2?–7 February 1867 • New York, N.Y. (Paraphrase: San Francisco Alta California, 15 Mar 67, UCCL 11464)
Californian Authors.—In a private letter to the Alta, “Mark Twain” says he has compiled a volume of his sketches for publication, but will get some literary friend to look it over before giving it to Carleton, the publisher. “Mark” says Carleton has in press a volume of Bret Harte’s “Condensed Novels,” which will be issued shortly.1explanatory note
‘The “private letter to the Alta” was surely to John McComb (1829–96), who, after working as foreman on the Alta for many years, had recently become its “supervising editor” as well as one of its four owners. He was largely responsible for getting Mark Twain his current assignment as the newspaper’s “special travelling correspondent,” and for some time had been a consistent champion of Mark Twain’s literary ambitions, specifically his ambition to publish a book. “If you don’t like the treadmill work of a newspaper man,” he reportedly said in 1864, “strike up higher; write sketches, write a book; you’ll find a market for your stuff” (Langley 1862, 263; Langley 1867, 329; “The Alta California,” Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, 4 Nov 66, 2; Brooks 1902, 225; SLC 1867 [bib10889]; ET&S1 , 28). In the Alta’s review of Mark Twain’s second San Francisco lecture, it was probably McComb who wrote, in part:
If he would only commit to paper, for publication, the passage descriptive of the scene from the peak overlooking the crater his reputation as a “fine writer” would jostle his eminent renown as a humorist. In his promised book on the Sandwich Islands we shall eagerly look for these and other bursts of eloquence. (“Mark Twain’s Lecture,” 17 Nov 66, 1)
This letter (like the previous one) repeated news also found in Mark Twain’s Alta dispatch of 2 February, namely that “Bret Harte’s capital Condensed Novels are in press here.” Although probably written on or about that date, it might have been written as late as 7 February, which would have left Clemens just enough time to show his compilation to “some literary friend” and to meet with George Carleton about publishing it, since Carleton himself left New York for Havana on 9 February (SLC 1867 [bib10895]; “Passengers Sailed,” New York Times, 10 Feb 67, 8). Clemens’s statement that he had “compiled a volume” of sketches refers to the rough printer’s copy for what soon became the Jumping Frog book. It is his only known admission that he himself played a part in producing that book, which he elsewhere said or implied was compiled and edited exclusively by Webb: “I have made no suggestions” (SLC 1867 [bib10904]; see also SLC 1867 [bib10905]). The “literary friend” alluded to here might be Edward House, but is much more likely to be Webb. According to Clemens, it was Webb who made “an appointment for me with Carleton,” his own publisher. In 1876 Clemens told a friend that “Carleton insulted me in Feb, 1867” when he rejected the Jumping Frog book (AD, 21 May 1906, CU-MARK, in MTE , 144; SLC to William D. Howells, 26 Apr 76click to open letter, NN-B, in MTHL , 1:132). Many years later still, in 1906, he described, with undiminished bitterness, the encounter in Carleton’s offices at 499 Broadway. He recalled that he “meekly asked [the clerk] the privilege of a word with Mr. Carleton, and was coldly informed that he was in his private office.” When Clemens was finally allowed to enter this inner sanctum, Carleton “rose and said brusquely and aggressively, ‘Well, what can I do for you?’”
I reminded him that I was there by appointment to offer him my book for publication. He began to swell, and went on swelling and swelling and swelling until he had reached the dimensions of a god of about the second or third degree. Then the fountains of his great deep were broken up, and for two or three minutes I couldn’t see him for the rain. It was words, only words, but they fell so densely that they darkened the atmosphere. Finally he made an imposing sweep with his right hand which comprehended the whole room and said, “Books—look at those shelves. Every one of them is loaded with books that are waiting for publication. Do I want any more? Excuse me, I don’t. Good morning.” (AD, 21 May 1906, CU-MARK, in MTE , 144–45)
Carleton’s memory of this exchange was less detailed, for obvious reasons, but just as lasting. William W. Ellsworth reported in 1919 that one of Carleton’s “stories was that Mark Twain came into his store and offered him the manuscript of ‘The Jumping Frog’ and that he declined it ‘because the author looked so disreputable’” (Ellsworth, 222). But in 1906 Mark Twain recalled that some years after his original offense, Carleton called on him,
shook hands cordially, and said at once, without any preliminaries, “I am substantially an obscure person, but I have a couple of such colossal distinctions to my credit that I am entitled to immortality—to wit: I refused a book of yours, and for this I stand without competitor as the prize ass of the nineteenth century.”
Calling it “a most handsome apology,” Mark Twain acknowledged that as “a long delayed revenge” it was still “sweeter to me than any other that could be devised” (AD, 21 May 1906, CU-MARK, in MTE , 145). Bret Harte’s Condensed Novels. And Other Papers, although “in press” as early as February, was not announced by Carleton until June, and not published until October (advertisement, American Literary Gazette and Publishers’ Circular 9 [1 June 67]: 87; “New Publications,” Boston Evening Transcript, 4 Oct 67, 2).
Paraphrase, probably written by McComb, “Californian Authors,” San Francisco Alta California, 15 Mar 67, 1.
L2 , 12–14; “Californian Authors,” Californian 6 (16 Mar 67): 4, which reprints the copy-text.
The original letter is not known to survive.