The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1909-11-30
WHEN THE COW
Game THROUGH

Mulkey. u ioohinS oNeT the famous
old mining town where Mark Twain
spent yer before he became famous,
and where but few knew him only as
Sam, but Who was general favorite
owing to ais inherent humor, MANY
anecdotes are told that have never been
published. Not even in "Roughing
IT, does Mark mention the first time
he through the house down"-that is
the roof cane down, and with the
"house" bae,y escaped.
In his will knoyn modesty Mark.
even at thislate date, refrains from de-
tails, but oR's imagination has ample
scope. No oubt the incident complete
ly changed lark s plans from ever be-
coming Professional cowboy.o All
know he waino miner, and when he at
tempted to Jet himself up as a law
yer, a quiei old miner, said to have
been at one ime circuit judge, called
him Necessit once or twice. That set
tied it, and fter the COW incident he
hiked out fo Tuscarora and Missouri.
The two ldest remaining citizens
of Unionvill were showing Mr. Mul-
key the tow relating many interest
ing incidentiof its early days. The
cabin of MarTwain was pointd out by
each, but atiifferont places. Union
vile was esblished during the Civil
war. Feelin ran high, as the camp
contained palsans of both North and
South Thosfrom the North wanted
to call the own Unionville, while
those of the outh insisted on calling
it Dixie. Th' could not agree, so the
east end, or nth of the canyon, was
called Dixie, nd the westerly end
Unionville. Ven the dispute arose as
to which of two cabins had been
the home of lrk, Mr. Mulkey, know
ing that he wsfrom Missouri, natural
ly believed thlthe cabin in Dixie was
the right one That this historical
question migh,e answered by the one
best qualifiedpy Mark himself, Mr..
Mulkey sent apy of the Silver State
with requeso Mr.. Clemens to say
which was cort. In answer the fol-
lowing letter rs received yesterday:
ormfeld, Nov. IS, 1909.
Mr.. J. K. Muy,
Wpmucca, Nevada.
Dear Mr.. Muk:
Mr. Clemenas your letter of Nov.
9TH. and wishme to thank you for 1t
and for the irest you have taken in
the old land lrks He would reply
himself, but Health just now is not
equal to correndence.
I am his ,grapher and as such
am in positit to give you any infor-
nation which could give concerning
the Unionvillhanties. Mr.. Clemens
says that hisanty, as he recollects
it, was at or .r Unionville, but that
it is quite unly that any trace of it
remains, for reason that it was
merely thrsided affair, with the
other side dun the slope of hill,
the roof beinf canvas. His chief
reeolleetions de place is that COW
came tumblinown the hillside one
night and felrough the roof, which
demolished thoart of the structure
1t is probablat the sbacks pointed
out to you ar, later construction.
Again thanl you on Mr.. Clemens
behalf aud on own, ] am, :
Tery truly yours,
A. B. PAINE.
IT is said Tat the time the cow
came tumblingough Marks roof,
81 Springer, tBonnifield boys and
some others, intently listening to
one of Mari thrilling steamboat
stories, when his pilot on the Mis-
sissippi. Maras telling of race
between his | the Diana, and the
Eclipse. Both Is were hugging the
shore, going dream, and the night
was dark as hs. The Diana was
on the inside. en- it came to round
ing points, tlrlipse crowded in so
hard as to alnfun the Diana ashore
Another thingt annoyed Mark. the
Diana had 1v deck load of eat
tie, that seemo all below at once,
and to keep D. Frequently Mark
had to shout kdcrs to the engineer
through the sIng tube. The sound
of his voice athe bovine chorus
would mix, soSengineer had to run
by guess. Maas wildly gesticulat-
ing, explaininw he expected every
moment to hesonto a bluff bar, or
have the Eeliroash in his starboard
side. His lisb were spell bound.
81 Springer's went out, which it
hadn't done re since '6l. Bill
Bonnifeld wantying the latch
string, "to gqittle fresh air, =
when, with Iike San Francisco
nnfI l.. II