mark twain, a biography, 1907-1910-第39部分

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sought　refuge；　in　her　terror；　in　the　garret；　as　her　body　was　found　there
frightfully　mutilated；　and　the　knife　with　which　her　wounds　had　been
inflicted　still　sticking　in　her　side。　　The　two　girls　Julia　and　Emma；　who
had　recovered　sufficiently　to　be　able　to　talk　yesterday　morning；　declare
that　their　father　knocked　them　down　with　a　billet　of　wood　and　stamped　on
them。　　They　think　they　were　the　first　attacked。　　They　further　state　that
Hopkins　had　shown　evidence　of　derangement　all　day；　but　had　exhibited　no
violence。　　He　flew　into　a　passion　and　attempted　to　murder　them　because
they　advised　him　to　go　to　bed　and　compose　his　mind。

Curry　says　Hopkins　was　about　forty…two　years　of　age；　and　a　native　of
western　Pennsylvania；　he　was　always　affable　and　polite；　and　until　very
recently　no　one　had　ever　heard　of　his　ill…treating　his　family。　　He　had
been　a　heavy　owner　in　the　best　mines　of　Virginia　and　Gold　Hill；　but　when
the　San　Francisco　papers　exposed　our　game　of　cooking　dividends　in　order
to　bolster　up　our　stocks　he　grew　afraid　and　sold　out；　and　invested　an
immense　amount　in　the　Spring　Valley　Water　Company；　of　San　Francisco。　　He
was　advised　to　do　this　by　a　relative　of　his；　one　of　the　editors　of　the
San　Francisco　Bulletin；　who　had　suffered　pecuniarily　by　the　dividend…
cooking　system　as　applied　to　the　Daney　Mining　Company　recently。　　Hopkins
had　not　long　ceased　to　own　in　the　various　claims　on　the　Comstock　lead；
however；　when　several　dividends　were　cooked　on　his　newly　acquired
property；　their　water　totally　dried　up；　and　Spring　Valley　stock　went　down
to　nothing。　　It　is　presumed　that　this　misfortune　drove　him　mad；　and
resulted　in　his　killing　himself　and　the　greater　portion　of　his　family。　
The　newspapers　of　San　Francisco　permitted　this　water　company　to　go　on
borrowing　money　and　cooking　dividends；　under　cover　of　which　the　cunning
financiers　crept　out　of　the　tottering　concern；　leaving　the　crash　to　come
upon　poor　and　unsuspecting　stockholders；　without　offering　to　expose　the
villainy　at　work。　　We　hope　the　fearful　massacre　detailed　above　may　prove
the　saddest　result　of　their　silence。



II

NEWS…GATHERING　WITH　MARK　TWAIN

Alfred　Doten's　son　gives　the　following　account　of　a　reporting　trip　made
by　his　father　and　Mark　Twain；　when　the　two　were　on　Comstock　papers：

My　father　and　Mark　Twain　were　once　detailed　to　go　over　to　Como　and　write
up　some　new　mines　that　had　been　discovered　over　there。　　My　father　was　on
the　Gold　Hill　News。　　He　and　Mark　had　not　met　before；　but　became　promptly
acquainted；　and　were　soon　calling　each　other　by　their　first　names。

They　went　to　a　little　hotel　at　Carson；　agreeing　to　do　their　work　there
together　next　morning。　　When　morning　came　they　set　out；　and　suddenly　on　a
corner　Mark　stopped　and　turned　to　my　father；　saying：

〃By　gracious；　Alf！　　Isn't　that　a　brewery？〃

〃It　is；　Mark。　　Let's　go　in。〃

They　did　so；　and　remained　there　all　day；　swapping　yarns；　sipping　beer；
and　lunching；　going　back　to　the　hotel　that　night。

The　next　morning　precisely　the　same　thing　occurred。　　When　they　were　on
the　same　corner；　Mark　stopped　as　if　he　had　never　been　there　before；　and
sand：

〃Good　gracious；　Alf　！　　Isn't　that　a　brewery？〃

〃It　is；　Mark。　　Let's　go　in。〃

So　again　they　went　in；　and　again　stayed　all　day。

This　happened　again　the　next　morning；　and　the　next。　　Then　my　father
became　uneasy。　　A　letter　had　come　from　Gold　Hill；　asking　him　where　his
report　of　the　mines　was。　　They　agreed　that　next　morning　they　would　really
begin　the　story；　that　they　would　climb　to　the　top　of　a　hill　that
overlooked　the　mines；　and　write　it　from　there。

