The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-23
California Editor Is Still Liv- ing Who Gave Mark
 Twain His First Job
AUTHOR WAS NOT GREAT SUCCESS AS REPORTER
The Funeral of Loved American Writer VIII Be Held in New York and Will Re Simple and of Semi
 Public Nature

| San Francisco, April 22.--Joseph l. Goodman of Alamada. Cal, one of the | first editors in the west, is the man
 who gave Mark Twain his first po-
 sition as writer. That was more than
 50 years ago Samuel Clemens had
 gone into Nevada with hundreds Of
 oth CTS as prospector While at work
 in the country just beyond Virginia City he sent various contributions to the Virginia Enterprise of which MT.
 Goodman was the editor. His manu- scripts were written in a highly hu-
 morous vein. Goodman in 1862 offered Clemens q position. The latter at first declined the offer but later Goodman
 prevailed upon him to become news
 paper man.
 In 1863 Clemens was sent by Good
 man to report the sessions of the Ne
 vada legislature at Carson City. It was
 while upon this assignment that he
 wrote the first story to which the nom
 de plume. Mark Twain" was signed.
 Back in the old days" muses Good
 man, sam was the best company.
 the drollest entertainer and the most
 interesting fellow imaginable. His hu-
 nor was always creeping out and
 stayed with him to the last. few
 weeks go received a letter from him couched in terms so. characteristic of
 him. He wrote:
 "'Come on and visit me once more
 before we get so old we can't hear
 each other swear
 l "It was my privilege to read many
 of his works in manuscript before they were sent to the publishers. I recol-
 feet his giving me the manuscript of
 'Roughing It to read one afternoon
 when I was visiting him in the early
 seventies. He made great hit with
 Tnnoeents Abroad and he was afraid
 he wouldn't sustain his newly ac-
 quired reputation. When 1 began to read Sam sat down at his desk and wrote nervously.
 | For an hour I read along intent
 ly, hardly noticing that Sam was be- l ginning to fret and shift about un-
 easily. At last he could not stand t 1 any longer and Jumping up he ex-
 claimed:
 "'D- you, you have been reading
 that stuff an hour and you haven't
 cracked a smile yet. l don't believe
 I'm keeping mp my lick.
 "Clemens came to San Francisco from Virginia City. New, in 1865 or 1886. He fwent to work as reporter for the Call
 but ile didn't get along well on that paper
 T guess they thought he never got
 around quick enough. IL was after he | left the Territory Enterprise and had
 made his nom de plume well known
 in Nevada. While he was here he
 wrote dai'y dispatch to our paper l (The Territory Enterprise) in Virginia City and those dispatches were among
 the best things we ever had. All that
 part of his early writings af- lost | to posterity I believe The fire that
 destroyed Virginia City years ago con-
 sumed the files of the Territory Enter prise and a file that was compiled at
 a cost of s4o.000 by Flood & O'Brien and which was used to prove titles to
 scores of mining claims was donated
 to the San Francisco public library.
 and it, too, was destroyed in the great | fire of four years ago.
 | "Clemens left San Francisco in 1S89 after he had written Innocents Abroad
 as a. serial for the Alta. which was the | great pa per here in those days He
 received only s25 for each instalment and when the Alta was going to repubish | those letters in book form, intervened l In his behalf and persuaded the Alta's | publishers to release the copyright to | Sam"
 In the early and middle 70s Clemens | was a frequent visitor at the Bohemian club here. William Greer Harrison re- | calls that Clemens was not conviyial | mar at that time
 | He was of very temperate habitsr'
 said MT. Harrison, and was rather quiet and unobtrusve | It was said of Clemens as a reporter | hero tl1af hads not tho elfvhtesf com | ception of the value of news. He would | go to a coroner's inquest and report proceedings after the manner of a so- cety wedding and he would write up a
 wedding in the style of prize fight | Only the ri 3sulous appealed to him | and he warped all his reportorial writ inss to strike that key.
 | Arrangements for Funeral | New York, April 22.--A simple funeral service over the body of Samuel L. | Clemens will be held in this city tonor7 | row afternoon. The body will then be l taken to Emira. N. Y. where it will be
 buried beside those of his wife and chill
 dren. F. E Duneka of Harper & Bros. Mir Clemens publishers. said 1t was the | wish of the family that the services be as brief as possible. Later a public | memorial service will he held in some large hall.
 | pr. Henry vandyke of Princeton uni versity will preach the funeral sermon l tomorrow at the brick Presbyterian church Thirty-seventh street and Fifth l avenue. at 3 o'clock.
 l sThe Funeral Mir. Dnneka said. would | be of seni-puble nature. but attended 1 only by relatives and close friends of l the dead author. There will be no pail | bearers and although final arrangement l have not been made, the services prob- | ably will consist merely of short ad-
 dress by pr. vandyke. There probably will | be no music. The body will be brought
 70 New York from Bedding. Conn. tomor- | TOW in a special car..
 | After the funeral here the dead author vii. be taken to Elmira, where another | service as simple as the one here will l b., held This service probably will be at the home of General Langdon. n rela- tive by marriage and so far as is now