Samuel Clemens becomes Mark Twain
Samuel Clemens was the ultimate Western man. He arrived in Nevada Territory from Missouri by stagecoach. Tried his hand at gold mining, silver mining and lumbering. When those didn't pan out he walked across the Nevada desert arriving in Virginia City – the ultimate Western town in the 1860's – with dusty boots and a Navy Colt revolver in his belt. He cleaned himself up and became a newspaper writer - not a reporter - a writer, eventually inventing a pen name for his alter ego; Mark Twain.
As Mark Twain, he rode stagecoaches, lived in boarding houses, traveled on steamboats in the Sacramento River Delta and lived in a grand hotel in San Francisco where he ate in the finest restaurants and attended the opera. Until one day when he was fired from his job at the newspaper; posted bail for a friend with money he didn't have, and when the friend skipped town, so did Clemens.
During 88 Days in the Mother Lode of California's Gold Country, twenty-nine year old Samuel Clemens reflected on his life and career thus far. The rainy weather kept him in a small cabin with well educated compatriots. The men smoked a little, drank a little and told a lot of stories just to pass the time. One of the stories Clemens heard during those 88 days was about a jumping frog. It was told rather poorly by Ben Coon, a bartender in the Angels Hotel in Angels Camp. Clemens wrote a few lines about it in his notebook.
Upon his return to San Francisco he developed the story, writing it out to be published in his friend's book. Instead, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County was published in Clapp's Saturday Evening Press in November 1865, and was copied in newspapers throughout the East Coast. Suddenly America had a new voice. A Western voice that told American stories. Mark Twain was on his way to adoration and world wide fame.
As Mark Twain, he rode stagecoaches, lived in boarding houses, traveled on steamboats in the Sacramento River Delta and lived in a grand hotel in San Francisco where he ate in the finest restaurants and attended the opera. Until one day when he was fired from his job at the newspaper; posted bail for a friend with money he didn't have, and when the friend skipped town, so did Clemens.
During 88 Days in the Mother Lode of California's Gold Country, twenty-nine year old Samuel Clemens reflected on his life and career thus far. The rainy weather kept him in a small cabin with well educated compatriots. The men smoked a little, drank a little and told a lot of stories just to pass the time. One of the stories Clemens heard during those 88 days was about a jumping frog. It was told rather poorly by Ben Coon, a bartender in the Angels Hotel in Angels Camp. Clemens wrote a few lines about it in his notebook.
Upon his return to San Francisco he developed the story, writing it out to be published in his friend's book. Instead, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County was published in Clapp's Saturday Evening Press in November 1865, and was copied in newspapers throughout the East Coast. Suddenly America had a new voice. A Western voice that told American stories. Mark Twain was on his way to adoration and world wide fame.
88 Day Timeline (88 Days in Red)
14 August 1861 - Arrives in Carson City with his brother Orion Clemens who is Secretary to the Territory of Nevada
September 1862 - Arrives in Virginia City and goes to work for the Territorial Enterprise.
"He reached Virginia City in September 1862, in his own estimation a "rusty looking" specimen, "coatless, slouch hat, blue woolen shirt, pantaloons stuffed into boot-tops, whiskered half down to the waist, and the universal navy revolver slung to my belt."
3 February 1863 - Signs a newspaper article for the first time as Mark Twain at The Territorial Enterprise
22 December 1863 - Artemus Ward comes to Virginia City to lecture stays for 11 days
June 1864 - Arrives in San Francisco No letters have been discovered for the next eleven months. As 1864 drew to a close Clemens continued to eke out an existence on the $12.00 or $12.50 per article he received from The California. Since he published only three articles at this time, on 12 November, 19 November, and 3 December, his circumstances must have been strained indeed. According to the chronology Clemens established in Roughing It, in early December 1864 he was coming to the end of his “slinking” period:
For two months my sole occupation was avoiding acquaintances; for during that time I did not earn a penny, or buy an article of any kind, or pay my board. I became a very adept at “slinking.” I slunk from back street to back street, I slunk away from approaching faces that looked familiar, I slunk to my meals, ate them humbly and with a mute apology for every mouthful I robbed my generous landlady of, and at midnight, after wanderings that were but slinkings away from cheerfulness and light, I slunk to my bed. I felt meaner, and lowlier and more despicable than the worms. During all this time I had but one piece of money—a silver ten cent piece—and I held to it and would not spend it on any account, lest the consciousness coming strong upon me that I was entirely penniless, might suggest suicide. I had pawned every thing but the clothes I had on; so I clung to my dime desperately, till it was smooth with handling. (Roughing It, chapter 59)
30 November 1864 - Samuel L. Clemens quietly celebrates his 29th birthday
1 December 1864 - lives in San Francisco at 44 Minna Street in a boarding house run by Martha Gillis - leaves for Sonora/Jackass Hill by steamer/stagecoach through Stockton
4 December 1864 - arrives in Jackass Hill with $300 in his pocket - December 4, 1864 was a Sunday and steamers and coaches didn't run on Sundays. He had to leave S.F. earlier thanDecember 3rd. Most likely on either the 1st or December 2 - Steamboat to Stockton would arrive close to midnight.