But　the　next　morning；　as　before；　Mark　was　surprised　to　discover　the
brewery；　and　once　more　they　went　in。　　A　few　moments　later；　however；　a　man
who　knew　all　about　the　minesa　mining　engineer　connected　with　themcame
in。　　He　was　a　godsend。　　My　father　set　down　a　valuable；　informing　story；
while　Mark　got　a　lot　of　entertaining　mining　yarns　out　of　him。

Next　day　Virginia　City　and　Gold　Hill　were　gaining　information　from　my
father's　article；　and　entertainment　from　Mark's　story　of　the　mines。




APPENDIX　D

FROM　MARK　TWAIN'S　FIRST　LECTURE；　DELIVERED　OCTOBER　2；　1866

（See　Chapter　liv）

HAWAIIAN　IMPORTANCE　TO　AMERICA

After　a　full　elucidation　of　the　sugar　industry　of　the　Sandwich　Islands；
its　profits　and　possibilities；　he　said：

I　have　dwelt　upon　this　subject　to　show　you　that　these　islands　have　a
genuine　importance　to　Americaan　importance　which　is　not　generally
appreciated　by　our　citizens。　　They　pay　revenues　into　the　United　States
Treasury　now　amounting　to　over　a　half　a　million　a　year。

I　do　not　know　what　the　sugar　yield　of　the　world　is　now；　but　ten　years
ago；　according　to　the　Patent　Office　reports；　it　was　800；000　hogsheads。　
The　Sandwich　Islands；　properly　cultivated　by　go…ahead　Americans；　are
capable　of　providing　one…third　as　much　themselves。　　With　the　Pacific
Railroad　built；　the　great　China　Mail　Line　of　steamers　touching　at
Honoluluwe　could　stock　the　islands　with　Americans　and　supply　a　third　of
the　civilized　world　with　sugarand　with　the　silkiest；　longest…stapled
cotton　this　side　of　the　Sea　Islands；　and　the　very　best　quality　of　rice
。。。。　　The　property　has　got　to　fall　to　some　heir；　and　why　not　the　United
States？


NATIVE　PASSION　FOR　FUNERALS

They　are　very　fond　of　funerals。　　Big　funerals　are　their　main　weakness。　
Fine　grave　clothes；　fine　funeral　appointments；　and　a　long　procession　are
things　they　take　a　generous　delight　in。　　They　are　fond　of　their　chief　and
their　king；　they　reverence　them　with　a　genuine　reverence　and　love　them
with　a　warm　affection；　and　often　look　forward　to　the　happiness　they　will
experience　in　burying　them。　　They　will　beg；　borrow；　or　steal　money
enough；　and　flock　from　all　the　islands；　to　be　present　at　a　royal　funeral
on　Oahu。　　Years　ago　a　Kanaka　and　his　wife　were　condemned　to　be　hanged　for
murder。　　They　received　the　sentence　with　manifest　satisfaction　because　it
gave　an　opening　for　a　funeral；　you　know。　　All　they　care　for　is　a　funeral。　
It　makes　but　little　difference　to　them　whose　it　is；　they　would　as　soon
attend　their　own　funeral　as　anybody　else's。　　This　couple　were　people　of
consequence；　and　had　landed　estates。　　They　sold　every　foot　of　ground　they
had　and　laid　it　out　in　fine　clothes　to　be　hung　in。　　And　the　woman
appeared　on　the　scaffold　in　a　white　satin　dress　and　slippers　and　fathoms
of　gaudy　ribbon；　and　the　man　was　arrayed　in　a　gorgeous　vest；　blue　claw…
hammer　coat　and　brass　buttons；　and　white　kid　gloves。　　As　the　noose　was
adjusted　around　his　neck；　he　blew　his　nose　with　a　grand　theatrical
flourish；　so　as　to　show　his　embroidered　white　handkerchief。　　I　never；
never　knew　of　a　couple　who　enjoyed　hanging　more　than　they　did。



