Esmeralda, June 22, 1862.
My Dear Bro:
Things are going on pretty much as usual. Our men are still at work on the “Annipolitan” and “Flyaway,” but we are doing nothing on the “Monitor,” as the other parties have until the end of this month to appeal in. They have struck it fully as rich in the “Pride of Utah” as in the “Wide West.” Here is the position of the ledges:1
You see the grand rock comes from the “Dimes,” in reality, and not from the W. W., although the latter said nothing about it until they had bought into the former.2 The “Annipolitan” shaft is about 200 feet from the P. of Utah and Dimes-W. W. shafts. [ These These] two ledges are so close together that I don’t see how ours could be crowded between them—and we are most damnably “mixed” as to whether the “Annipolitan” will prove to be the “Dimes” or the “Pride of Utah.” We want it to be the former—for in that case we can hold all our ground—but if it be the “Pride of Utah,” we shall lose all of it except fifty feet, as the “P. of U.” was located first. There is an extension on the “P. of U.,” and in order to be on the safe side, we have given them notice not to work on it. We are in a good neighborhood, for, since the rich strikes on the “Dimes” and “Pride of Utah,” they have resumed work on the “W. W.” incline, and are getting out very handsome rock. McNear,3 who owns one-half the “Annipolitan,” says he would not sell an inch for even $2,000 a foot. He is the best pleased man I know. Well, it does seem like a dead sure thing,—but then it’s the d—dest country for disappointments the world ever saw. However, sure or not sure, by the new law I can get a perpetual title to our ground very easily,4 and I mean to do it and leave the country for a year, if we don’t strike something soon. I am mighty impatient to see the shaft down on the “A.;”—but if 30 feet don’t find it rich, we shall sink 30 more immediately—so I expect to be here 3 months longer, anyhow. I have now been here over two months, and have accomplished a great deal—but I know, and you know, that I cannot double that time in any one place without a miracle. I have been here as long, now, as it is in my nature to stay in one place—and from this out I shall feel as much like a prisoner as if I were in the county jail. I believe I have not spent six months in one place (unless I was in Keokuk, that long,) since 1853—ten years ago—and God knows I want to be moving to-day. Well, this is the first time I have uttered a complaint since I have been here, but it is not the first time I have felt one. Christ! how sick I am of these same [ on old] humdrum scenes.
Those Enterprise fellows make perfect nonsense of my letters—like all d—d fool printers, they can’t follow the punctuation as it is in the manuscript. They have, by this means made a mass of senseless, d—d stupidity out of my last letter.5
I received $25 from you nearly a week ago, I believe. I am sorry it has to come from the school fund,—for I am afraid it might be called for, you know. Did you get my letter about the [ p business] of Barstow—and his letter? Do not hint to Gillesp anything about it.6
Put all of Josh’s letters in my scrap book. I may have use for them some day.
If you should ever remove the long desk from your office, don’t forget to take out my letters and traps from the middle drawer.
You have heard nothing from your last quarter’s salary, I suppose.7
It is time now to begin your arrangements for a supply of stationery for the Legislature, I should think.8
I have quit writing for the “Gate.”9 I haven’t got time to write. I half intended writing east to-night, but I hardly think I will. Tell Mollie I will not offend again. I see by [ th a] Boston paper that Colorado Territory expects to export $40,000,000 (bullion, I believe,) this year. Nevada had better look to her laurels.10
Sam
Orion Clemens, Esq. | Carson City | N. T. | [rule] [postmaster’s hand:] Esmeralda Cal |June 24th 1862 [postage stamp cut away]
Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary
[upper
left:] “Annipolitan.” | No
ledge bet. this and “W. W.” [upper center:]
“P of U.” | 30 feet between
| None bet. this and | Wide West. [upper
right:] shaft & tunnel on Pride of Utah.
| shaft on the | “Dimes”
| Shaft sunk intended to | strike the
“W. W.,” & finding |
rich rock, the Co. bought into | the ledge, which is the
| “Dimes.” [lower left:] Bed-Rock
Croppings | WIDE WEST—a vein in face of Bed
Rock | Incline shaft on “W. W.”
| Top of the Hill. As Clemens’s map shows, the Pride of Utah, like the
Annapolitan, lay parallel to the Wide West on Last Chance Hill and its
claim line butted almost end to end with that of the Annapolitan. The
day after Clemens wrote this letter, the Aurora correspondent of the
Sacramento Bee noted the new strike made in the
Pride of Utah and ranked the mine equal to the Wide West in richness.
“The ‘Pride of Utah,’” he
continued, “is now yielding about a thousand dollars per day.
The rock is rotten quartz and easily worked. Clayton’s mill
cleaned up yesterday, after a week’s run on the
‘Pride of Utah’ rock, and the yield of gold was
one wooden pail full—more than a
man could conveniently carry” (Veni, Vidi 1862, 1). Since Clemens was being
trained in Clayton’s Mill about this time, he probably had
first-hand knowledge of Pride of Utah rock. Eventually it became known
that the rich quartz coming out of the mine’s shaft actually
came from a vein (or blind lead) intersecting the Pride of Utah
ledge—the same vein, in fact, that intersected the Wide West
ledge at another point on the hill (see 23 July 62 to OC, n.
1).
Source text(s):Previous publication:
L1, 220–222.
Provenance:deposited at ViU on 17 Dec 1963.
Emendations and textual notes:
These These • The‸se‸ se [‘se’ canceled, possibly to produce ‘The’; then ‘se’ added over cancellation]
on old • o‸ld‸ n [‘l’ over ‘n’]
p business • [‘b’ over ‘p’]
th a • [‘a’ over doubtful partly formed ‘th’]
B Your • [‘Y’ over ‘B’]
