Mark Twain and Joe Avery
For 6 generations, the Gazette Times, founded by Joe Avery, denied any link between Joseph Avery and the virulently racist and proslavery views of the Occidental Messenger. It might have been easier to pull off 'the gag' if Mark Twain's cousin wasn't a local resident, and if the Messenger's editor, Steve Gillis, had not had a brother who was Mark Twain's roommate William Gillis, on JackAss Hill at Angel's Camp (click here). Following is an account from Gold Rush Days With Mark Twain.
In the article, it may be helpful to keep in mind that the Whig Party presaged Abe Lincoln's Republicans. Mr. Lincoln was a Whig at the time. The reference to Mr. Asahel Bush's Salem Statesman incorrectly labels the Statesman a Whig newspaper. It was not. It represented the Union wing of the Democratic Party - which nominated Stephen Douglas in the election of 1860, which Mr. Lincoln won, for President. Mr. Avery supported the secessionist, proslavery wing which nominated John C. Breckinridge, for president, and Mr. Avery's sidekick Joseph Lane for vice-president, in that election.
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| The Twain cabin. The cabin
was owned by the Gillis brothers and Dick Stoker. Mark Twain stayed
there while in Angel Camp. where he wrote the Jumping Frog story. The 4
shared the cabin with a cat named Tom Quartz. Bret Harte (click here)
had also stayed in the cabin.
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Steve Goes to Oregon
When the Herald gave up the ghost in a losing fight against the Vigilance
Committee [Ed. note:click here], Steve GilIis was offered the position of editor and publisher of the Occidental’ Messenger, a newspaper published at Corvalis, Oregon.
After engaging L. P. - “Long Primer” HalL as associate editor, and Anthony Noltner, who afterward became mayor of Portland, as office boy and cook, Steve, in the early part of January, 187;, took passage on the steamship “Pacific,” and left San Francisco to take possession of the ‘‘bag of gold” which he felt sure was waiting for him at the end (If the rainbow at Corvalis.
Upon his arrival he and Hall were met by a committee of prominent Democrats whose chairman, a Mr. Avery, delivered an address of welcome, after which they were escorted to a hotel, where a fine chicken supper had been prepared. After partaking of the good things set before them, the evening was
spent in speechmaking and expressions of mutual good will
The next day Steve was taken over the town and made acquainted with the people, all of whom received him in a most friendly spirit, wishing him success and prosperity in his new undertaking. Steve now took hold of his work with great enthusiasm and energy and goon brought the Messenger to the front as one of the most ably conducted newspapers of the state. Its editorials were forcible and logical, and received favorable comment from not only the newspapers of Oregon, but the Democratic papers of California. Some of the leading articles were written by “Long Primer” Hall who, when sober, was one of the most brilliant writers on the coast, but unfortunately, he was addicted to periodical sprees and when on one of these he would perform some of the most foolish and ridiculous stunts imaginable.
One of these stunts he got oil at Virginia City -the stronghold of the Whigs - where a great Whig mass meeting was being held. Hall was sent to report the proceedings of the meetings for the Messenger, which at the beginning of the campaign had been dubbed “Avery’s Ox” by the Whig papers. Mr. Avery preceded Steve as publisher.
When the meeting was called to order it was noticed that Hall was absent from his place among the other reporters.
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| "My grandfather, Anthony Clemens, came from Missouri. He was a brother of Mark Twain's father, making my father a first cousin and me a second cousin of the noted humorist. Grandfather Clemens brought his family to Lane County in the 'forties. My father's name was Thomas and he had a brother, Henry. Both took part in the expedition against the Indians following the Whitman massacre (Ed. note: click here). Henry was a scout. With two companions he was surprised by a stronger party of Indians, somewhere in the country beyond Pendleton. Uncle Henry's horse was killed under him, but he saved himself by using it for a breastwork. His two friends were killed but he killed so many of the Indians that the rest withdrew. He secured his saddle from the dead horse and escaped on foot back to the regiment." - Alfred Clemens Corvallis area pioneer, and father of the founder of the Clemens trust. |
The principal speaker had been introduced and was in the midst of his highest oratorical flights with the crowd tensely listening, when Hall, with a big cowbell strapped around his neck, came charging among them, yelling at the top of his voice, “Here comes Avery’s ox! Get out of my way, you
ornery lot of Whigs, or I’ll trample every last one of you into the ground.”
