April 28 Tuesday – Sam and Joe Goodman called on Alfred Doten and Philip Lynch at the Gold Hill Daily News office. The four shared a bottle of champagne [Clark 996].

In the evening, Sam repeated his “Pilgrim” lecture at Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City. From Doten’s journal:

“At 8 ½ oclock a piano was heard in behind the curtain—as it went up, Mark was discovered playing rudely on it, & singing, ‘There was an old hoss & his name was Jerusalem’ ” [Clark 996-7].

The Virginia City Daily Trespass reviewed the lecture:

MARK TWAIN.—Pursuant to contract, Mark Twain delivered his announced lecture at the Opera House last night, to a very large and fashionable audience of ladies and gentlemen. The lecture is worth hearing. It is more—a rare treat to any one conversant with the history of ancient countries. From the moment the lecturer leaves some very commonplace strictures upon the unfortunate sea-sick pilgrims and Puritans, and commences to relate his experiences of the journey from Gibraltar to the Pyramids; from Spain to Russia; from Syria to the Bosphorus; it is all interesting, instructive, and at times immensely amusing. His power of language-painting is great, and his half soliloquy as to forgetfulness of renowned places where the Quaker City party pressed unappreciative (apparently) feet far exceeds any effort previously made in the poetic line by him who is better known in his writings as a humorist. In brief, we were immensely entertained by the lecture, and pleased, taking hearty applause or laughter as a standard for judgment. To-night the lecture will be repeated at the Opera House, and to-morrow night Mark will speak at Carson. We cheerfully commend him to all desirous of a real, live, entertaining literary treat [Railton].

The Enterprise reported Conrad Weigand (1830-1880) gave Sam a $40 bar of silver with the inscription: Mark Twain—Matthew, V:41—Pilgrim, which is the verse “Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” The paper implied that when it came to bars, Sam would go further [Lorch 80; See 1993 UC RI, p.760-1].