VIEW　FROM　HALEAKALA

It　is　a　solemn　pleasure　to　stand　upon　the　summit　of　the　extinct　crater　of
Haleakala；　ten　thousand　feet　above　the　sea；　and　gaze　down　into　its　awful
crater；　27　miles　in　circumference　and　ago　feet　deep；　and　to　picture　to
yourself　the　seething　world　of　fire　that　once　swept　up　out　of　the
tremendous　abyss　ages　ago。

The　prodigious　funnel　is　dead　and　silent　now；　and　even　has　bushes　growing
far　down　in　its　bottom；　where　the　deep…sea　line　could　hardly　have　reached
in　the　old　times；　when　the　place　was　filled　with　liquid　lava。　　These
bushes　look　like　parlor　shrubs　from　the　summit　where　you　stand；　and　the
file　of　visitors　moving　through　them　on　their　mules　is　diminished　to　a
detachment　of　mice　almost；　and　to　them　you；　standing　so　high　up　against
the　sun；　ten　thousand　feet　above　their　heads；　look　no　larger　than　a
grasshopper。

This　in　the　morning；　but　at　three　or　four　in　the　afternoon　a　thousand
little　patches　of　white　clouds；　like　handfuls　of　wool；　come　drifting
noiselessly；　one　after　another；　into　the　crater；　like　a　procession　of
shrouded　phantoms；　and　circle　round　and　round　the　vast　sides；　and　settle
gradually　down　and　mingle　together　until　the　colossal　basin　is　filled　to
the　brim　with　snowy　fog　and　all　its　seared　and　desolate　wonders　are
hidden　from　sight。

And　then　you　may　turn　your　back　to　the　crater　and　look　far　away　upon　the
broad　valley　below；　with　its　sugar…houses　glinting　like　white　specks　in
the　distance；　and　the　great　sugar…fields　diminished　to　green　veils　amid
the　lighter…tinted　verdure　around　them；　and　abroad　upon　the　limitless
ocean。　　But　I　should　not　say　you　look　down；　you　look　up　at　these　things。

You　are　ten　thousand　feet　above　them；　but　yet　you　seem　to　stand　in　a
basin；　with　the　green　islands　here　and　there；　and　the　valleys　and　the
wide　ocean；　and　the　remote　snow…peak　of　Mauna　Loa；　all　raised　up　before
and　above　you；　and　pictured　out　like　a　brightly　tinted　map　hung　at　the
ceiling　of　a　room。

You　look　up　at　everything；　nothing　is　below　you。　　It　has　a　singular　and
startling　effect　to　see　a　miniature　world　thus　seemingly　hung　in　mid…air。

But　soon　the　white　clouds　come　trooping　along　in　ghostly　squadrons　and
mingle　together　in　heavy　masses　a　quarter　of　a　mile　below　you　and　shut
out　everything…completely　hide　the　sea　and　all　the　earth　save　the
pinnacle　you　stand　on。　　As　far　as　the　eye　can　reach；　it　finds　nothing　to
rest　upon　but　a　boundless　plain　of　clouds　tumbled　into　all　manner　of
fantastic　shapes…a　billowy　ocean　of　wool　aflame　with　the　gold　and　purple
and　crimson　splendors　of　the　setting　sun！　　And　so　firm　does　this　grand
cloud　pavement　look　that　you　can　hardly　persuade　yourself　that　you　could
not　walk　upon　it；　that　if　you　stepped　upon　it　you　would　plunge　headlong
and　astonish　your　friends　at　dinner　ten　thousand　feet　below。

Standing　on　that　peak；　with　all　the　world　shut　out　by　that　vast　plain　of
clouds；　a　feeling　of　loneliness　comes　over　a　man　which　suggests　to　his
mind　the　last　man　at　the　flood；　perched　high　upon　the　last　rock；　with
nothing　visible　on　any　side　but　a　mournful　waste　of　waters；　and　the　ark
departing　dimly　through　the　distant　mists　and　leaving　him　to　storm　and
night　and　solitude　and　death！




NOTICE　OF　MARK　TWAIN'S　LECTURE

〃THE　TROUBLE　IS　OVER〃

〃The　inimitable　'Mark　Twain；　delivered　himself　last　night　of　his　first
lecture　on　the　Sandwich　Islands；　or　anything　else。

Some　time　before　the　hour　appointed　to　open　his　head　the　Academy　of　Music
（on　Pine　Street）　was　densely　crowded　with　one　of