按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
and bought the paper。 It had been a hand…to…hand struggle for a while；
but in a brief two years； from a starving sheet in a shanty the
Enterprise； with new building； new presses； and a corps of swift
compositors brought up from San Francisco； had become altogether
metropolitan； as well as the most widely considered paper on the Coast。
It had been borne upward by the Comstock tide； though its fearless；
picturesque utterance would have given it distinction anywhere。 Goodman
himself was a fine； forceful writer； and Dan de Quille and R。 M。 Daggett
（afterward United States minister to Hawaii） were representative of
Enterprise men。 ＇The Comstock of that day became famous for its
journalism。 Associated with the Virginia papers then or soon afterward
were such men as Tom Fitch （the silver…tongued orator）； Alf Doten； W。 J。
Forbes； C。 C。 Goodwin； H。 R。 Mighels； Clement T。 Rice； Arthur McEwen；
and Sam Davisa great array indeed for a new Territory。＇
Samuel Clemens fitted precisely into this group。 He added the fresh；
rugged vigor of thought and expression that was the very essence of the
Comstock； which was like every other frontier mining…camp； only on a more
lavish； more overwhelming scale。
There was no uncertainty about the Comstock； the silver and gold were
there。 Flanking the foot of Mount Davidson； the towns of Gold Hill and
Virginia and the long street between were fairly underburrowed and
underpinned by the gigantic mining construction of that opulent lode
whose treasures were actually glutting the mineral markets of the world。
The streets overhead seethed and swarmed with miners； mine owners； and
adventurersriotous； rollicking children of fortune； always ready to
drink and make merry； as eager in their pursuit of pleasure as of gold。
Comstockers would always laugh at a joke； the rougher the better。 The
town of Virginia itself was just a huge joke to most of them。 Everybody
had； money； everybody wanted to laugh and have a good time。 The
Enterprise； 〃Comstock to the backbone；〃 did what it could to help things
along。
It was a sort of free ring； with every one for himself。 Goodman let the
boys write and print in accordance with their own ideas and upon any
subject。 Often they wrote of each othersquibs and burlesques； which
gratified the Comstock far more than mere news。 ＇The indifference to
'news' was noblenone the less so because it was so blissfully
unconscious。 Editors Mark or Dan would dismiss a murder with a couple of
inches and sit down and fill up a column with a fancy sketch。〃Arthur
McEwen＇ It was the proper class…room for Mark Twain； an encouraging
audience and free utterance： fortune could have devised nothing better
for him than that。
He was peculiarly fitted for the position。 Unspoiled humanity appealed
to him； and the Comstock presented human nature in its earliest landscape
forms。 Furthermore； the Comstock was essentially optimisticso was he；
any hole in the ground to him held a possible； even a probable； fortune。
His pilot memory became a valuable asset in news…gathering。 Remembering
marks； banks； sounding； and other river detail belonged apparently in the
same category of attainments as remembering items and localities of news。
He could travel all day without a note…book and at night reproduce the
day's budget or at least the picturesqueness of it； without error。 He
was presently accounted a good reporter； except where statistics
measurements and figureswere concerned。 These he gave 〃a lick and a
promise；〃 according to De Quille； who wrote afterward of their
associations。 De Quille says further：
Mark and I agreed well in our work； which we divided when there was
a rush of events； but we often cruised in company； he taking the
items of news he could handle best； and I such as I felt competent
to work up。 However； we wrote at the same table and frequently
helped each other with such suggestions as occurred to us during the
brief consultations we held in regard to the handling of any matters
of importance。 Never was there an angry word between us in all the
time we worked together。
De Quille tells how Clemens clipped items with a knife when there were no
scissors handy； and slashed through on the top of his desk； which in time
took on the semblance 〃of a huge polar star； spiritedly dashing forth a
thousand rays。〃
The author of 'Roughing It' has given us a better picture of the Virginia
City of those days and his work there than any one else will ever write。
He has made〃 us feel the general spirit of affluence that prevailed； how
the problem was not to get money； but to spend it； how 〃feet〃 in any one
of a hundred mines could be had for the asking； how such shares were
offered like apples or cigars or bonbons； as a natural matter of courtesy
when one happened to have his supply in view； how any one connected with
a newspaper would have stocks thrust upon him； and how in a brief time he
had acquired a trunk ful of such riches and usually had something to sell
when any of the claims made a stir on the market。 He has told us of the
desperadoes and their trifling regard for human life； and preserved other
elemental characters of these prodigal days。 The funeral of Buck Fanshaw
that amazing masterpieceis a complete epitome of the social frontier。
It would not be the part of wisdom to attempt another inclusive
presentation of Comstock conditions。 We may only hope to add a few
details of history； justified now by time and circumstances； to
supplement the picture with certain data of personality preserved from
the drift of years。
XXXVIII
ONE OF THE 〃STAFF〃
The new reporter found acquaintance easy。 The office force was like one
family among which there was no line of caste。 Proprietors； editors； and
printers were social equals； there was little ceremony among themnone
at all outside of the office。 ＇〃The paper went to press at two in the
morning； then all the staff and all the compositors gathered themselves
together in the composing…room and drank beer and sang the popular war…
songs of the day until dawn。〃S。 L。 C。； in 1908。＇ Samuel Clemens
immediately became 〃Sam；〃 or 〃Josh；〃 to his associates； just as De Quille
was 〃Dan〃 and Goodman 〃Joe。〃 He found that he disliked the name of Josh；
and； as he did not sign it again； it was presently dropped。 The office；
and Virginia City generally； quickly grew fond of him； delighting in his
originality and measured speech。 Enterprise readers began to identify
his work； then unsigned； and to enjoy its fresh phrasing； even when it
was only the usual local item or mining notice。 True to its name and
reputation； the paper had added a new attraction。
It was only a brief time after his arrival in Virginia City that Clemens
began the series of hoaxes which would carry his reputation； not always
in an enviable fashion； across the Sierras and down the Pacific coast。
With one exception these are lost to…day； for so far as known there is
not a single file of the Enterprise in existence。 Only a few stray
copies and clippings are preserved； but we know the story of some of
these literary pranks and of t