The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-08
Mark Twain
and Partner.
A BORROWED SHIRT
Causes Trouble Among Men
of the Comstock.

IF you want a story, it must be a
story OF the Comstock. That's the only
place 1 know, and 1 reckon its just
about as interesting as any other
place"
The man who spoke was William F.
Bailey of Dayton, Nevada, one of the
oldest of the old-time miners of the
west He went to Virginia City, Neva-
da, with James G. Fair; he knew John
w. Mackay and James Flood, and all
the men of millions who found for
tunes on the Comstock This is the first
time that he has been away from Ne
vada, in thirty years, and it is his opin-
ion that New York is too big, too noisy
and too stylish. Mr.. Bailey is a guest
al the Hoffman house.
Those We're the days" he said the
COS and los. Those were the days
when money was.like water, and man
with 100000 was considered broke. No
one would trouble about carrying nick
els and dimes then, and if a man asked
for loan of 500 he was looked upon
as a tramp. If he asked for $4,000 he
would have got it in minute, for no
man liked to see another starve. But
all that is past and gone. From $4,000
has dwindled down to 5000, and a nick
ell is as welcome to the average man
nowadays as an old sombrero to a
goat.
In those days, when Mark Twain
was reporting for the Virginia City
Chronicle, when Sam Davis was print
er's devil, and Curly Bill, the stage
driver, and old man George Hearst, the
great prospector and Mark Twain S
partner, were the ruling spirits of c
street, there used to be some hot old
times. There was a great rivalry be-
tween Hearst and Mark Twain when
ever any social function came off, and
it was hard race between them 10 see
which would dress the best.
"One night Curly Bill's' niece was
getting married to a young fellow who
washed tailings at the Empire mine on
the Carson river. and it was swell
affair. Everybody in Virginia City and
Dayton was present, and TO accom-
modaie the crowd Curly BIZ threw
open his biggest barn and paid $3.50 TO
have the orchestra from Piper's opera
house furnish music.
well. it seemed that Hearst's wash
erwoman had gone broke in d faro
game, and had put up all of her Gus
toners clothes to try and win back
some of the money, and Hearst's boiled
shirts went with the lot. On the day
of the wedding he went all along c.
street to buy shirt, but there was
none that would fit him. The boys
had all taken a fancy for boiled shirt,
and dealers had run out of stock.
True enough there was a boX-carload
of them on the Frisco freight train,
but that was three days behind time,
owing to a snowslide in the Sierra
Nevadas. George began to get nerv-
Gus and foresaw that he would have
to go to the wedding in his red shirt
unless something happened. So he
went into the Nevada Bank about 2
o'clock in the afternoon and posted up
notice stating that the Cashier had
been been authorized to pay $3.50 to
any man who would bring in a No. Is
white shirt with starche'i front
Two hours later, when the bank
closed, no one had appeared to cash in
a shirt, and George was in trouble.
He had to have a shirt, and he knew
he couldn't borrow it, for a man who
would stoop so low as to borrow
shirt in the early Virginia City days
would run a chance of getting lynched
for insanity. George knew this, but he
had to borrow-and from an intimate
friend, who would say nothing The
only man whom he knew well enough
was Mark Twain. So he wrote a note
to Mark, apologizing most humbly, and
begging the loan of a billed Whitley as
shirts were called then. Mark was
thunderstruck when he got the letter.
but, despite the rivalry that existed be-
tween them, he couldn't see his old
friend go to a wedding looking as if
he had just come out of the SOO-foot
level.
so he wrapped up one of his best
and sent it to George. He also sent
letter calling George to account for do
Inc TfYI f,
got abroad it would ruin him socially,
and that he couldn't ever expect to
be elected mayor of Red Tail Gulch'
George didn't reply, but appeared
at the wedding in fine style The shirt
was too large by several inches. and
George had evidently found that he
could not button on a collar, so he
came without one. and in its place was
as handsome a piece of new red fan
mel. knotted salor-fashion, as ever |
saw. His trousers We're tucked in his
| boots, which We're polished like brass;
his clothes We're new and fitted as we'll
as any in Virginia. and his long gray
hair was oiled with two kinds of hair
dressing. He did look great, and when
he kissed the bride her prospective
husband wasn't any too easy. Hearst
always was a winner with the girls
The wedding was over, and the
newly married couple had just started
on honeymoon trip to the Mound
house. Wine was flowing pretty freely
for Curly Bill never did do ANYTHING
unless he did it in style Some of the
boys had begun to whoop it I'D and
were getting gay, the faro bank was
running in full blast, and the horse
stalls of the barn had been turned into
closed, to one lad appeared 20 cash n
poker rooms.
George went into one of them and
took a hand. In about half an hour
he came out with about $4,000 and in
vited the crowd to drink with him.
The fellow who lost most of the mo-
ney was young chap named Joe Do
Ian. VINO lived in Phoebe. His uncle
was rich and owned a big ranch of
cattle. He gave Joe $4,000 a week. but
the boy lost it in Virginia gambling, and
was one of the worst losers in the town
He was angry because Hearst had won
and while George was setting them up
he remarked very loud: That old guy
with the stuff looks as if he was ready
to be lynched.
1T struck hard. George dropped his
glass square on the floor. In the heat
and the excitement he had removed the
red flannel from his neck and was GO.
ing around with nothing in it's place
That is what made Joe Dolan get so
fresh. Well, Hearst went up to him
anu WITHOUT saying word TOOK out his
pistol and handed it to some one who
was standing by, and then struck Do
Ian in the jaw hard enough to stagger
him. Dolan's anger was up. He took
off his coat, and every one saw that he
meant to fight the old man. Now it
looked as If George wasn't going to
have as much chance in that fight as a
new hat, but he showed that he could
use his fists. and Dolan didn't have a
child to beat. Both men went at 1t in
good style, and the crowd stood around