December 3 Saturday – Sam’s story “Lucretia Smith’s Soldier” was first published in the San Francisco Californian. The story was instantly popular, reprinted by newspapers in California and New York, and was later included with the Jumping Frog collection [Wilson 193; ET&S 2: 125].
November 7 Monday – Orion Clemens was elected to the Nevada State Legislature after much speech making [Fanning 104].
October 29 Saturday – Sam’s article, “A Touching Story of George Washington‘s Boyhood,” was published in the Californian [ET&S 2: 94].
October 22 Saturday – Sam’s article, “Whereas” appeared in the Californian [ET&S 2: 86]. The story was shortened (later published in the Jumping Frog book) and re-titled, “Aurelia’s Unfortunate Young Man” [Wilson 1; Budd, “Collected” 1003]. Sam’s article, “Earthquake Almanac,” was published in the Golden Era [Walker 90].
October 21 Friday – Sam had to pay an assessment of $100 on four shares of Hale & Norcross mining stock [RI 1993, explanatory notes 701].
October 18 Tuesday – Sam wrote from San Francisco to his brother Orion. Sam was out of work so asked his brother to “send the stock” (Hale & Norcross mining stock). Sam did continue receiving $12 for articles written for the Californian, but wrote only three of these [MTL 1: 320]. Sanford claims Sam wrote ten pieces in the Californian between Oct. 1 and Dec. 3 [254].
October 10 Monday – George Barnes, editor of the Call, fired Sam, less than five months after hiring him [MT Encyclopedia, McFatter 653].
“I neglected my duties and became about worthless, as a reporter for a brisk newspaper. And 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” [Roughing It, Ch.58].
October 9 Sunday – The following four local articles in the Call are attributed to Sam: “The Camanche,” “The Roderick Case,” “Miscegenation,” and “A Nuisance” [Branch, C of Call 300].
October 2 Sunday – The following five local articles in the Call are attributed to Sam: “The Last Hitch at the Mint,” “Benefit for the Santa Barbara Sufferers,” “Important Arrest,” “Last Night of the Fair,” and “Everybody Wants to Help” [Branch, C of Call 300].
September 28 Wednesday – Sam wrote from San Francisco to Orion and Mollie. He discussed work on a book, which ultimately would become Roughing It, from scrapbooks Orion had kept of the 1861-4 period. He also claimed that Oct. 24 would be the wedding day of Steve Gillis and Miss Emeline Russ “who is worth $100,000, & what is better, is a good, sensible girl & will make an excellent wife” [MTL 1: 315]. Note: Miss Russ decided before that date to marry another.
An article attributed to Sam, “Answer to a Mining Company’s Suit,” ran in the Call [Branch, C of Call 300].