as a general thing； that 〃he get whip heself。〃 We could not see that
these lotteries differed in any respect from our own； save that the
figures being Chinese； no ignorant white man might ever hope to succeed
in telling 〃t'other from which；〃 the manner of drawing is similar to
ours。
Mr。 See Yup keeps a fancy store on Live Fox street。 He sold us fans of
white feathers； gorgeously ornamented； perfumery that smelled like
Limburger cheese； Chinese pens； and watch…charms made of a stone
unscratchable with steel instruments； yet polished and tinted like the
inner coat of a sea…shell。 As tokens of his esteem； See Yup presented
the party with gaudy plumes made of gold tinsel and trimmed with
peacocks' feathers。
We ate chow…chow with chop…sticks in the celestial restaurants； our
comrade chided the moon…eyed damsels in front of the houses for their
want of feminine reserve； we received protecting Josh…lights from our
hosts and 〃dickered〃 for a pagan God or two。 Finally； we were impressed
with the genius of a Chinese book…keeper； he figured up his accounts on a
machine like a gridiron with buttons strung on its bars； the different
rows represented units； tens； hundreds and thousands。 He fingered them
with incredible rapidityin fact； he pushed them from place to place as
fast as a musical professor's fingers travel over the keys of a piano。
They are a kindly disposed； well…meaning race； and are respected and well
treated by the upper classes； all over the Pacific coast。 No Californian
gentleman or lady ever abuses or oppresses a Chinaman； under any
circumstances； an explanation that seems to be much needed in the East。
Only the scum of the population do itthey and their children； they；
and； naturally and consistently； the policemen and politicians； likewise；
for these are the dust…licking pimps and slaves of the scum； there as
well as elsewhere in America。
CHAPTER LV。
I began to get tired of staying in one place so long。
There was no longer satisfying variety in going down to Carson to report
the proceedings of the legislature once a year； and horse…races and
pumpkin…shows once in three months； （they had got to raising pumpkins and
potatoes in Washoe Valley； and of course one of the first achievements of
the legislature was to institute a ten…thousand…dollar Agricultural Fair
to show off forty dollars' worth of those pumpkins inhowever； the
territorial legislature was usually spoken of as the 〃asylum〃）。 I wanted
to see San Francisco。 I wanted to go somewhere。 I wantedI did not
know what I wanted。 I had the 〃spring fever〃 and wanted a change；
principally； no doubt。 Besides； a convention had framed a State
Constitution； nine men out of every ten wanted an office； I believed that
these gentlemen would 〃treat〃 the moneyless and the irresponsible among
the population into adopting the constitution and thus well…nigh killing
the country （it could not well carry such a load as a State government；
since it had nothing to tax that could stand a tax； for undeveloped mines
could not； and there were not fifty developed ones in the land； there was
but little realty to tax； and it did seem as if nobody was ever going to
think of the simple salvation of inflicting a money penalty on murder）。
I believed that a State government would destroy the 〃flush times；〃 and I
wanted to get away。 I believed that the mining stocks I had on hand
would soon be worth 100；000； and thought if they reached that before the
Constitution was adopted； I would sell out and make myself secure from
the crash the change of government was going to bring。 I considered
100；000 sufficient to go home with decently； though it was but a small
amount compared to what I had been expecting to return with。 I felt
rather down…hearted about it； but I tried to comfort myself with the
reflection that with such a sum I could not fall into want。 About this
time a schoolmate of mine whom I had not seen since boyhood； came
tramping in on foot from Reese River； a very allegory of Poverty。
The son of wealthy parents； here he was； in a strange land； hungry；
bootless； mantled in an ancient horse…blanket； roofed with a brimless
hat； and so generally and so extravagantly dilapidated that he could have
〃taken the shine out of the Prodigal Son himself；〃 as he pleasantly
remarked。
He wanted to borrow forty…six dollarstwenty…six to take him to San
Francisco； and twenty for something else； to buy some soap with； maybe；
for he needed it。 I found I had but little more than the amount wanted；
in my pocket； so I stepped in and borrowed forty…six dollars of a banker
