The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-10-21
Mark Twain i'm Nevada.

New DIX HOItQ. MI. hODcII IL ui-
ford is the husband of that charming
and successful actress, Annie Pixley.
In 1862 he was a printer in the office
of the Virginia City New Enterprise,
and received the liberal compensation
of 81. 20 per thousand. The best print
ers in New York are now paid 46 cents
per thousand. Mr.. Fulford and his
associates at the case in the Office OF the
Virginia City Enterprise made from
500 to $l25 week. Those were
flush times for printers and everyone
else in Virginia City. Men were MAX
ing fortunes in day, and all the earth
out there seemed to be lined with gold.
Mr.. Fulford stood in the lobby OF the
Grand Opera House, Saturday even
ing, talking to group of friends about
the prosperous days he had seen in The
famous Nevada mining town. he men
toned the names of some OF the people
he knew in Virginia City, and traced the
careers that some of them had made
since those memorable days of great
gold discoveries and high salaries. OF
the thousands who had flock d to Vlr-
ginia City while it was at the flood
tide of its prosperity, but handful
had made fortunes
"One of these" said Mr.. Fulford,
"who has made both fame and fortune
is Mark Twain Sam Clemens. L knew
him well. He was a reporter on the
ENTERPRISE while l was young boy
setting type on the same paper. He
had a salary of $50 week. There was
wide difference then between the man
who wrote for the paper and the man
who set the type for it. While 1t Is
true, as l have said, that Mark Twain
is one of the few men L knew at Nir-
ginia City who are to-day worth fort
une, and while it is equally true he has
acquired fame as well, yet he made
neither while out there, and gave no
hint that he would ever make them
anywhere else.
you never suspected, then, that he
was humorist?"
Never. / saw him every day and
read everything he wrote for the paper,
but never suspected there was any
thing funny about him beyond little
drollery in his manner of speech. L
think he got most of his jokes from
fellow in the office we called Truthful
James. His true name was Tompkins,
and he wrote very fairly, but he was
at his best when surrounded by lot of
friends. He had an nexhaustible sup
ply of Jokes and stories, and he told
them all with inimitable humor. He was
thoroughly original, and was noted
character in Virginia City. You will
understand that there was a gentle sar-
casm about the appellation Truthful!
James. But Tompkins, with all his
good stories, never amounted to any
thing more than the good natured,
good-hearted joker of the Enterprise
office, and he is to-day unknown to
either fame or fortune, but there is
Mark Twain, whose books are now read
by all mankind"
"Was Mark Twain we'll liked among
his acquaintance? 2"
MO he was rather unpopular. L
did not like him then. and | do not like
him now. L dislike him so much that /
never read much that he writes, but L
think / can tell the truth about him,
and 1 am sure | am right when | say he
retains as friends to-day very few, if
any, Of those who knew him in Virginia
City. To illustrate the truth of what
Il say Il Will btll NOh ~ III iAiNiuOhb tidb
occurred just about the time he left
Virginia City to go down to San Fran
cisco. There was a little town or camp
just outside of Virginia City, and the
two places were separated by deep
gulch, and the road that crossed this
was the scene OF many a midnight muir
der and robbery. Some of the boys
laid q plot to give Sam Clemens good
scare before he left for San Francisco.
The plan was to waylay him some night
as he passed along this lonely road and
take his watch, pistol, and money away
from him and return them n day or two
later. The night came. He was COM
ing home pretty late from tue other
side The boys knew he had pistol,
and that it was dangerous Joke; but
that was the sort of practical Jokes we
all INDUCED in at that time.
1t would, of course, be neces-
AIRY to get the drop on him,
otherwise somebody would get hurt.
The plan worked all right. They
pistols cooked and leveled, and COM
manded him 10 throw up his hands,
which he did very promptly. There
was nothing else to do. OF course the
boys were masked. They took every
thing he had, including very common
old silver watch, and he seemed to be
right glad to get away with his life.
The next day he wrote a thrilling arti-
c'e Tor the Enterprise, giving n de-
tailed account of the affair, abusing the
supposed robbers with terrific ven
geance. The secret was kept dark I'M
til he was going to leave on the stage
coach for San Francisco. Just as
Clemens was about to get on the stage,
committee of the boys, with very
solemn countenances, walked up to him
and with a very formal speech pre-
scented him with a neat oOking case,
which he supposed contained some
pleasing memento by which his Vir-
ginia City friends wished to be remem-
bered. You can imagine his surprise
and the veil that went up from the
crowd when he opened the case and
found inside the watch, pistol, and
small amount OF money of which he
had been robbed few ghts before.
The driver cracked his whip and the
coach went off with a whirl. 1t was
4 L. - -. n Z,