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I yielded to Higbie's appeals and consented to try the mining once more。
We climbed far up on the mountain side and went to work on a little
rubbishy claim of ours that had a shaft on it eight feet deep。 Higbie
descended into it and worked bravely with his pick till he had loosened
up a deal of rock and dirt and then I went down with a long…handled
shovel （the most awkward invention yet contrived by man） to throw it out。
You must brace the shovel forward with the side of your knee till it is
full； and then； with a skilful toss； throw it backward over your left
shoulder。 I made the toss； and landed the mess just on the edge of the
shaft and it all came back on my head and down the back of my neck。
I never said a word； but climbed out and walked home。 I inwardly
resolved that I would starve before I would make a target of myself and
shoot rubbish at it with a long…handled shovel。
I sat down； in the cabin； and gave myself up to solid miseryso to
speak。 Now in pleasanter days I had amused myself with writing letters
to the chief paper of the Territory； the Virginia Daily Territorial
Enterprise； and had always been surprised when they appeared in print。
My good opinion of the editors had steadily declined； for it seemed to me
that they might have found something better to fill up with than my
literature。 I had found a letter in the post office as I came home from
the hill side； and finally I opened it。 Eureka！ ＇I never did know what
Eureka meant； but it seems to be as proper a word to heave in as any when
no other that sounds pretty offers。＇ It was a deliberate offer to me of
Twenty…Five Dollars a week to come up to Virginia and be city editor of
the Enterprise。
I would have challenged the publisher in the 〃blind lead〃 daysI wanted
to fall down and worship him； now。 Twenty…Five Dollars a weekit looked
like bloated luxurya fortune a sinful and lavish waste of money。
But my transports cooled when I thought of my inexperience and consequent
unfitness for the positionand straightway； on top of this； my long
array of failures rose up before me。 Yet if I refused this place I must
presently become dependent upon somebody for my bread； a thing
necessarily distasteful to a man who had never experienced such a
humiliation since he was thirteen years old。 Not much to be proud of；
since it is so commonbut then it was all I had to be proud of。 So I
was scared into being a city editor。 I would have declined； otherwise。
Necessity is the mother of 〃taking chances。〃 I do not doubt that if； at
that time； I had been offered a salary to translate the Talmud from the
original Hebrew； I would have acceptedalbeit with diffidence and some
misgivingsand thrown as much variety into it as I could for the money。
I went up to Virginia and entered upon my new vocation。 I was a rusty
looking city editor； I am free to confesscoatless； 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。 But I
secured a more Christian costume and discarded the revolver。
I had never had occasion to kill anybody； nor ever felt a desire to do
so； but had worn the thing in deference to popular sentiment； and in
order that I might not； by its absence； be offensively conspicuous； and a
subject of remark。 But the other editors； and all the printers； carried
revolvers。 I asked the chief editor and proprietor （Mr。 Goodman； I will
call him； since it describes him as well as any name could do） for some
instructions with regard to my duties； and he told me to go all over town
and ask all sorts of people all sorts of questions； make notes of the
information gained； and write them out for publication。 And he added：
〃Never say 'We learn' so…and…so； or 'It is reported； or 'It is rumored；'
or 'We understand' so…and…so； but go to headquarters and get the absolute
facts； and then speak out and say 'It is so…and…so。〃 Otherwise； people
will not put confidence in your news。 Unassailable certainly is the
thing that gives a newspaper the firmest and most valuable reputation。〃
It was the whole thing in a nut…shell； and to this day when I find a
reporter commencing his article with 〃We understand；〃 I gather a
suspicion that he has not taken as much pains to inform himself as he
ought to have done。 I moralize well； but I did not always practise well
when I was a city editor； I let fancy get the upper hand of fact too
often when there was a dearth of news。 I can never forget my first day's
experience as a reporter。 I wandered about town questioning everybody；
boring everybody； and finding out that nobody knew anything。 At the end
of five hours my notebook was still barren。 I spoke to Mr。 Goodman。 He
said：
〃Dan used to make a good thing out of the hay wagons in a dry time when
there were no fires or inquests。 Are there no hay wagons in from the
Truckee？ If there are； you might speak of the renewed activity and all
that sort of thing； in the hay business； you know。
It isn't sensational or exciting； but it fills up and looks business
like。〃
I canvassed the city again and found one wretched old hay truck dragging
in from the country。 But I made affluent use of it。 I multiplied it by
sixteen； brought it into town from sixteen different directions； made
sixteen separate items out of it； and got up such another sweat about hay
as Virginia City had never seen in the world before。
This was encouraging。 Two nonpareil columns had to be filled； and I was
getting along。 Presently； when things began to look dismal again； a
desperado killed a man in a saloon and joy returned once more。 I never
was so glad over any mere trifle before in my life。 I said to the
murderer：
〃Sir； you are a stranger to me； but you have done me a kindness this day
which I can never forget。 If whole years of gratitude can be to you any
slight compensation； they shall be yours。 I was in trouble and you have
relieved me nobly and at a time when all seemed dark and drear。 Count me
your friend from this time forth； for I am not a man to forget a favor。〃
If I did not really say that to him I at least felt a sort of itching
desire to do it。 I wrote up the murder with a hungry attention to
details； and when it was finished experienced but one regretnamely；
that they had not hanged my benefactor on the spot； so that I could work
him up too。
Next I discovered some emigrant wagons going into camp on the plaza and
found that they had lately come through the hostile Indian country and
had fared rather roughly。 I made the best of the item that the
circumstances permitted； and felt that if I were not confined within
rigid limits by the presence of the reporters of the other papers I could
add particulars that would make the article much more interesting。
However； I found one wagon that was going on to California； and made some
judicious inquiries of the proprietor。 When I learned； through his short
and surly answers to my cross…questioning； that he was certainly going on
and would not be in the city next day to make trouble； I got ahead of the
other papers； for I took down his list of names and added his party to
the killed and wounded。 Having more scope here； I put this wagon through
an Indian fight that to this day has no parallel in history。
My two columns were filled。 When I read them over in the morning I felt
that I had found my legitimate occupation at last。 I reasoned within
myself that news； and stirring news； too； was what a paper needed； and I
felt that I was peculiarly endowed with the ability to furnish it。
Mr。 Goodman said that I was as good a reporter as Dan。 I desired no
higher commendation。 With encouragement like that； I felt that I could
take my pen and murder all the immigrants on the plains if need be and
the interests of the paper demanded it。
CHAPTER XLIII。
However； as I grew better acquainted with the business and learned the
run of the sources of information I ceased to require the aid of fancy to
any large extent； and became able to fill my columns without diverging
noticeably from the domain of fact。
I struck up friendships with the reporters o