The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-01-19

| though he never was stiff and superior:
but he didn't frequent the saloons, or drink
with the boys, and so there We're those who
accused him of being ''airy." He was not
unsocial with those he liked, and made him
self exceedingly agreeable. He was fond
OF quiet game of whist, and he talked
well. He enjoyed teasing when he had
good subject
a certain ambitious teacher, New Eng
land woman, had married a wealthy Cock
ney, who ignored the letter H consistently
to her intense disgust. Bret liked to touch
her where she was tender, and one even
ing skilfully drew the conversation to the
subject OF songs and their words. He
managed to get the happy bridegroom well
warmed up and thoroughly responsive, and
then spoke admlringly of kathleen Ma
vourneen," adding, ''What are the worlds
L can never remember them" The unsus-
pecting subject replied, "Why, don't you
know! The 'orn of the 'unter is card on
the ILL.," at which Harte's merry eyes
fairly danced and
THE MADAME's SNAPPED AND swoRE.
If 1 mistake not, Harte's contributions
had already been accepted in the Atlantic,
a sketch, Dolores" and perhaps others
having appeared. He seemed to be with
out any special ambition, and was looked
upon as impractical, and from the utilitar
ian standpoint as good for nothing. He
was evidently poor, but it didn't seem to
worry him. He didn't try to get at any
money making pursuit, and there was
probably little that he could do. He evil
dently liked Humboldt, or else he had no
call elsewhere. He stayed and took life
easily. At one time he went on to large
farm IN the outskirts and served as sort
of tutor to the farmers two sons. in return
for his board ! saw him one day laboring
with considerable determination but little
skill in constructing picket fence.
Then be turned his attention to journal
Ism. The Humboldt Times, a very respec-
table, almost too respectable, journal of
TOUR moderate-sized pages, appeared
weekly. A copy of the first number,
printed on saJln, was sent to the great sa-
want, for who the bay was named, and
seemed to give him great pleasure. Walter
Van Dyke, lately elected superior Judge in
Los Angeles, and Austin Wiley, still
Humboldt newspaper man, were editors
and proprietors. The Times was published
In Uniontown, but
THE GROWING STRENGTH AND PRIDE OF
EUREKA
were too powerful to be resisted. and to
the great chagrin and modification of the
loyal citizens of the sighted town. it one
day moved across the bay to the county
seat. Such a sign of deterioration was
more than we could bear, and with more
zeal than Judgment another paper was I'M
dertaken. S. q. Whipple, subsequently,
colonel of the California volunteers. and
later captain in the regular army, now
editor OF the Times at Eureka, was man
ager OF the Northern Californian, as the new
journal was named. 1t was an unusually
bright and readable paper, and it's brief
career was brilliant and striking.
As practical man, Bret Harte was not
success, and imagine that grass was
pretty short' about the time the Northern
Californian was started. At any rate. he
was very glad of the opportunity to Join
the force and learn as much of the trade as
he could. There are papers and papers.
and the contrast between a country weekly
OF thirty years ago and city daily of to-
day is as black to white. An inventory of
the establishment would comprise little
else than one editor, one compositor. one
general assistant, one stand of type. one
Washington hand press During the week
the one printer would set all the tpye. as
sisted by Harte, who soon caught the
knack of distribution, and was of some as
slstance in composition On Wednesdays
the capable jour dismounted from his stool
and became the stalwart pressman,
FURNISHING BOTH SKILL AND POWER,
while the brilliant Harte playe the print
er's devil, standing behind the press and
rolling the form while the frisket was
folded back, the just printed sheet taken
out and fresh one put in. This operation
on Wednesday disposed of the outside
The type was then distributed, and Friday
and Saturday morning the in
side was printed, and the palladium of
liberty and radiator of intelligence went
forth to inspire and enlighten the world.
CpPmp1 N !
Jokes and bright bits of philosophy and
humor seemed particularly to flow when he
was rolling the form. Naturally he wrote
for the paper, and his work increased on it
as time went on. He had a particularly
neat way of putting things, and finished
style that compared with the ordinary
country EDITORS very much as greyhound !
compares with an elephant He enjoyed
the discontinue of the rival Times across |
the bay at his keen thrusts. If a vulner
able point was to be discovered, and it com
monty was, he could touch to the quick.
Inc Times editor one day acknowledged |
receiving a remarkably large specimen
radish, and was unfortunately so liberal |
as to pass it with a superfuous d. Harte |
relolned that If the popularity of the rad |
lsh consisted In the abnormal way in which |
already received many such specimens from
the same source.
IN THE LIGHT OF HIS SUBSEQUENT CAREER,
can well believe that many finely-written
articles and items of dainty brightness are
buried in the files of that extinct journal.
He was still in his own country, and with
out honor, but he was no less budding
genius. He was never commonplace, and |
his style has never materially changed.
Early In 1850 he returned to San Fran
cisco and for time was associated with |
the Golden Era, afterward uniting with
Charles Henry Webb in the publication of |
a particularly bright but ephemeral weekly, |
The Californian. Then he became pro |
tege OF Thomas Starr King, that wonderful
helper Of young men, and settled into a |
comfortable position as secretary to the |
superintendent of the United States mint. |
Then came the days of the early Overland, |
and his waking to find himself famous |
through the publication of the Heather |
Chinee,n a bit of verse that had been living |
a long time unvalued in his portfolio He |
had written the verses on the shores of |
Humboldt Bay. where his life led him to |
ningle with the rough men of the mining |
camps. His subsequent career is familiar.
He is still working his rich, but somewhat |
narrow vein. At times it threatens to |
pinch out, but there is always enough pay |
,re to cover the cost of sinking and at any
lay another bonanza may be opened.
CHARLES A MTRDocE