The "Wide West" claim was forfeited, but there is no evidence to show that Clemens and his partners were ever, except in fiction, "millionaires for ten days." The background, the local color, and the possibilities are all real enough, but Mark Twain's aim in this, as in most of his other reminiscent writing, was to arrange and adapt his facts to the needs of a good story.
The letters of this summer (1862) most of them bear evidence of waning confidence in mining as a source of fortune--the miner has now little faith in his own judgment, and none at all in that of his brother, who was without practical experience.
Letter to Orion Clemens, in Carson City:
ESMERALDA, Thursday.
MY DEAR BRO.,--Yours of the 17th, per express, just received.Part of it pleased me exceedingly, and part of it didn't.Concerning the letter, for instance: You have PROMISED me that you would leave all mining matters, and everything involving an outlay of money, in my hands.
Sending a man fooling around the country after ledges, for God's sake!
when there are hundreds of feet of them under my nose here, begging for owners, free of charge.I don't want any more feet, and I won't touch another foot--so you see, Orion, as far as any ledges of Perry's are concerned, (or any other except what I examine first with my own eyes,)I freely yield my right to share ownership with you.
The balance of your letter, I say, pleases me exceedingly.Especially that about the H.and D.being worth from $30 to $50 in Cal.It pleases me because, if the ledges prove to be worthless, it will be a pleasant reflection to know that others were beaten worse than ourselves.Raish sold a man 30 feet, yesterday, at $20 a foot, although I was present at the sale, and told the man the ground wasn't worth a d---n.He said he had been hankering after a few feet in the H.and D.for a long time, and he had got them at last, and he couldn't help thinking he had secured a good thing.We went and looked at the ledges, and both of them acknowledged that there was nothing in them but good "indications." Yet the owners in the H.and D.will part with anything else sooner than with feet in these ledges.Well, the work goes slowly--very slowly on, in the tunnel, and we'll strike it some day.But--if we "strike it rich,"--I've lost my guess, that's all.I expect that the way it got so high in Cal.was, that Raish's brother, over there was offered $750.00for 20 feet of it, and he refused.....
Couldn't go on the hill today.It snowed.It always snows here, Iexpect.
Don't you suppose they have pretty much quit writing, at home?
When you receive your next 1/4 yr's salary, don't send any of it here until after you have told me you have got it.Remember this.I am afraid of that H.and D.
They have struck the ledge in the Live Yankee tunnel, and I told the President, Mr.Allen, that it wasn't as good as the croppings.He said that was true enough, but they would hang to it until it did prove rich.
He is much of a gentleman, that man Allen.
And ask Gaslerie why the devil he don't send along my commission as Deputy Sheriff.The fact of my being in California, and out of his country, wouldn't amount to a d---n with me, in the performance of my official duties.
I have nothing to report, at present, except that I shall find out all Iwant to know about this locality before I leave it.
How do the Records pay?
Yr.Bro.
SAM.
In one of the foregoing letters--the one dated May 11 there is a reference to the writer's "Enterprise Letters." Sometimes, during idle days in the camp, the miner had followed old literary impulses and written an occasional burlesque sketch, which he had signed "Josh," and sent to the Territorial Enterprise, at Virginia City.--[One contribution was sent to a Keokuk paper, The Gate City, and a letter written by Mrs.Jane Clemens at the time would indicate that Mark Twain's mother did not always approve of her son's literary efforts.She hopes that he will do better, and some time write something "that his kin will be proud of."]-- The rough, vigorous humor of these had attracted some attention, and Orion, pleased with any measure of success that might come to his brother, had allowed the authorship of them to become known.When, in July, the financial situation became desperate, the Esmeralda miner was moved to turn to literature for relief.But we will let him present the situation himself.
To Orion Clemens, in Carson City:
ESMERALDA, July 23d, 1862.
MY DEAR BRO.,--No, I don't own a foot in the "Johnson" ledge--I will tell the story some day in a more intelligible manner than Tom has told it.
You needn't take the trouble to deny Tom's version, though.I own 25feet (1-16) of the 1st east ex.on it--and Johnson himself has contracted to find the ledge for 100 feet.Contract signed yesterday.But as the ledge will be difficult to find he is allowed six months to find it in.
An eighteenth of the Ophir was a fortune to John D.Winters--and the Ophir can't beat the Johnson any.....
My debts are greater than I thought for; I bought $25 worth of clothing, and sent $25 to Higbie, in the cement diggings.I owe about $45 or $5o, and have got about $45 in my pocket.But how in the h--l I am going to live on something over $100 until October or November, is singular.The fact is, I must have something to do, and that shortly, too.....
Now write to the Sacramento Union folks, or to Marsh, and tell them I'll write as many letters a week as they want, for $10 a week--my board must be paid.Tell them I have corresponded with the N.Orleans Crescent, and other papers--and the Enterprise.California is full of people who have interests here, and it's d---d seldom they hear from this country.