The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1906-1908, 1907-07-27
Mark Twain
Relates History


misinformation about Nevada il
the early days.
1t was Marks brother, Orion
who was first Secretary of tn
Territory. Orion was a wei
meaning, good-natured sort o
fellow, whose passion in life wa
establishing country newspaper
which invariably went under il
course of time. He had fail
ing for failing. Mark, who wa
| furnishing the finances half tn
time says:
| supported him hencefortl
until 1861, when his ancien
friend, Edward Botes, then ;
member of Mr.. Lincoln's frs
cabinet, got him the place o.
Secretary of the new Territory
of Nevada, and Orion and
cleared for that country in tn,
overland stage coach, paying
the fares, which were pretty
heavy, and carrying with me
what money had been able tx
save this was eight hundred
dollars, / should say and it was
all in silver coin, and a gooc
deal of a nuisance because of its
weight. And we had another
nuisance, which was an un-
abridged dictionary 1t weighed
about a thousand pounds, and
was a ruinous expense, because
the stage coach company charg-
ed for extra baggage by the
ounce. We could have kept a
family for a time on what that
dictionary cost in the way of
extra freight and it wasn't a
good dictionary anyway didn't
have any modern words in it
only had obsolete ones that they
used to use when Noah Webster
was a child.
The government of the new
Territory of Nevada was an in
teresting menagrie. Governor
Nye was an old and seasoned
politician from New York pol
itician not statesman. He had
white hair and was in fine ply
steal condition; he had a winning,
friendly face, and deep lustrous
brown eyes that could talk as a
native language the tongue of
every feeling, every passion,
every motion. His eyes could
)uttalk his tongue, and this is
saying a good deal, for he was
/ very remarkable talker, both
n private and on the stump.
lie was a shrewd man; he gen
rally saw through surfaces and
what was going on
inside without being suspected
f having an eve on the matter.
Governor Nye was often abb
emit from the Territory. He
ked to run down to San Fran
isco every little while and en-
by a rest from Territorial civil
sation. Nobody complained,
or was prodigiously popular.
lie had been a stage driver in
n New York or New Eng
md, and had acquired the habit
f remembering names and
aces, and of making himself
greeable to his passengers. AS
politician this had been val
able to him and he kept his
rts in good condition by prac-
ice. BY the time he had been
overnor a year, he had shaken
ands with every human being
n the Territory of Nevada, and
fter that he always knew these
'eople instantly at sight and
ould call them by name. The
Whole population of 20. 900 per-
ons were his personal friends,
nd he could do anything he
hose to do and count on their
'eing contented with it. When
yer he was absent from the
'erritory, which was generally,
orion served his Office in his
lace, as Acting Governor, a
tile which was soon and easily
hortened to Governor. He
ecklessly built and furnished a
louse at a cost of $4,000, and
here was no other house in the
capital that could APP
roach the property for style
ind cost.
When Governor Nye's four
rear term was drawing to a close |
he mystery of why he had left |
he great state of New York
md help inhabit that jack rab-
Dit desert was solved; he had
gone out there in order to be-
come a United States Senator. |
All that was now necessary was
to turn the Territory into a
state. He did it without any
difficulty. That undeveloped
country and that sparse popula-
ton were not well fitted for the
heavy burden of a state govern
ment, but no matter, the people
We're willing to have the change,
and so the Governors game was
made. Revelle.
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