Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-11-02

best OF training for literary pioneer.
Born in 1899 in Albany, where his father
was teacher in female seminary, he
gained good common school education.
After his fathers death, the family were
left in rather poor circumstances, and in
1854 young Harte accompanied his mother
to California, where they hoped to i'm
prove the family fortune. They went by
way of Panama. Soon after arriving at
San Francisco l-e set out for Sonora,
pluckly walking all the way. There he
taught school for time but without
great success and he soon gave 1t up.
Then followed several years Of wander
ing life among the mountains and miuing
camps of California, He tried mining at
various intervals; he was mounted ex-
press agent iol time, ard it Was then
that he became acquainted with the pro-
totypes of Gub& Bill and other knights
of the lash, he acted as express agent in
several different mining camps 1t was
thus he became intimately acquainted
with the peculiar rude phases of early
California life ;iu these wnnderings he was
unconscioisly filing his mental note book
with sketches of John Ockhurst, Ten
nesee, Miggles Tommy Simpkins, all
those rien and women, the stories OF
whose lives and deeds have stirred US to
laughter or to tears. The conditions of
life in those early days are slngularly pic
IuTts4ue. "A Iuut lliulIR camp SET GOWN
among unsurpassed splendor of the coast
mountains. was crowded with men OF
daring aud sturdy Independence, smooth
teryued gamblers, and fugitiyes from
eastern justice. q DID was plentiful, and
life was full of touch-aud 20 excitement.
In his lecture on The Argonauts of ~"
which has | believe never been printed,
he gave some Incidents of their strange
office OF the publisher, whom he found
standing the picture of dismay and anXi-
ETY. with the proof before him. The indl2-
nation and stUpetaction of the author can
be well understood when he was told thai
the printer instead ot returning the proofs
to him, submitted them to the publisher.
with the emphatic declaration that the
matter thereof wac 80 indecent, irrellgious
and improper, that mis- proof readers
young lady-had with difficulty been In
duced to continue its perusal, and that he
as a friend of the publisher and well
wisher of the magazine, was impeled tC
present to him personally this shameless
evidence of the manner in which the edl'
tor was imperilling the future OF that en-
terprise.
Believing only that he was the victim Of
some extraordinary Typographical blum
der the author at once sat down and read
the proof. AS he read on he found hi nsel'
affected, even as he had been affected II
the conception and writing OF ia leellnt
so incompatible with the charges against
St, that he could only lay it down and de
clare emphatically, albeit hopeltssly thal
he could really see nothing Objectionable
In II. Other opinions were sought ani
given. To the authors surprise, he fpunt
himself la the minority, FINALLY the story
was submitted to three gentlemen OF cul
ture and experience, friends OF publshcr
md author, WHO were unable, however
to come TO any clear decision. 1t was
however, suggested 10 the author that
assuming the natural hypothesis that his
editorial reasoning might be warped by
his literary productions In cunsiderA
tiOn of one Of his own productions, per
sonal sacrifice would ut this iuncture be
IA the last degree heroic This last sug
pestion had the fleet Of ending all further
discussion for he ut once informed the
publisher that the question of the prOprie
fy of the story was no longer at Issue the
only question was of his capacity to eXer
else the proper editorial judgment ant
that unless he was permitted to test that
capacity by the publication OF the story
and abide squarely by the result he mus
resign his editorial position. The publi~h
er, possibly struck with the authors con
ndence, possibly from kindliness Of dispO
sitiOn to younger man, yielded, hn'
1.-The Luck Of Roaring Camp" was pub
lished in the current number OF the maya
zine for which 10 was written, withou
emendation, omission, alteration or apol
ogy.
But the troubles Of the Luck" were r.
from ended The secular press, with ont
or two exceptions, received IL cody, an
referred to its 'singularity :" the religion
press franticAlly communicated II AM
mathematical it as the offspring OF evil
practical business men were gravely urQ
ed to condemn and frown upon this pic
ture Of Califpi ian society that was no
conducive ~ eastrtA immigration; 1t