December 3 - Day stage (12 hour journey from Stockton) to Sonora. December 4 - Walks eight miles from Sonora and arrives at Jackass Hill.
31 December 1864 - Spends New Year's Eve in Vallecitos with Jim Gillis
22 January 1865 - Travels from Jackass Hill to Angels Camp
Late January 1865 - Hears the story of the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County as told by Ben Coon, bartender and former river boat pilot, while hiding out from the rain in Angels Hotel.
8 February 1865 - Attends Masonic meeting in Angels Camp
20 February 1865 - Returns to Jackass Hill
23 February 1865 - Leaves for San Francisco via Copperopolis and Stockton
26 February 1865 - Arrives Occidental Hotel in San Francisco - finds a letter from Artemus Ward asking for a story for his book about tales in the West
September 1865 - Dreams about the Jumping Frog story and writes first draft
8 October 1865 - Writes about a 6.5 earthquake in San Francisco
18 October 1865 - Sends Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog of Calaveras County story to Artemus Ward
19 October 1865 - A letter to Orion and Mollie, in pencil on the back: Friday--Have just got your letter. The “prospects” are infernal, Mollie. “Confidence” is down low. I saved on the Ophir $25, [but ] not losing the $100 assessment I would have had to pay had I held it a few days longer. All stocks have their day, & “Confidence” will, too—I did want to wait on one stock till its day[arrived, but ]your prospects do not look encouraging.5 [ Go on, I ]I read all your sermons—and I shall continue to read them, but of course as unsympathetically as a man of stone. I have a religion—but you will call it blasphemy. It is that there is a God for the rich man but none for the poor.
You are in trouble, & in debt—so am I. I am utterly miserable—so are you.K◇e Perhaps your religion will sustain you, will feed you—I place no dependence in mine. Our religions are alike, though, in one respect—neither can make a man happy when he is out of luck. If I do not get out of debt in 3 months,—pistols or poison for one—exit me. {There’s a text for a sermon on [Self-Murder—Proceed.}] 6
18 November 1865 - The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is published by the New York Saturday Press and is copied by newspaper editors throughout the East Coast.
30 November, 1865 - Samuel L. Clemens turns thirty
Early 1866 - Starts working for the Sacramento Union which was then located in a brick building, which still stands today, at 121 J Street (Old Town Sacramento)
March 1866 - Takes steamship Ajax to Sandwich Islands (Note: The Ajax only makes two trips to Hawaii - they're not profitable. Twain is on the second voyage.) He's a correspondent for the Sacramento Daily Union, the largest newspaper on the West Coast.
13 August 1866 - arrives by sailing ship back in San Francisco
2 October 1866 - First lecture - Maguire’s Academy of Music in San Francisco - Sacramento (11 October), Marysville (15 October), Grass Valley (20 October), Nevada City (23 October), Red Dog (24 October), and You Bet (25 October).
30 October 1866 - Gives a lecture in Virginia City
30 November 1866 - Samuel Clemens turns thirty-one
15 December 1866 - Sails for New York
14 August 1861 - Arrives in Carson City with his brother Orion Clemens who is Secretary to the Territory of Nevada
September 1862 - Arrives in Virginia City and goes to work for the Territorial Enterprise.
"He reached Virginia City in September 1862, in his own estimation a "rusty looking" specimen, "coatless, slouch hat, blue woolen shirt, pantaloons stuffed into boot-tops, whiskered half down to the waist, and the universal navy revolver slung to my belt."
