The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-09-20
ReCOlleCtiOnS
and Reflections
CbomaS Fitch = . Copyright r' ses 1' Thomas
SOME OLD FRIENDS

PEELED to consume the ears of Spaniel
and the drum sticks of bulldog be-
fore being permitted to depart.
Mrs Fitch presented the third chap
ter, describing the home life, education,
culture and thought of a beautiful
Vermont girl, who was compelled by
her fathers loss of fortune and death
to come to the Pacific coast and seek
employment as a teacher.
Mark Twain was to write the fourth
chapter, but the day before it was TO
appear, the "OccidentaP' suspended
and his part of the book was forever
lost to the world. When questioned
with regard to it, he answered, .I
should have kept the compact, but 1
intended to place that Vermont girl In
a situation that she would have found
difficult to explain to the satisfaction,
of her friends. I had her dealing
Monte in Dandy Pete's saloon in vfr-
ginia City. I'm sorry the literary pa
per stopped before my turn came. but
you couldn't expect that kind of a pa
per to be permanent here, could you?
Can lark sing in cellar, can sum-
mer abide on Mount Blanc, will flow
ers blossom in help"
A "A
What" said I to Mark on one oc-
casion, has been the most profita BILE
of your books?' my patent scrao
book said he, has brought me larger
revenue than all my published books"
If Mark Twain had turned his atten-
ton to serious rather than to humor-
Gus literature, he would in my opinion,
nave achieved as great a success. His
book, The Prince and the Pauper," is
as accurate and as interesting an his
torical novel as any written by Sir
Walter Scott. Mark must have made
close and careful study of the laws,
customs and life of England during the
reign of Henry the Eighth, and the
idea of a ruler, who went to school to
his own laws is as original as it is
alluringly presented.
AAA
Judge Will Campbell was every
body's friend and everybody's favorite.
He was a good fellow, but he was not
thrifty and he would buy anything
that was offered hin-on credit. If he
happened to have the money, he would
pay, but he generally did not happen
to have it. He had purchased
meerschaum pipe for seven dollars,
from a tobacconist named Packsher,
who kept the cigar stand at the Inter-
national Hotel in Virginia City. Often
was Packsher found, bill in hand,
among the throng of creditors, who
darkened the halls and passages lead
ing to Will Campbells Office on Mon
days, and just as often did he receive
the usual request, Call again." Grow
ing weary of this constant procession
of duns, and being unable to pay, Will
Campbell, one Monday morning, ar
rayed himself behind long table COW
! cred with documents and on the next
visit of Packsher, that gentleman was
politely invited to take d seat. 81 have
made arrangements" said Will with
great courtesy, "to settle all my in
debtedness, well, WE'LL" interrupted
Packsher, 81 am very glad to hear it,
but I always knew that you would pay,
Shudge Campbell, just as soon as you
could You have small unliqui-
dated demand against me-" said Will,
your name l believe is Packsher?"
| Eyes, yes" said the pleased Hebrew,
"Packsher it is, sure enough. The bill
is seven dollars, Shudge Campbell, it
is for a meerschaum pipe, you know"
81 remember it well,'' replied Will. 81
am settling my bills alphabetically.
You are among the P'S. AT present /
am among the AS. When l
get to the P's / will send for
you. In the meantime, suppose you
| kindly withdraw, and remember that I
have adopted a rule never to pay at
all, any gentleman who attempts to
collect out of his turn, alphabetically.
| Good morning, Mr.. Packsher-John,
please step around to Mr.. Abacco's Of
fee and ask him to bring his bill
AAA
Nevada has been the subject Of
many iibes as rotten borough State,
but there has seldom been a time since
her admission to the Union, when at
least one of her Senators did not COM
pare favorably in intellectual culture,
with those from any other State. Sen
ator James w Nye was a natural
orator. He was not a student, he was
indolent, and he was facile. But he
never addressed the Senate without at
tracing the attention of his associ-
ates. and he never spoke to a public
audience, without arousing enthusiasm.
He was at his best at a dinner table,
where he was the prince of raconteurs.
Scriptural quotations were interlarded
with stories that could not be told when
ladies were present.-Poetry. and
philosophy, and profanity poured from
his lips by the hour. A critic once
said of him, He is a rare combination
of John Wesley and Pick Handle
joe"
Nyes wit was keen and original.
When he followed the free soil wing
of democracy into the republican or
ganization. John Van Buren,, known as
prince John, said of him in public
speech. There is Jim Nye. He used
to be my bottle holder. Now he is bot
tie holder for Bill Seward CT am
growing old, replied Nye, "and
wanted an easier job; where I would
not be compelled to hold the bottle
quite so often
It is related t-lat while Nye, who was
then a practicing lawyer in New York
City was eating raw oysters at the
counter of a celebrated restaurant, he
was approached by an enraged man
whom he had badly worsted in Court,
who said to him, "Nye is there any
cause so low and dirty, and any client
so mean and contemplate that you
would not take his case for fee?"
81 do not know, replied Nye. looking