or
ler." r
"Save it as a last resort. !
Dan pulled the type out of the a
)oxes, and stuffed column after col !
INN in the hOwitzer's mouth as the G
avages came charging on. AnOth- a
II round from the gun, and the red T
kins rolled over each other, like g
,oulders swept away by a mountain /
.loud-burst. Mark, in ecstacy of
lelight, pulled an American flag Z
,ut Of its effects, nailed it to the b
ail-board of the wagon, and was v
bout to make a speeeh, when the $
husky figures of the foe was once v
more seen moving to tRe attack. h
The piece was again loaded, and II
his time with a double charge. &
Iark's leader on 'Law-and order;' Il
he puff of an auction house, by G
fred. McCrelish, sas a sickener,' &
Jan said; Frank Gross's verses on 8
The Rebel Yell" an agricultural
rticle by Sam Seabaugh, showing f
he chemical properties of cornjuice r
S an educational lever maiden a
,oetieal effort by Olive Harper, and g
ONE verses by Col. Cremony and b
frank Sould completed the load. C
The poetry reaching them first
will throw them into confusion
nd my editorial coming on the
leels OF the rest will result in a
asting decentralization, 1t will be q
ike the last cavalry charge of the y
french troopers at the battle of d
Austerlitz." d
For the third and last time the a
aithfal old hOwitzer belched its ty- a
biographical compliments to thu adj q
'ancing foe. The havoc was terri q
lie. There was wild yell from a +,
core OF savage throats, and then b
he low groans of the dying fioated
ID the ravine on the gentle wind.
he two men walked over the field q
# slaughter and counted tifty-six -
boriginaIs lying in heaps. The \
Iodies were horribly mutilated with q
bourgeois, 'caps, misery 8,
ashes, and unassorted pi. n
my leader cooked that mans /
'onse.D said Mark pointing to a i