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！
familiarly known as 〃Joe〃 Lawrence； was editor of the Golden Era； ＇The
Golden Era； California's first literary publication； was founded by
Rollin M。 Daggett and J。 McDonough Foard in 1852。＇ and his kindness
and hospitality were accounted sufficient rewards even when his pecuniary
acknowledgments were modest enough。 He had a handsome office； and the
literati； local and visiting； used to gather there。 Names that would be
well known later were included in that little band。 Joaquin Miller
recalls from an old diary； kept by him then； having seen Adah Isaacs
Menken； Prentice Mulford； Bret Harte； Charles Warren Stoddard； Fitzhugh
Ludlow； Mark Twain； Orpheus C。 Kerr； Artemus Ward； Gilbert Densmore；
W。 S。 Kendall； and Mrs。 Hitchcock assembled there at one time。 The Era
office would seem to have been a sort of Mount Olympus； or Parnassus；
perhaps； for these were mainly poets； who had scarcely yet attained to
the dignity of gods。 Miller was hardly more than a youth then； and this
grand assemblage impressed him； as did the imposing appointments of the
place。
The Era rooms were elegant ＇he says＇； the most grandly carpeted
and most gorgeously furnished that I have ever seen。 Even now in my
memory they seem to have been simply palatial。 I have seen the
world well since thenall of its splendors worth seeingyet those
carpeted parlors； with Joe Lawrence and his brilliant satellites；
outshine all things else； as I turn to look back。
More than any other city west of the Alleghanies； San Francisco has
always been a literary center； and certainly that was a remarkable group
to be out there under the sunset； dropped down there behind the Sierras；
which the transcontinental railway would not climb yet； for several
years。 They were a happy…hearted； aspiring lot； and they got as much as
five dollars sometimes for an Era article； and were as proud of it as if
it had been a great deal more。 They felt that they were creating
literature； as they were； in fact； a new school of American letters
mustered there。
Mark Twain and Bret Harte were distinctive features of this group。 They
were already recognized by their associates as belonging in a class by
themselves； though as yet neither had done any of the work for which he
would be remembered later。 They were a good deal together； and it was
when Harte was made editor of the Californian that Mark Twain was put on
the weekly staff at the then unexampled twelve…dollar rate。 The
Californian made larger pretensions than the Era； and perhaps had a
heavier financial backing。 With Mark Twain on the staff and Bret Harte
in the chair； himself a frequent contributor； it easily ranked as first
of San Francisco periodicals。 A number of the sketches collected by Webb
later； in Mark Twain's first little volume； the Celebrated Jumping Frog；
Etc。； appeared in the Era or Californian in 1864 and 1865。 They were
smart； bright； direct； not always refined； but probably the best humor of
the day。 Some of them are still preserved in this volume of sketches。
They are interesting in what they promise； rather than in what they
present； though some of them are still delightful enough。 〃The Killing
of Julius Caesar Localized〃 is an excellent forerunner of his burlesque
report of a gladiatorial combat in The Innocents Abroad。 The Answers to
Correspondents； with his vigorous admonition of the statistical moralist；
could hardly have been better done at any later period。 The Jumping Frog
itself was not originally of this harvest。 It has a history of its own；
as we shall see a little further along。
The reportorial arrangement was of brief duration。 Even the great San
Francisco earthquake of that day did not awaken in Mark Twain any
permanent enthusiasm for the drudgery of the 'Call'。 He had lost
interest； and when Mark Twain lost interest in a subject or an
undertaking that subject or that undertaking were better dead； so far as
he was concerned。 His conclusion of service with the Call was certain；
and he wondered daily why it was delayed so long。 The connection had
become equally unsatisfactory to proprietor and employee。 They had a
heart…to…heart talk presently； with the result that Mark Twain was free。
He used to claim； in after…years； with his usual tendency to confess the
worst of himself； that he was discharged； and the incident has been
variously told。 George Barnes himself has declared that Clemens resigned
with great willingness。 It is very likely that the paragraph at the end
of Chapter LVIII in 'Roughing It' presents the situation with fair
accuracy； though； as always； the author makes it as unpleasant for
himself as possible：
〃At last one of the proprietors took me aside； with a charity I still
remember with considerable respect； and gave me an opportunity to resign
my berth； and so save myself the disgrace of a dismissal。〃
As an extreme contrast with the supposititious 〃butterfly idleness〃 of
his beginning in San Francisco； and for no other discoverable reason； he
doubtless thought it necessary； in the next chapter of that book； to
depict himself as having reached the depths of hard luck； debt； and
poverty。
〃I became an adept at slinking；〃 he says。 〃I slunk from back street to
back street。。。。 I slunk to my bed。 I had pawned everything but the
clothes I had on。〃
This is pure fiction。 That he occasionally found himself short of funds
is likely enougha literary life invites that sort of thingbut that he
ever clung to a single 〃silver ten…cent piece；〃 as he tells us； and
became the familiar of mendicancy； was a condition supplied altogether by
his later imagination to satisfy what he must have regarded as an
artistic need。 Almost immediately following his separation from the
'Call' he arranged with Goodman to write a daily letter for the
Enterprise； reporting San Francisco matters after his own notion with a
free hand。 His payment for this work was thirty dollars a week； and he
had an additional return from his literary sketches。 The arrangement was
an improvement both as to labor and income。
Real affluence appeared on the horizon just then； in the form of a
liberal offer for the Tennessee land。 But alas！ it was from a wine…
grower who wished to turn the tract into great vineyards； and Orion had a
prohibition seizure at the moment； so the trade was not made。 Orion
further argued that the prospective purchaser would necessarily be
obliged to import horticultural labor from Europe； and that those people
might be homesick； badly treated； and consequently unhappy in those far
eastern Tennessee mountains。 Such was Orion's way。
XLVIII
THE REFUGE OF THE HILLS
Those who remember Mark Twain's Enterprise letters （they are no longer
obtainable） ＇Many of these are indeed now obtainable by a simple Web
search。 D。W。＇ declare them to have been the greatest series of daily
philippics ever written。 However this may be； it is certain that they
made a stir。 Goodman permitted him to say absolutely what he pleased
upon any subject。 San Francisco was fairly weltering in corruption；
official and private。 He assailed whatever came first to hand with a