The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-11
MARK TWAIN AS JENKINS.
fExchanee.l

Francisco to the Virginia City Eakeypyise. The subjo:ned effort was his first contri- button. and the others were in the same free -and-easy strain. Ii is not necessary to say th I, they drew wide notice. Re- ference is made several times in this first letter to the Unreliable" He was the reporter of the once well-known but Iong-since departed Virginia City Union, of which Hon. Tom Fitch, the orator, was the editor. This reporter and Mark Chen doing local york for the Enkybyisf) were sent to Carson to report the legislA- ture. Mark made wild work of it. He was too l.zy 10 pay attention to the routine proceedings. got everything wrong and his reports were so uninten- tionaiiy funsy that everybody roared over them. Ioe Goodman, editor of the EnkeyP'isf, sent another reporter 10 Car soa, but ordered Twain 10 stay there, too and continue his diveriing record of legis lative progress. Now the Union scribe was as careful and accurate as Mark was needless and truth-defyirg. His reports were models of correctness, ard were used by the legislature every day for reference instead of the official minutes.
 
 his own wre;ched performances. to chris ten this pink cf reporters the Unreliable The ironieal humor of the title pleased the Washoe fancy, aud he nickname stuck. IL stuck so fast, indeed, th a, the poor fellow, who prided himself upon his accuracy more than upon anything else in life. WAS called no.h.ng else by anybody. l; became uabearaole to him. especially as Twain kep, continually re- buking him in prin, for his assumed care less statements The Unreliable haaIiy Jeff Nevada to get rid of lis name. and has been los, to history.
 SAN FRANCISCO June i9 G.
 EBIToR ENTERrkIsE: l have ICst re. ceived. per Wells Fargo, the folio .ing ssee;-scented little note, written m 4 miero ,opic hand, in the center b: del.- cate shee; of paper like q aedji ,n- vitation or funera. notice and ieel t my duty to answer Il:
 MR MARK Ta .Is ID tsH Us something about th- fashions. Do nos. |, T IS all you kSos aSoi.; ::, aoa; .oii Pray. excuse bfevi'y, for ari n faCa 4 hurry. BETTE.
 P. :. Please buEn this soon as you have read il.
 :" Ho ,ell us and she is in "sa 4 a hurry Well never kney girl in my life who could write three consecutive sentences without italioizing a word. They can, do i,. you know. Now, had wife and she however, don, think shall have one this week, and i. is hardly worth while 10 borrow trouble.
 B.ttie, my love, you do me proud In thus requesting me to hx up the fashions for you, in m intelligent manner, you pay compliment 10 my critical and ob. seryan; eye, and my varied and ex'er sve information. which niinG jess perfectly balanced than mine could scarcely con template without excess of vanity Will l tell you about the fashions will. Betiie you better ,ei you bet, Betsy. my darling. learned these expressions from the Unreliable: ike all phrases which faii from his llps, they are fright fully vulgar: but then they sound rather musical than otherwise
 happy circumstance has put Il in my Poser 10 furnish you the fas hians from head quarters IS | were, Bette. rcer ;o the assenoage of fashion. elegance and lcveiiness called together in the pir,or of the Lick house las, nigh, ( party gwen by the prop'ietors on the oceas on of my piping up ihat litte bal ance due On my board bil viil give you brief and ,uo,d description of the dresses worn by several of the ladies of mY acquaintance who were present. Mrs 5 was arrayed in a superb speckied foulaid, with the stripes running fore and ait, and with oollets and canals :e match: also a ro:unde of Chan,illy lace, embroidered with blue and yellow dogs and birds and things, done in cruel and edged with a solferino fringe four inches deep-lovely. Mrs B is tall. and grace ful and beautiful, and the general effect os her costume was to render her appear anee extremely lively.
 Miss ]. W. wore charming robe polo- nais of scarle, yncas Ia siSiy<, with yellow fiuted founoes of rich bombar.ne. fourteen inches wide low neck and short sleeves; also Figaro veste of bleached domestic selysge cage turned doHn with q back stitch. and trimmed with festoons oi blue ohicoree taffetas. Gay? | reckon not Her head d-dress was the sweetest thing you ever saw bunch of stately ostrich plumcs-red and white springing like fountains above each ear. with a crown between, consisting of a single fsay d< solsii. fresh from the garden. An, me. Miss w. looked en- chansingly pretty; however. there was nothing unusual about that-i have seen her look so, even in a rniloer costume.
 Mrs J. B. w. wore heavy ra,-eolored bfocade silk studded with large silver stars and trimmed with organdie bal loon sleeves of nankeen pique gathered al the wrist, cut bias and hollowed ou, some at the elbow also a bournous of black Honiton lace, scolloped and em- broidered in violen, colors. with battle piece representing the taking of Holland by the Dutch iow necked and high heeled shoes: gloves: palm-leaf fan hoops; her head-dress consisting of simple maroon-colored Sontag. with fes- toons of blue illusion depending from i, upon her bosom Feposed a gorgeous bouquet of real sage brush, imported