（on twenty days' time； without the formality of a note）； and gave it him；
rather than walk half a block to the office； where I had some specie laid
up。 If anybody had told me that it would take me two years to pay back
that forty…six dollars to the banker （for I did not expect it of the
Prodigal； and was not disappointed）； I would have felt injured。 And so
would the banker。
I wanted a change。 I wanted variety of some kind。 It came。 Mr。 Goodman
went away for a week and left me the post of chief editor。 It destroyed
me。 The first day； I wrote my 〃leader〃 in the forenoon。 The second day；
I had no subject and put it off till the afternoon。 The third day I put
it off till evening； and then copied an elaborate editorial out of the
〃American Cyclopedia；〃 that steadfast friend of the editor； all over this
land。 The fourth day I 〃fooled around〃 till midnight； and then fell back
on the Cyclopedia again。 The fifth day I cudgeled my brain till
midnight； and then kept the press waiting while I penned some bitter
personalities on six different people。 The sixth day I labored in
anguish till far into the night and brought forthnothing。 The paper
went to press without an editorial。 The seventh day I resigned。 On the
eighth； Mr。 Goodman returned and found six duels on his handsmy
personalities had borne fruit。
Nobody； except he has tried it； knows what it is to be an editor。 It is
easy to scribble local rubbish； with the facts all before you； it is easy
to clip selections from other papers； it is easy to string out a
correspondence from any locality； but it is unspeakable hardship to write
editorials。 Subjects are the troublethe dreary lack of them； I mean。
Every day； it is drag； drag； dragthink； and worry and sufferall the
world is a dull blank； and yet the editorial columns must be filled。
Only give the editor a subject； and his work is doneit is no trouble to
write it up； but fancy how you would feel if you had to pump your brains
dry every day in the week； fifty…two weeks in the year。 It makes one low
spirited simply to think of it。 The matter that each editor of a daily
paper in America writes in the course of a year would fill from four to
eight bulky volumes like this book！ Fancy what a library an editor's
work would make； after twenty or thirty years' service。 Yet people often
marvel that Dickens； Scott； Bulwer； Dumas； etc。； have been able to
produce so many books。 If these authors had wrought as voluminously as
newspaper editors do； the result would be something to marvel at； indeed。
How editors can continue this tremendous labor； this exhausting
consumption of brain fibre （for their work is creative； and not a mere
mechanical laying…up of facts； like reporting）； day after day and year
after year； is incomprehensible。 Preachers take two months' holiday in
midsummer； for they find that to produce two sermons a week is wearing；
in the long run。 In truth it must be so； and is so； and therefore； how
an editor can take from ten to twenty texts and build upon them from ten
to twenty painstaking editorials a week and keep it up all the year
round； is farther beyond comprehension than ever。 Ever since I survived
my week as editor； I have found at least one pleasure in any newspaper
that comes to my hand； it is in admiring the long columns of editorial；
and wondering to myself how in the mischief he did it！
Mr。 Goodman's return relieved me of employment； unless I chose to become
a reporter again。 I could not do that； I could not serve in the ranks
after being General of the army。 So I thought I would depart and go
abroad into the world somewhere。 Just at this juncture； Dan； my
associate in the reportorial department； told me； casually； that two
citizens had been trying to persuade him to go with them to New York and
aid in selling a rich silver mine which they had discovered and secured
in a new mining district in our neighborhood。 He said they offered to
pay his expenses and give him one third of the proceeds of the sale。
He had refused to go。 It was the very opportunity I wanted。 I abused
him for keeping so quiet about it； and not mentioning it sooner。 He said
it had not occurred to him that I would like to go； and so he had
recommended them to apply to Marshall； the reporter of the other paper。
I asked Dan if it was a good； honest mine； and no swindle。 He said the
men had shown him nine tons of the rock； which they had got out to take
to New York； and he could cheerfully say that he had seen but little rock
in Nevada that was richer； and moreover； he said that they had se