Page 54 - 2009 DT 7 issues
P. 54

July                    Sam Clemens, continued from p. 1     a Miscegenation Society in the East.
                                                                                  Sam said that the sack never got to
               Desk Schedule                 the editor of the rival newspaper, The   Carson City because it was feared that
               8:30           12:30          Virginia City Union. Sam referred to   any money raised would be similarly
                                             Rice as, “The Unreliable.” The rivalry   diverted. Sam seemed not to care that
        Wed/1  G. Fazio       L. Arthur      was little more than a ploy to sell more   it was Orion’s wife, Mollie, who had
                P. Herman     P. Herman      papers,  as  Sam  and  Clement  were   been instrumental in organizing the
        Thur/2  G. Wojciechowski  J. Barret/  good friends.                       Ball. Mixing of races, miscegenation
                              F. Davis                                            was, of course, anathema at that time.
        Fri/3   P. Glovin     R. Porche          It seems that about this time Sam
                B. Jackson                   realized that the mock rivalry
        Sat/4   R. Conductor   A. Lewis      had a limited shelf life and set
        Sun/5   D. Langdon    P. Kepner      about creating a new identity
                              K. Nelson      for himself. There are various
        Mon/6   R. Barnette   M. Pults       theories as to how he assumed
        Tues/7  H. Weldon     OPEN           the pen name of Mark Twain.
        Wed/8  G. Fazio       D. Powers      One  unlikely  suggestion
        Thur/9  R. Barnette   J. Barret      is  related  to  his  excessive
                              F. Davis       drinking. It is hardly likely
        Fri/10   P. Glovin    R. Porche
                              P. Boghossian  that he would enter a saloon
        Sat/11   P. VanDooremaal  A. Lewis   with  a  friend  and  call  out
        Sun/12  OPEN          P. Kepner      “Mark Twain” to the barman
        Mon/13  B. Jackson    OPEN           to indicate that a charge for
                K. Jackson                   two drinks should be marked
        Tues/14  M. Slagle    OPEN           up  against  his  name  on  the
                H. Weldon                    barman’s  slate.  The  more
        Wed/15  G. Fazio      L. Arthur      commonly accepted theory is
        Thur/16  G. Wojciechowski  J. Barret/  that he simply appropriated
                              F. Davis       the term from his days on the
        Fri/17   P. Glovin    R. Porche      Mississippi  when  the  man
        Sat/18  J. Kisosondi   R. Conductor
        Sun/19  OPEN          L./M. Utah     measuring  the  depth  of  the
        Mon/20  S./S. Stenzel   M. Pults     water  with  the  plumb  line
        Tues/21  M. Slagle    P. Kepner      would call out “mark twain,”
                H. Weldon                    i.e., mark two fathoms.
        Wed/22  G. Fazio      D. Powers          Sam was in great demand
        Thur/23  R. Barnette   J. Barret/    as a wit and raconteur at the
                              F. Davis       many  social  gatherings  in           Territorial Enterprise Office
        Fri/24   P. Glovin    R. Porche      the  State  and  was  chosen
                              P. Boghossian  as Governor  of a  mock  legislative    Not  content  with  antagonizing
        Sat/25   K. Nelson    OPEN                                                the most influential women in Carson
                Sybil Stenzel                assembly. In spite of this popularity   City  and,  indeed,  the  State,  Sam
        Sun/26  OPEN          L./M. Utah     he had few real friends. People feared
        Mon/27  S./S. Stenzel   G. Das       the might of his pen, and in the light of   compounded his error by suggesting
                              J. Das         his propensity to concoct stories, they   that the Virginia City Union newspaper
        Tues/28  M. Slagle    OPEN           did not trust him.                   had not paid its pledge. Laird, the
                H. Weldon                        It was Gridley’s flour sack which   publisher, challenged Sam to a duel.
        Wed/29  G. Fazio      OPEN           was to bring an end to Mark Twain’s     Sam was totally inept with a gun,
                P. Herman                                                         but one of his seconds shot the head off
        Thur/30  R. Barnette   J. Barret/    sojourn in Nevada. The sack never
                                             got to Carson City, which led him to  a bird shortly before Laird’s entourage
                              F. Davis
        Fri/31   B. Jackson   OPEN           pen an article in which he stated that  arrived for the duel. Laird heard the
                P. Glovin     R. Porche      money raised at a ball held in Carson  shot and when his second asked what
                                             City in aid of the Sanitary Fund had  was happening, he was told that Sam
        Changes?  Call  Sarah  at  515-5366  been diverted and was being sent to aid  had shot the head off the bird and could
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