第22章

What has become of Sam Bowen? I would give my last shirt to have him out here.I will make no promises, but I believe if John would give him a thousand dollars and send him out here he would not regret it.He might possibly do very well here, but he could do little without capital.

Remember me to all my St.Louis and Keokuk friends, and tell Challie and Hallie Renson that I heard a military band play "What are the Wild Waves Saying?" the other night, and it reminded me very forcibly of them.It brought Ella Creel and Belle across the Desert too in an instant, for they sang the song in Orion's yard the first time I ever heard it.It was like meeting an old friend.I tell you I could have swallowed that whole band, trombone and all, if such a compliment would have been any gratification to them.

Love to the young folks, SAM.

The reference in the foregoing letter to Esmeralda has to do with mining plans.He was beginning to be mildly interested, and, with his brother Orion, had acquired "feet" in an Esmeralda camp, probably at a very small price--so small as to hold out no exciting prospect of riches.In his next letter he gives us the size of this claim, which he has visited.

His interest, however, still appears to be chiefly in his timber claim on Lake Bigler (Tahoe), though we are never to hear of it again after this letter.

To Mrs.Moffett, in St.Louis:

CARSON CITY, Oct.25, 1861.

MY DEAR SISTER, --I have just finished reading your letter and Ma's of Sept.8th.How in the world could they have been so long coming? You ask me if I have for gotten my promise to lay a claim for Mr.Moffett.

By no means.I have already laid a timber claim on the borders of a lake (Bigler) which throws Como in the shade--and if we succeed in getting one Mr.Jones, to move his saw-mill up there, Mr.Moffett can just consider that claim better than bank stock.Jones says he will move his mill up next spring.In that claim I took up about two miles in length by one in width--and the names in it are as follows: "Sam.L Clemens, Wm.A.

Moffett, Thos.Nye" and three others.It is situated on "Sam Clemens Bay"--so named by Capt.Nye--and it goes by that name among the inhabitants of that region.I had better stop about "the Lake," though, --for whenever I think of it I want to go there and die, the place is so beautiful.I'll build a country seat there one of these days that will make the Devil's mouth water if he ever visits the earth.Jim Lampton will never know whether I laid a claim there for him or not until he comes here himself.We have now got about 1,650 feet of mining ground--and if it proves good, Mr.Moffett's name will go in--if not, I can get "feet" for him in the Spring which will be good.You see, Pamela, the trouble does not consist in getting mining ground--for that is plenty enough--but the money to work it with after you get it is the mischief.

When I was in Esmeralda, a young fellow gave me fifty feet in the "Black Warrior"--an unprospected claim.The other day he wrote me that he had gone down eight feet on the ledge, and found it eight feet thick--and pretty good rock, too.He said he could take out rock now if there were a mill to crush it--but the mills are all engaged (there are only four of them) so, if I were willing, he would suspend work until Spring.I wrote him to let it alone at present--because, you see, in the Spring I can go down myself and help him look after it.There will then be twenty mills there.Orion and I have confidence enough in this country to think that if the war will let us alone we can make Mr.Moffett rich without its ever costing him a cent of money or particle of trouble.We shall lay plenty of claims for him, but if they never pay him anything, they will never cost him anything, Orion and I are not financiers.Therefore, you must persuade Uncle Jim to come out here and help us in that line.

I have written to him twice to come.I wrote him today.In both letters I told him not to let you or Ma know that we dealt in such romantic nonsense as "brilliant prospects," because I always did hate for anyone to know what my plans or hopes or prospects were--for, if I kept people in ignorance in these matters, no one could be disappointed but myself, if they were not realized.You know I never told you that I went on the river under a promise to pay Bixby $500, until I had paid the money and cleared my skirts of the possibility of having my judgment criticised.

I would not say anything about our prospects now, if we were nearer home.

But I suppose at this distance you are more anxious than you would be if you saw us every month-and therefore it is hardly fair to keep you in the dark.However, keep these matters to yourselves, and then if we fail, we'll keep the laugh in the family.

What we want now is something that will commence paying immediately.

We have got a chance to get into a claim where they say a tunnel has been run 150 feet, and the ledge struck.I got a horse yesterday, and went out with the Attorney-General and the claim-owner--and we tried to go to the claim by a new route, and got lost in the mountains--sunset overtook us before we found the claim--my horse got too lame to carry me, and Igot down and drove him ahead of me till within four miles of town--then we sent Rice on ahead.Bunker, (whose horse was in good condition,)undertook, to lead mine, and I followed after him.Darkness shut him out from my view in less than a minute, and within the next minute I lost the road and got to wandering in the sage brush.I would find the road occasionally and then lose it again in a minute or so.I got to Carson about nine o'clock, at night, but not by the road I traveled when I left it.The General says my horse did very well for awhile, but soon refused to lead.Then he dismounted, and had a jolly time driving both horses ahead of him and chasing them here and there through the sage brush (it does my soul good when I think of it) until he got to town, when both animals deserted him, and he cursed them handsomely and came home alone.

Of course the horses went to their stables.