Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-16

" lNblt GdUluEl Nl'lll'ANt i'H 'N'fNt''N
all over the world as Mark Twain,
was the deputy territorial secretary
of Nevada, having been appointed to
that Office by his brother, Orion Glenn
ems. who was secretary OF the terri
torlal government,
Carson people Of that decade speak Of
Clemens as a man Of lazy, easy-going
temperament, whom they never suppos-
ed would amount TO much. lie told
good stories with "A peculiar drawl to
his speech, and occasionally got drunk.
when his term OF office expired he
was next heard Of IN Dayton. In those
days the Territorial Enterprise, edited
by Joseph r. Goodman, was at the
zenith OF is fame. It was not only the
leading journal OF Nevada, but editor
tally It was IN advance of anything
on the coast.
His First Article.
One day Mr. Goodman received a
Communication from Clemens, the first
thing Gas near as | can learn that he
ever wrote for publication, It was the
report of lecture delivered I'm Dayton
by man who must have had a fairly
good opinion OF himself, for II was his
everlasting use Of the personal pro-
noun that excited the ire of Mr.. Glenn
ems, and induced him to furnish the
Enterprise with a hugely funny and
,e a. a
manner OF handling the subject struck
Goodman. who had the keenest possl-
bic scent for good thing Of that kind.
He published the communication, and
sent letter to Clemens Offering him
a lucrative situation on the staff OF
the Enterprise.
Clemens was glad Of a chance to
better himself, and lost no time In set
ting to Virginia city,
Ills iIum0r Pleased.
His new brand Of humor tckled the
fancy of the Comstockers and he at
once became a popular man with ey-
erybody,
~ WAS Nu'I uiN'pNfANli hNN'f'lf Nti'hN
as reporter he was unreliable and
abnormally lazy. Sometimes Goodman.
who was a hard worker himself, would
fall on to Clemens and curse him for
his mental and physical inactivity, and
those who have heard Goodman in
state OF maledictive eruption will doubt
less recall that he might easily be clas-
sihed as a past master Of profanity
But Clemens was not affected by
these periodical snowslldes of Good
mans temper. for he knew that in the
bottom OF his heart Joe loved him like
brother and In Il few minutes the
two men would be burying THE cares
that fret the day in liberal schooners
Of beer at the corner saloon. .,
Good in "spots
Clemens worked for some time on the
Enterprise. He was what one might
call good in spots He was wont to
write when he felt like it, and while
his work was irregular and sometimes
not IN evidence at all, there was an oc-
casonal burst of speed that made up
for all nast deHclercios WHO, 10
Struck his gait" as Steve ellis used
10 put IT, he was regarded as simply
wonder on wheels
IA -. .,.,
'e''''' N'0'e ''"'ss' III winch
MS WONDERFUL imagination ana keen hui
NOR gave evidence of what he was to be
in later wears.
MS "orh however MT the public
fancy OF the Comstockers, and was for.
gotten in dag or so. There was so
r,rcb olsa to ,tt.,o, u,o ,...,4
''' "''D'''''' VI
,he people that they pald llttle a.ten-
tion TO tne Literary nugget that WIS at
occurrence, tragic accidents sensation.
az ninlns ueNelopinents' ana surglns
st0cN iharkets snotnered the lesser at-
'"rs VI the ieuse
Changed His Life
one Day thlng happened that
chahsed the Whole llfes tenor OF the
man VINO IS now recognized as the
dean of American literature.
clemens was standing on the corner
OF Z ana Union streets-other corners
nave claimed the honor, but this Is the
geherally accepted one-When NANCY
nOs- presumed TO ne casl-oW friend
OF steve Gillls'-came up and rubbed
It's tchlng side against Clemens leg.
sam ala not move he merely looked
down ana drnWled out
wen, II | have become a scratching
posi- Tor sieve Gillis' dogs, ia better
MT the trail
lie was az good as his word. and left
San Francisco and from there he Won,
10 the sandwich Islands, where he acted
as a newspaper correspondent. and
Miote series OF letters which attracted
senetaI ot'ention' Next he appears as
q lecturer. and made some money and