3 February 1863 - Signs a newspaper article for the first time as Mark Twain at The Territorial Enterprise
22 December 1863 - Artemus Ward comes to Virginia City to lecture stays for 11 days
June 1864 - Arrives in San Francisco No letters have been discovered for the next eleven months. As 1864 drew to a close Clemens continued to eke out an existence on the $12.00 or $12.50 per article he received from The California. Since he published only three articles at this time, on 12 November, 19 November, and 3 December, his circumstances must have been strained indeed. According to the chronology Clemens established in Roughing It, in early December 1864 he was coming to the end of his “slinking” period:
For two months my sole occupation was avoiding acquaintances; for during that time I did not earn a penny, or buy an article of any kind, or pay my board. I became a very adept at “slinking.” I slunk from back street to back street, I slunk away from approaching faces that looked familiar, I slunk to my meals, ate them humbly and with a mute apology for every mouthful I robbed my generous landlady of, and at midnight, after wanderings that were but slinkings away from cheerfulness and light, I slunk to my bed. I felt meaner, and lowlier and more despicable than the worms. During all this time I had but one piece of money—a silver ten cent piece—and I held to it and would not spend it on any account, lest the consciousness coming strong upon me that I was entirely penniless, might suggest suicide. I had pawned every thing but the clothes I had on; so I clung to my dime desperately, till it was smooth with handling. (Roughing It, chapter 59)
30 November 1864 - Samuel L. Clemens quietly celebrates his 29th birthday
1 December 1864 - lives in San Francisco at 44 Minna Street in a boarding house run by Martha Gillis - leaves for Sonora/Jackass Hill by steamer/stagecoach through Stockton
4 December 1864 - arrives in Jackass Hill with $300 in his pocket - December 4, 1864 was a Sunday and steamers and coaches didn't run on Sundays. He had to leave S.F. earlier thanDecember 3rd. Most likely on either the 1st or December 2 - Steamboat to Stockton would arrive close to midnight.
December 3 - Day stage (12 hour journey from Stockton) to Sonora. December 4 - Walks eight miles from Sonora and arrives at Jackass Hill.
31 December 1864 - Spends New Year's Eve in Vallecitos with Jim Gillis
22 January 1865 - Travels from Jackass Hill to Angels Camp
Late January 1865 - Hears the story of the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County as told by Ben Coon, bartender and former river boat pilot, while hiding out from the rain in Angels Hotel.
8 February 1865 - Attends Masonic meeting in Angels Camp
20 February 1865 - Returns to Jackass Hill
23 February 1865 - Leaves for San Francisco via Copperopolis and Stockton
26 February 1865 - Arrives Occidental Hotel in San Francisco - finds a letter from Artemus Ward asking for a story for his book about tales in the West
September 1865 - Dreams about the Jumping Frog story and writes first draft
8 October 1865 - Writes about a 6.5 earthquake in San Francisco
18 October 1865 - Sends Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog of Calaveras County story to Artemus Ward
19 October 1865 - A letter to Orion and Mollie, in pencil on the back: Friday--Have just got your letter. The “prospects” are infernal, Mollie. “Confidence” is down low. I saved on the Ophir $25, [but ] not losing the $100 assessment I would have had to pay had I held it a few days longer. All stocks have their day, & “Confidence” will, too—I did want to wait on one stock till its day[arrived, but ]your prospects do not look encouraging.5 [ Go on, I ]I read all your sermons—and I shall continue to read them, but of course as unsympathetically as a man of stone. I have a religion—but you will call it blasphemy. It is that there is a God for the rich man but none for the poor.
You are in trouble, & in debt—so am I. I am utterly miserable—so are you.K◇e Perhaps your religion will sustain you, will feed you—I place no dependence in mine. Our religions are alike, though, in one respect—neither can make a man happy when he is out of luck. If I do not get out of debt in 3 months,—pistols or poison for one—exit me. {There’s a text for a sermon on [Self-Murder—Proceed.}] 6
18 November 1865 - The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is published by the New York Saturday Press and is copied by newspaper editors throughout the East Coast.
30 November, 1865 - Samuel L. Clemens turns thirty
Early 1866 - Starts working for the Sacramento Union which was then located in a brick building, which still stands today, at 121 J Street (Old Town Sacramento)
March 1866 - Takes steamship Ajax to Sandwich Islands (Note: The Ajax only makes two trips to Hawaii - they're not profitable. Twain is on the second voyage.) He's a correspondent for the Sacramento Daily Union, the largest newspaper on the West Coast.
13 August 1866 - arrives by sailing ship back in San Francisco
2 October 1866 - First lecture - Maguire’s Academy of Music in San Francisco - Sacramento (11 October), Marysville (15 October), Grass Valley (20 October), Nevada City (23 October), Red Dog (24 October), and You Bet (25 October).
30 October 1866 - Gives a lecture in Virginia City
30 November 1866 - Samuel Clemens turns thirty-one
15 December 1866 - Sails for New York