New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-07
MARK TWAIN As 4 REPORTER.
HIS FIRST PEN NAME WAS JOSH"


From The San Francisco Gail.
to write for Joe Goodman's Territorial Enter
Prise in Virginia CITY New. about 1863, CORE
for A living. was Josh" The fun and humor thal
bUbbled M in his letters ticked the Washoeites and
mad the paper sought after They sent for him,
and he came. gladly rehnquishing the PICK ana
shovel the wndass and the bucket I FOR he 'Sgr
dressed in the usual garb OF a miner, well-worn az
that. ana lemeaned himself with all miner free
dom He mad also in a greater degree IMAM suhs',-
qnently the exceptional drawl in his speech which
he chose consider one factor In ne sum OF MS
ing the varying fortunes of the mining community
aud s,reng thcncd the writing force on The Enter
prise materially, while. at the same time avail
me himself Of legitimate opportuniliol TO acquire
feet in The CONS ock and share In dneren' cut
lving mines lie was accounted quite rcn IN ms
Kind Of property at one lime With liberal re-
enumeration for his work his personal appealrancs
rapidly improved. and he grew 10 pe a swsii IN d
mild way. besides cleaner ID speech ~ Wei d. l"
dress III, go, 800 , ..,osb "
nc changed IL 10 Mark Twain. by which az me
present day. he is known in the literature oi inc
About 1864 Mr., Clemens came 20 san TrancisSes
Il cannot be said he made many frends IN Ne o ac
Of winning friendship Before he arrived In d tng
deal OF money. every silver Of which nc sunk II;
Hale Then he Gs s I the Gi
his old paper. The Territorial E.ierprise , ana
I poc so ae persstenty and ercey that Martin G.
j. Burke who was chief of the force at the time.
brought suit for libel against the paper Such
envenomed communications az Mr.. Clemens wrote
on this subject have rarely been pennod Ihey
made the official equanimi,y OF the old city nan
boil Ike caldron Of asphaltum the fune ana
stencil being In proportion He also eortrGate
FOR The Golden Era" and did all sorts Of literary
work whereby he could turn cent. II was
terrible uphill business and less determined man
than himself would have abandoned the struggle
and remained the base Mr. Clemens was az
Steamboat Springs. Nev, for his health. when the
letter was written Offering him q place on 18th, ,Ths
CALI" He came down shortly after, but Judging
from HIS appearance fortune had been playing
scurvy tricks with him in the interim. Without
the gentle man injustice II can be freely
stated that although at the time good genera!
writer and correspondent he made but an ndif-
ferer, reporter He only played at itcmizn9.
Considering his experience In the mountains. he
had an inexpi.cabie aversion TO walking. and In
putting his matter on paper he was 10 his own
expression slower than the wrath 10 come.
MANY funny and characteristic incidents occurred
during his few months stay on The eau" lie
only wanted 10 remain long enough, he said. when
he engaged 10 go 10 work. TO make "a stnhe, bur
on lea Wing hs PURGE was no heavier than when ~
came. The most notable thing he did that can now
b. recalled was philippe against some under
taking employees where The Morgue happened to
be- for the deadhouse In those days. like the old
fashioned plan with the country school MISTRESS