The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-09-20


One of its members was a journalist,
who gave piquancy and poetry to the
literature of the Comstock, under the
nom de plume of Dan de guile. An
other was Rollin NJ. Daggett, subse-
quently Congressman from Nevada
and afterwards Minister to the Court
of King Kalakaua A third was Sam
uel L. Clemens, known to the world as
Mark Twain, and the writer and his
family completed the club.
Mark Twain was as humorous in his
private correspondence and private
speech as in his published writings.
He gave friend strong endorsement
as an eloquent lecturer and accom-
panied it with a note saying. Now try
and not put the audience to sleep. and
don't be the needless cause of my first
lie." A letter from his mother con-
tanned a pathetic appeal; Samuel"
said she, why do you always begin
your letters to me by asking conun-
drums? 1 am an old woman and
have no taste for them
He had such dislike for pharisaical
pretention that he was ever making
hooking jests upon his own truthful
ness, integrity, and habits. AS mat
ter of fact he was free from the vices
of a frontier community and an honor
able and upright man in his dealings
except in one particular. He was the
most accomplished midnight mince pie
thief that ever upset the calculations
of our caterer. He had, besides,
habit when things went wrong, OF
crashing together the crockery in his
room, not so as to actually break 1t.
but so as to make every one nervous
with apprehension.
One Christmas eve all of us, except
Mark, were seated in the smoking room
awaiting the announcement of din
ner," when there arrived a lad with
package for Mr.. Clemens, which he was
directed to take to the smoking room.
After his departure we examined the
bundle for we were communists IN
spirit, and found that it contained a
pretty knitted wooden scarf and card
bearing the inscription, "Mr. Samuel
L. Clemens, from his friend Eta" Il
can improve upon that message" sug-
gested Daggett who was the wag and
philosophical disputant, and cribbage
plaver of the club, and obtaining
sheet of note paper, he wrote in a fine
female hand the following note: 'Mr
Clemens: The accompanying scarf
having been prepared as a Christmas
gift for you it has been determined not
to divert it from it's original destina-
ton, although a knowledge of your
late conduct having come to the ears
Of the writer. your own conscience VIII
fell YOU that this must close all COM
munication between US, in which decls-
ion INV father and mother concur.
"Your former friend, Eta"
The scarf was rewrapped and with
this note tied to it was placed in
SANS room. Shortly afterward he
made his appearance and proceeded to
his room to prepare for dinner. soon
we heard the crockery going. what
is the matter, Sam?" said Daggett.
Tbereupon entered Mark Twain, with
coat and collar off, and throwing the
nackaee upon the table, he burst forth,
'Read that" said he. fourishlng the
note from Eta, "read that. That's
inst nv Internal luck. You hounds can
run the town night after night, ana
nobody ever says a word, but am
found out at once.
Mark came over to our mousse ah
washoe City, and for week was our
guest. He insisted upon having Mai
tese cat. Jim" for a bed fellow ana
Tim. not being accustomed to tobacco
smoke. emerged every morning looking
like the remains of an ill-spent life.
Tt was here that Mark first delivered.
in Nevada, his lecture on the Sahn-
witch Islands. He was exceedingly ner-
vous about it, and though it was re-
ceiyed by the audience with laughter
and applause, he was not quite salts
fed with the result. Now tell me
honestly" said he. "for / want crltl-
cism and not praise, what do you think
of it2~ "Sam," said I, 'aS humorous
writer you have no equal and you VIII
sneedily take rank, both here and IN
the Atlantic States, as the first IN the
land" But, as a lecturer" he said,
"now tell me the truth honestly-as
lecturer I am a fraud, am L not!
.sYou are" I answered. II SUSPECTED
az much" said he gloomily, but I'll
tell YOU what it is, there are over 500
towns in the United States of more
than 5000 inhabitants, and l can play
them all once"
Mark Twain. Daggett, my wife and
agreed to collaborate in writing a
novel 1t was concluded that there
should be no concert of action, plot or
nlan between US: that either should
have the right to introduce as manv
characters as he or she desired: that
neither should have the right to Kill.
MAIN. imprison or exile for life any
character introduced by another, but
might make such disposition as he
nleased of characters of his own crea-
ton.
The novel was christened by me.
",rhe Silver Fiend, a Tale of Washoe."
and I began the great work with
thrilling description of a runaway
team on a mountain road in the Ser
ras. stopped by a lariat in the hands OF
a college athlete. who, while on pros
necting tour, had camped on the noun
tain side.
Daggett commenced his chapter with
+bs statement that while the horses
stonped. the young man, who held the
lsriat went on. that the sudden stop
ierked him three miles over the noun
tain into a little valley, where there
was an Indian camp. Daggett, who
was learned in savage lore, made an
elaborate exposition of Indian customs
and the intruder was given the choice