The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-04

"pent-up Uiits, ;" little place on the map
that you might cover with pins head,
gave the world all its literature, all its
laws-social laws, moral laws, laws of art
all things, for thousands of years, as to try
to explain why California and Oregon have
more magazines and better ones, more and
bigger and better newspapers, too, than
any other part Of the globe with
forty times the population. 1t IS simply
an art atmosphere, l reckon; tre-
mendOus mental activity. For 1t is
not confined to literature at ALL but
this intense activity takes in all branches
of art. as in Greece OF old. Nor is our work
in letters confined to ourselves. lake up
magazine, name almost any sort Of reading
matter, and you will find that this Calif0r-
MIA art atmosphere is often the most pleas
ing and conspicuous figure there, and the
best work there often you will find is by
some one who has some time or another
spckled at the tawny dugs of our shaggy
she-wof, their foster-mother, California.
But to turn back. Joe Lawrence, as
We old ones loved to call him, was Of
the old New York Lawrence family, a
name that has long been famous in the an
nails of our navy. What boy has not been
thrilled by the last words of the young
hero, Captain Lawrence, who, shot all to
pieces. kept crying out till death sealed his
lips, Don't give up the ship!'
The uncle Of Joe Lawrence was Mayor OF
New York. and the family ell through was
not only distinguished and honorable In
war and in peace, but was wealthy and in
fuential But the one thing that thrilled
and filed the heart of our handsome and
manly Californian, Joe Lawrence. was the
fact that he was one of the founders of the
State and an argonaut Of 40.
In an old Sacramento City directory I
read that in 1S49 Joe Lawrence was editor
OF the Placer Times. l read that the Placer
Times was published at the fort in 1S49,
Suffers Fort. / suppose. And | read fur
Their In this old Sacramento directory that
in the spring of 1850 j. +. Lawrence, l..
Pickering, tho present editor of HE CALL,
and one Aldrich, bought the Times for S16,-
street. Think of it! More than forty-two
years ago. And yet here sits Pickering on
the tripod still, The best, the kindliest editor
ever knew, and l love him lot; but hang
some Of his children if he is the father of
our journalism!
1t was not till the spring of 1868 that I
came to know Joe Lawrence we'll, and even
then not nearly so we'll rs | wanted to. He
was surrounded by the most brilliant gath
ering of men, perhaps. that ever met in
America. This seems like saying much,
butread these names and you will see that
| am not saying too much. and you Will see
clearly how it was that nameless lad from
Oregon could not we'll get very near to the
big warm heart of Joe Lawrence.
LIN an old journal Of mine kept at the time
wrote that saw Menksn. milford, Harte,
Stoddard, Bierstadt, Fitzhugh Ludlow,
Mark Twain, Orpheus c. Kerr, Artemus
Ward, DensmOre, Kendall, and Mrs. Hitch
cock all at one time when calling on Law
renee in the Era office.
or course l was never presented to any OF
these people. knew Menken and her hus-
band, and one or two others, but was wise
enough to be content back in corner
where | could look on and listen and learn.
The Era rooms were elegant, the most
gaudiIy carpeted and most gorgeously fur
nisned that had then ever seen. And even
now they seem in my memory to have been
simply palatial | have seen the world
well since. all of It's splendor worth seeing;
and yet these carpeted parlors, Joe Law
renee and his brilliant satellites outshins all
things else as l turn to look back.
How much money did we all makep How
much do you supposep Well for the bene-
fit of young scribes who are perpetually de-
ploring that they did not see California In
her flush DAYS / win turn once more to my
journal. find l had already got Lawrence
to publish some of my bits of work in the
Era and | began to want little pay. SO
at last. when | got him to publish a long
poem called Gettysburg" many hundred
lines of very poor verse, / asked him If he
could afford to pay me little something
for ii.
He took me into his great big heart at
on and told me in the gentlest sort of
outside Of the office except Mark Twain and
Mrs. DR.. Hitchcock. Aud when | pressed
him little On this point he told me he was
paying Mrs. Hitchcock $40 an article and
Mark Twain SIS. | think he told ME the clean
cold truth-at least | wrote it down as such
in my journal and was satisfied. And Mrs.
Hitchcock / knew was keeping journal
at the same time. as she has for the past
fifty years; and as she lives at the Palace
. Hotel, aud is one OF the very klndest as
well as brightest women | ever knew, |
think she can and will by her own journal
confirm what | have here set down about
the meager pay for live matter in the flush
days" or course she will be disgusted, as
are all well-bred people, to see herself set
down in print; but am so out of patience
to see every seribber deploring "the dear
old flush days." instead of pitching in and
doing something. that must risk the wrath
Of the one good woman for the benefit of
the many foolish men. True, l got awfully
discouraged, went down to the Point and
tried to enlist, but they wouldn't have me.
being lame Of an arm and leg, and the
civil war nearly over.
Mark Twain was doing some of his best
work. Menken her very best, the best
that has been done In America after the
true old Hebraic fashion, but there was
simply no demand then for work. no market
for lines, as now. AS for my own stuff
marvel at the patience OF Lawrence and
that had the audacity to offer it on any
terms. In all truth and fairness | am free
to say that 1t was hopelessly, heplessly in
ane; as any one can see who cares TO look
over old files of the Era. BY the way. / pub
iished a long novel at that time about Castle
Rocks, where l had been badly wounded.
This novel was edited and published by
Harlow, author OF "Harlow on Sheriffs."
book which is the California authority now ;
and Harlow is now Under Sheriff In Oak
land. But even that novel has not one ray