Mark Twain - Reporter: Day By Day

July 14 Friday – Sam wrote a letter of introduction from San Francisco to Dan De Quille for Dan Setchell, comedian and actor who, along with Artemus Ward, Sam credited with perfecting the technique of telling a story “gravely.” Setchell was lost and presumed dead on a trip to New Zealand [MTL 5: 679&n1].

July 14–17 Friday – Sam’s unsigned “Extracts” ran between these dates in the Enterprise and were reprinted July 27 in Mining and Scientific Press [Camfield, bibliog.].

July 15 Wednesday – Another “Mark Twain’s Letter” (dated July 12) ran in the San Francisco Morning Call. Sam wrote that the dollar value of Echo’s “first class ore goes clear out of sight into the thousands” [MTL 1: 259; Camfield, bibliog.].

July 15 Friday – Sam wrote to William Wright (Dan De Quille) from the Occidental Hotel, San Francisco. He asked Dan to get George Dawson to send Sam money owed. He then related hilarious impressions of himself and Steve by the landlady at the Occidental, about a visitor who’d gone there to find the pair, but they’d moved on. Sam noted that a famous actor had left for the Sandwich Islands, which may have continued to pull Sam’s imagination [MTL 1: 304]. The article “Disposed of” in the Call is attributed to Sam [Branch, C of Call 290].

July 16 Thursday – Sam’s article “Particulars of the Recent ‘Cave’ of the Mexican and Ophir Mines” ran in the Enterprise, and was reprinted in the Evening Bulletin July 21 [Camfield, bibliog.].

July 16 Saturday – The following five local articles in the Call are attributed to Sam: “The ‘Coming of Man’ Has arrived,” “Moses in the Bulrushes Again,” “A Gross Outrage,” “The Comanche,” and “Remarkable Clock” [Branch, C of Call 290-1].

July 16 Sunday – S. Browne Jones’ third article in the Era, titled, “FULL REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS UPON THE EXAMINATION OF MARK TWAIN ON THE CHARGE OF FRAUD, IN THE POLICE COURT. THE DEFENDANT FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO FORTY-EIGHT HOURS IN THE CITY PRISON,” continued the fun in the Golden Era [Fatout, MT Speaks 19].

July 16 Monday – Sam’s fourteenth letter to the Union, “Honolulu, June 22, 1866: HOME AGAIN”

July 17 Friday – Sam’s article “An Hour in the Caved Mine” ran in the Enterprise [Camfield, bibliog.].

July 17 Sunday – The following six local articles in the Call are attributed to Sam: “Independent Candidate for Stockton,” “More Cigar Smoking,” “The County Prison,” “Progress of the Camanche—the Libel,” “Juvenile Criminals,” and “Two Infernally Accommodating” [Branch, C of Call 291].

July 18 Saturday – In Virginia City, Sam wrote his mother, and sister Pamela and sent another $20 greenback. Sam now roomed in the White House on B Street. The letter was a defense of his money and its source: selling wildcat mining ground that was given to him. He wrote that he:
“never gamble[s], in any shape or manner, and never drink anything stronger than claret or lager beer, which conduct is regarded as miraculously temperate in this country” [MTL 1: 260].

July 18 Wednesday – From Sam’s notebook:
Honolulu, July 18/66 - Have got my passport from the Royal d—d Hawaiian Collector of Customs & paid a dollar for it, & tomorrow we sail for America in the good ship Smyrniote, Lovett, master—& I have got a devlish saddle-boil to sit on for the first two weeks at sea [MTNJ 1: 132].

July – “Gymnasium,” and article attributed to Sam, ran in the Enterprise [Camfield, bibliog.].

July 19 Tuesday – The following five local articles in the Call are attributed to Sam: “Assault,” “ Real del Monte,” “Camanche Matters,” “Police Court,” and “State Prisoners” [Branch, C of Call 291].

July 19 Thursday – Sam’s fifteenth letter to the Union, dated “Honolulu, June 25, 1866: BURNING OF THE CLIPPER SHIP HORNET AT SEA”:

July 2 Thursday – Sam arrived back in Virginia City [MTL 1: 254n6]. Sam’s article “The Comstock Mines” ran about this day in the Enterprise [Camfield, bibliog.].

July 2 Saturday – The following four local articles in the Call are attributed to Sam: “Policeman Suspended,” “The Swindle Case,” “Chance for the Hotels,” and “Stole a Shirt” [Branch, C of Call 289].

July 2 Sunday – A series of eight articles published in the Golden Era under the name “S. Browne Jones” are attributed to Sam [Fatout, MT Speaks 19]. The first article was published this day and is typical “Washoe humor,” entitled “A New Contributor.” The other seven articles were published in the Era through Aug. 27 [Fatout, MT Speaks 19].

July 2–18 Wednesday – Sam spent the last eighteen days on Oahu. He rode horseback to sightsee and attended social activities, with Edward Burlingame, Anson’s son [Sanborn 292-3].

July 20 Wednesday – The following four local articles in the Call are attributed to Sam: “A Stage Robber Amongst Us,” “The Poetic Rabies,” “Police Court,” and “Police Appelants” [Branch, C of Call 291].

July 20 Friday – From Sam’s notebook: “Made 110 miles up to noon of Friday 20 th , but were then only 10 miles from Oahu, having gone clear around the island” [MTNJ 1: 133].

July 21 Thursday – The following six local articles in the Call are attributed to Sam: “Police Applicants,” “Amazonian Pastimes,” “More Young Thieves,” “Attempted Mayhem,” and “Detective Rose Again” [Branch, C of Call 291].

July 21 Saturday – From Sam’s notebook: “On 21 made 179 miles” [MTNJ 1: 133].

July 22 Friday – The following eight local articles in the Call are attributed to Sam:
“The Boss Earthquake,” “The Police Court Besieged,” “Good Effects of a High Tariff,” “Rough on Keating,” “A Scene at the Police Court—The Hostility of Color,” “First Regiment Election,” “Arrest of a Secesh Bishop,” and “Astonishing Freak of Nature” [Branch, C of Call 291].

July 22 Sunday – From Sam’s notebook: “Sunday, 4 day out—lat. 28.12. long. 157.42—distance 200 miles in the last 24 hours” [MTNJ 1: 133].