Shouldering his way to the front he mounted the speaker’s stand, where he continued his wild antics, stamping up and down the platform, shaking his great shaggy head, ringing his bell and bellowing his threats against the Whigs until, amidst a storm of yells and hisses, he was gathered in by a couple of huskies, and rushed howling and kicking to the
cellar, where he was locked in until the next morning.
This was a number not down on the program, but a most effective one. It not only ended the meeting, but placed a club in the hands of the Whigs with which they belabored the Democrats throughout the state during the campaign.
This “wild bull” run of Hall’s caused Steve great anger and humiliation and came near ending all relations between him and “Long Primer,” but upon the latter’s solemn promise to quit drink
altogether, his escapade at Virginia City was overlooked
and things went on as before.
Hall was a great lover of coffee, but he wanted it strong. He made poor Tony’s life miserable by continually complaining of the dishwater he was giving him to drink. ‘‘Now,
Steve!” said he, ‘‘1 am perfectly willing to let whisky alone if I have good, strong coffee to drink. When I have that I don’t want whisky, but the kind of stuff Tony is making don’t suit me at all. I wish you would tell him to put more coffee and less water in it.
Steve promised to do so. Now, at that time, Steve used neither tea nor coffee, so he concluded to play a joke on HaIl. Going to a store, he bought a plug of Black Strap tobacco, and going into the kitchen the next morning, where Tony was
preparing breakfast, he put the whole plug into the coffee which was boiling on the stove.
While ‘Fony was pouring the coffee, Hall was narrowly watching him, and something in the
appearance of the coffee seemed to please him. Raising the cup to his lips, he took a swallow, then with a satisfied smile, emptied the cup at a single draught. Handing his cup hack to
Tony, he delightfully exclaimed, ‘‘By gum, Tony, my boy, you’ve struck it this time, sure. Now that’s what I call good coffee
it’s the real thing, you bet, Fill ‘er up again, ‘Tony, fill ‘er up.” After drinking four cups of this delectable concoction Hall rose from the table with a happy smile overspreading his face and went to his sanctum and wrote one of the finest articles on the topics of the day that ever came from his pen.
But, oh, how different it was with poor Tony! After drinking less than half a cup of the vile
mixture, he arose from the table and staggered out of the room, a very sick boy, and lay down under a fig tree in the yard, where he stayed all that day, so sick and miserable that he wanted to die. For the next two days Tony was in such a weakened condition that he never left his bed and Steve had to take his place as cook and “devil.” At breakfast the next morning after Hall
had drunk the good coffee, he turned to Steve and said, “This is fairly good coffee, Steve, but, great Scott! it ain’t a patching to that of Tony’s
yesterday morning. That was the most delicious coffee that I ever drank.”
Steve continued publication of the Messenger until the end of the year, when, finding that it had not been a financial success, and having no hope of improvement ahead, (1u1t and
went back to his job oii the A/ta in San Francisco. Steve had made very many friends during his stay in Oregon. He was
such a manly and friendly young fellow, so willing to help and do an act of kindness, so ready to cheer and comfort all those needing cheer and comfort, that he won the
hearts of all with whom he came in contact. His course had been so clean and dignified as a newspaper man that even the writers who had
opposed the principles he advocated expressed their regret that he was leaving Oregon, one Whig paper in Portland offering him a place on its editorial staff.
from Gold Rush Days With Mark Twain
Albert and Charles Boni New York Illustrated by Henry Glintenkamp (click here)