Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-22
"REMINISCENCES OF TWAIN
BY Old TIME CALIFORNIANS

san Francisco. April 22.-San
Franciscos "old timers" are conjur-
ing up runiniscences galore OF the
days. 80 years ago. when Samuel J..
Clemens was plain Sam Clemens ana
the name Mark Twain" had no signi-
fcance much for anybody except
pilots and reustabouts on the Mis-
sissippi river and its tributaries.
Back in the old days" unused Joseph
r. Goodman. the pioneer editor
OF the west, who gave Clemens his
first job as a writer Sam was the best
company, the drollest entertainer and
the most interesting fellow imagin-
able. His humor was always cropping
out and II stayed with him to the last
A few weeks ago 1 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
1T was my privilege to read many
OF his works In manuscript before
they were sent TO the publishers. /
recalled his giving me the manu-
script OF "Roughing II" TO read one
afternoon when / was visiting him I'm
the early seventies. He had made
great hit with "Innocents Abroad
and he was afraid he would not sus-
tain his newly acquired reputation.
When began 20 read, Sam sat down
at desk and wrote nervously
SAM WAS IMPATIENT.
For an hour I read along intently,
hardly noticing that Sam was begin
ming 10 fret and shift about uneasily.
AZ last ne could not stand II any longer
and Jumping up he exclaimed; -
YOU. YOU have been reading that stun
an hour and you haven't cracked a
smile yet. / don't believe I'm keep
ing up my lick
Clemens came 10 san Francisco
from Virginia city, New, IN 1855 or
1866. He went to work as "a reporter for
The Call, but he did not get along well
on that paper I guess they thought he
didn't get around quick enough. That
was after ne had left the Territorial
Enterprise and had made his nom de
plume well known in Nevada. While
he was here he wrote daily dispatch
to our paper tthe Territorial Enter
prisel In Virginia city and those dis
patches were among the best things
he ever did. All that part OF his early
writings is lost 10 posterity. / believe
The fire that destroyed virginia city
years ago consumed the files of tho
Territorial Enterprise, and a file that
was compiled az a cost OF $4,000 by
Flood and O'Friou and which was used
fo prove title 90 scores Of mining
claims was donated 20 the san Fran
cisco uupHc hbrarr and 10 too vPs
DESTROYED iu the great fire OF four years
ago.
clemens Ieft San Francisco in 1863
after he had written Innocents
Abroad as % serial for The Alta which
was ihe great paper here IN those days.
Bo had received only s2' for each In
sialmont aud when The Alta was going
leo rrpuhreh those letters Zoo book form,
interviewed in his behalf and persuad-
90 Tho Atlas publishers TO release the
copyright 90 sam"
In the early and middle 70s Clemens
was a frequent visitor 10 tho Bohemian
club here william Greer Harrison re-
calls that Clemens was not a convivinl
man at that time He was Of very
temperate habits" said Mr. Harrison
and was rather quiet and unobstru-
sive.
ut was said Of Clemens that as
reporter here he had not the slight
est conception OF the value Of news.
TIE would go 90 coroner's inquest and
report the proceedings after the man
ier Of a society wedding and he would
write up a wedding In the style OF a
prize light. Only the ridiculous ap-
pealed 10 him and he warped all his