The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-19

thirteen years old.
The duties Of the great humorfst in
that stage of his remarkable career IN
cluded milking the editors cow, cut
ting his wood, building fires, sweeping
out the office and all the various small
and dirty jobs that fall to the lot OF
the devil in a country print shop.
The Hannibal paper on which MT.
Clemens started his journalistic work
was the Courier On the paper at the
same time was Van B. De Lashmutt,
now a citizen and mining operator of
Spokane, Wash.
This early life of the humorist and
some of his strange adventures as re-
porter on the Enterprise, of Virginia
City, New, during the early days OF
the mining excitement, are thus enter
tainingly told for the first time by Mr.
De Lashmutt:
During his apprenticeship on the
Courier Clemens had to board in the
| family of the editor and proprietor,
| who lived well out in the suburbs OF
the town. and in the morning was sup
posed to milk the COW and cut enough
stove wood for the day while waiting
for his breakfast, which must on week
DAYS be served in time for the men to
get to their work by Z o'clock. He had
to get to the office a little earlier to
sweep out, build the fires, bring in a
bucket or two Of water, and later on to
cut and bring in sufficient firewood to
last over the following day.
1.-THE arrival Of the stage was Samu-
els opportunity. 1t was the one
bright spot in his monotonous routine
work, for it gave him an opportunity
to go to the postoffice and frequently
wait for two or three hours until Its
arrival In the mean time he had to
tell every other man he met about what
time to come around in order to eaten
the editor in his office.
"When not thus engaged he usually
found time to play a little ball or
game or two of marbles with his chum-
mics.
after o'clock in the morning, when
the actual work of the day began, he
was kept alternating 'twixt his case in
the office, where he was undergoing the
rudimentary lessons of learning to set
type, and the nearest saloon, whittier
he went at intervals in quest OF the
editor, in order to get more copy, or
at the request of some subscriber; or
more likely somone with bill to COL
lect, who would always sit down in the
editors sanctum and look over the eX-
changes while he was bringing him.
.sThis latter task was no easy matter,
and called for a good deal Of diplom-
acy; for the editor was sure to be in
the midst Of a game of pool or cards,
or standing up at the bar with party
of friends endeavoring to show them
why 1t was that Thomas Jefferson was
entitled to the honor Of being called
the father of Democracy, or why An
drew Jackson was justified in annulling
the bank act.
aIn the meantime he had to stand de-
murely by and await his opportunity
to speak to the editor without disturb
ing him; had to catch his eye at the
end of game or after round of
drinks, or at the end of a sentence;
and it frequently took him an hour or
two to get his man.
ut was thus that his duties caused
him to be regarded in the community
as a sort of private secretary to the
editor, and people would hand him
their correspondence and say to him.
Now, sonny, If you will get the old
man to publish this I'll buy you a new
Barlow knife with a horn handle etc.
advertisements were most gener-
ally handed to him, for the reason that
they We're more certain to reach the
hands of the printer. The old man was
not to be relied upon in matters of bus
mess, and frequently carried them
around in his pockets for a week or
two before handing them to the printer.
1.-The Office employees all got tickets
to all the balls and shows and public
entertainments and frequently some
old farmer would invite him out to