The Complete Works of Artemus Ward, part 6 | Page 8

side. To Artemus Ward the wild character of the
scenery, the strange manners of the red-shirted citizens, and the odd
developments of the life met with in that uncouth mountain-town were
all replete with interest. We stayed there about a week. During the time
of our stay he explored every part of the place, met many old friends
from the Eastern States, and formed many new acquaintances, with
some of whom acquaintance ripened into warm friendship. Among the
latter was Mr. Samuel L. Clemens, now well known as "Mark Twain."
He was then sub-editing one of the three papers published daily in
Virginia--"The Territorial Enterprise." Artemus detected in the writings
of Mark Twain the indications of great humorous power, and strongly
advised the writer to seek a better field for his talents. Since then he has
become a well-known lecturer and author. With Mark Twain, Artemus
made a descent into the Gould and Curry Silver Mine at Virginia, the
largest mine of the kind, I believe in the world. The account of the
descent formed a long and very amusing article in the next morning's
"Enterprise." To wander about the town and note its strange
developments occupied Artemus incessantly. I was sitting writing
letters at the hotel when he came in hurriedly, and requested me to go
out with him. "Come and see some joking much better than mine," said
he. He led me to where one of Wells, Fargo & Co's express wagons
was being rapidly filled with silver bricks. Ingots of the precious metal,
each almost as large as an ordinary brick, were being thrown from one
man to another to load the wagon, just as bricks or cheeses are
transferred from hand to hand by carters in England. "Good old jokes
those, Hingston. Good, solid Babes in the Wood," observed Artemus.
Yet that evening he lectured in "Maguire's Opera House," Virginia City,
to an audience composed chiefly of miners, and the receipts were not
far short of eight hundred dollars.)
A wonderful little city--right in the heart of the famous Washoe silver
regions--the mines of which annually produce over twenty-five
millions of solid silver. This silver is melted into solid bricks--about the
size of ordinary house-bricks--and carted off to San Francisco with
mules. The roads often swarm with these silver wagons.

One hundred and seventy-five miles to the east of this place are the
Reese River Silver Mines--which are supposed to be the richest in the
world.
(Pointing to Panorama) The great American Desert in winter time--the
desert which is so frightfully gloomy always. No trees--no houses--no
people--save the miserable beings who live in wretched huts and have
charge of the horses and mules of the Overland Mail Company.
(Picture of) Plains Between Virginia City and Salt Lake, (showing a
carcass attended by various scavengers, with a building and mountains
in the distance.)
This picture is a great work of art.--It is an oil painting --done in
petroleum. It is by the Old Masters. It was the last thing they did before
dying. They did this and then they expired.
The most celebrated artists of London are so delighted with this picture
that they come to the Hall every day to gaze at it. I wish you were
nearer to it--so you could see it better. I wish I could take it to your
residences and let you see it by daylight. Some of the greatest artists in
London come here every morning before daylight with lanterns to look
at it. They say they never saw anything like it before--and they hope
they never shall again.
When I first showed this picture in New York, the audience were so
enthusiastic in their admiration of this picture that they called for the
Artist--and when he appeared they threw brickbats at him. (This portion
of the panorama was very badly painted. When the idea of having a
panorama was first entertained by Artemus, he wished to have one of
great artistic merit. Finding considerable difficulty in procuring one,
and also discovering that the expense of a real work of art would be
beyond his means, he resolved on having a very bad one or one so bad
in parts that its very badness would give him scope for jest. In the small
towns of the Western States, it passed very well for a first-class picture,
but what it was really worth in an artistic point of view its owner was
very well aware.)
(Next picture.) A bird's-eye view of Great Salt Lake City-- the strange
city in the Desert about which so much has been heard--the city of the
people who call themselves Saints.
I know there is much interest taken in these remarkable people--ladies
and gentlemen--and I have thought it better to make the purely

descriptive part of my Entertainment