Va. City Nev. Jan. 9, 1876.
Dear Mark.— I am utterly in the dark in regard to what is being done in Hartford. I wrote to ‸Mr‸ Bliss last Sunday and requested him to let me know how he is getting on. I sent him three prefaces, but don’t know that any one among them is worth a cent. However, he may be able to make one out of the three. I have also thought it might be well enough to have a dedication in it, so inclose one
Mr. Loomis, who was at work on the Enterprise in my place while I was in Hartford, is going to the Centennial and has will probably remain there some months. Nevada will have a quartz mill there, working ores from the “big bonanza”. Now all who are interested in the quartz mill and the processes in use in it will want to carry away with them a book that will not only tell them all about the ‸mill and the‸ processes, but also all about the silver mines. What Loomis would like to do would be to take his stand at this Centennial mill and peddle out the books—“Big Bonanza”—to those who will be duffing for them. He is a young man of good appearance and good address and I think on the square in everything. He has been a bookkeeper in several business houses and understands about doing business. I don’t think this selling at the Centennial should interfere with the legitimate business of a local canvasser. The right to sell there might be reserved by Mr. Bliss. Loomis would like the job if the American Publishing Company will give it to him; if not they can put a man of their own at the Centennial quartz mill to attend to the matter
It strikes me that a good many books would be sold, but you know more about these things than I do. I am now telling our people that my book will be out about the 1st of February, but I don’t know a thing about it more than what you last wrote me.
Dozens and dozens ask me about the infernal book every day. I am becoming tired of hearing it mentioned. I find that every old bummer in town expects to find his name in it. I am under many obligations to the photographers John S Noe and E Hurd, and should like a note to be struck in at the bottom of some page saying that the illustrations of mills, dumps and machinery are from photographs by them. I enclose the a note that will cover the whole ground. I have been slinging into the Enterprise an occasional humorous sketch and, as I notice that some of them are being widely coppied shall stick my name to them whenever I can, as it may help the sale of the book. Now things are mainly credited to the Enterprise. Stocks are moving upward.
I resumed my weekly reports on the mines with the new year. To-morrow (Monday) I shall go through the Con. Va. and California with John Mackey. It will be my first trip into the lower levels since my return. I shall go through the Belcher in three or four days. Having resumed my mining reports I must brave the underground regions again. It is far from agreeable.
My regard to Mrs Clemens, Bliss and son and Williams, the artist.
As ever yours,
Dan.
P.S. I have spoken to Mackey about those letters. He has them of all kinds—German French and all stripes. He don’t know what is in the foreign letters as he has not prospected them
D
The dedication business I have just “knocked off” on another sheet may not be in regular order but it is about what I want to say; also the note about the pictures.
