Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-15
MARK TWAIN AS A REPORTER.
His Pen Name When He Begun News
paper Work Was Josh.

paper Work WAs josh.
From the San FrJncisco Call.
Mr.. Clemens first pen name, when he
commenced to write for Joe Goodmans
Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City,
New, about 1853. as correspondent from
Esmeralda district. where he mined for a
living, was Josh" The fun and humor
that dubbed up in his letters tickled the
Washoeites and made the paper sought
after. They sent for him, and he came.
gladly relnquishing the pick and shovel,
the wiEdlass and the bucket, for the jour-
nalist's pen. Mr.. Clemens came to Vir-
ginia City dressed In the usual garb of
miner, well worn at that. and demeaned
himself with all a miners freedom. He
had. also. in greater degree than SUBJ
sequeEtly, the exceptional drawl I'm his
speech which he chose to consider one
factor in the sum of his distinctive indi-
viduality. He took readily to reporting the
varying fortunes of the mining commun-
ity, and strengthened the writing force on
the Enterprise materially while at the
same time. availing himself of legitimate
opportunities 20 acquire feet in the
Comstock and shares In different outly-
Ing mines. He was accounted quite rich
In this kind of property at one time With
liberal remuneration for his work his per-
sonal appearance rapidly improved, and
sides cleaner in speech as well as in dress
Becoming dissatisfied with his pen name
OF Josh" he changed it to Mark
Twain by which at the present day he
About 1864 Mr.. Clemens came to San
Francisco. 1t cannot be said he made
many friends in Nevada There were
some who affected his company on ac-
faculty Of winning friendship Before he
arrived in the city he had accumulated as
before state. good deal of money every
silver Of which he sank in Hale & Nor
erary life again. He wrote San Francisco
letters to his old paper the Territorial En-
terprise. and for some real or fancied
cause attacked the local police so persis-
tently and fercely that Martin G. ].
Bourke. who was chief of the force at the
time. bro light a suit for libel against the
paper. Such envenomed communications
as MI Clemens wrote on this subject have
cial equanimity of the old city hall boil
like a cauldron Of asphaltum the fume and
stencil being In proportion. He also con-
tributed for Charley Webb ("Indigo') to
the Californian, for the Golden Era and
did all scrts Of literary work whereby he
could turn cent. 1t was terrible uphill
business. and a less determined man than
himself would have abandoned the strug-
gle and remained at the base. Mr. Glenn
ems was at Steamboat Springs. New, for
his health when the letter was written
offering him a place on the Call. He came
down shortly after, but, judging from his
appearance, fortune had been playing sour
Wy tricks with him in the interim With
out doing the gentleman any Injustice
1t can be freely stated that, although at
the time good general writer and corre-
spondent. he made but an Indifferent re-
porter. He only played at itemizing.
Considering his experience in the noun
tains, he had ali ineXplicable aversion to
walking. and in putting his matter on
paper he was, to use his own expression
slower than the wrath to come" Many
funny and characteristic Incidents occur
red during his few months stay on the
Call. He only wanted to remain long
enough, he said, when he engaged to go
to work. to make "a stake" but or leav-
came. The most notable thing he lid that
can now be recalled was a philippe
against some undertaking employees where
the morgue happend to be, for the dead
house in those days, like the old-fashioned
plan with the country school mistress and
the villagers, was boarded round" each
undertaken accommodating the coroner In
turn. 1t appears some one about the place
refused to give Mr.. Clemens information
morning he got such a dose, commencing,
"These body-snatchers," that a general
apology was Immediately made by every
man in the establishment. The proprietor
was east at the time, but when he read the
article he shivered. as he confessed after
ward, and considered his business ruined,
Mr.. Clemens parted from the Call people
on the mo4t friendly terms when II was
found necessary to make the local depart
torial shortcomings and expressing surprise
that thew were not sooner discovered