mark twain, a biography, 1907-1910-第43节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


residing　with　his　family　in　the　old　log…house　just　at　the　edge　of　the
great　pine　forest　which　lies　between　Empire　City　and　Dutch　Nick's。　　The
family　consisted　of　nine　childrenfive　girls　and　four　boysthe　oldest
of　the　group；　Mary；　being　nineteen　years　old；　and　the　youngest；　Tommy；
about　a　year　and　a　half。　　Twice　in　the　past　two　months　Mrs。　Hopkins；
while　visiting　Carson；　expressed　fears　concerning　the　sanity　of　her
husband；　remarking　that　of　late　he　had　been　subject　to　fits　of　violence；
and　that　during　the　prevalence　of　one　of　these　he　had　threatened　to　take
her　life。　　It　was　Mrs。　Hopkins's　misfortune　to　be　given　to　exaggeration；
however；　and　but　little　attention　was　given　to　what　she　said。

About　10　o'clock　on　Monday　evening　Hopkins　dashed　into　Carson　on
horseback；　with　his　throat　cut　from　ear　to　ear；　and　bearing　in　his　hand　a
reeking　scalp；　from　which　the　warm；　smoking　blood　was　still　dripping；　and
fell　in　a　dying　condition　in　front　of　the　Magnolia　saloon。　　Hopkins
expired；　in　the　course　of　five　minutes；　without　speaking。　　The　long；　red
hair　of　the　scalp　he　bore　marked　it　as　that　of　Mrs。　Hopkins。　　A　number　of
citizens；　headed　by　Sheriff　Gasherie；　mounted　at　once　and　rode　down　to
Hopkins's　house；　where　a　ghastly　scene　met　their　eyes。　　The　scalpless
corpse　of　Mrs。　Hopkins　lay　across　the　threshold；　with　her　head　split　open
and　her　right　hand　almost　severed　from　the　wrist。　　Near　her　lay　the　ax
with　which　the　murderous　deed　had　been　committed。　　In　one　of　the　bedrooms
six　of　the　children　were　found；　one　in　bed　and　the　others　scattered　about
the　floor。　　They　were　all　dead。　　Their　brains　had　evidently　been　dashed
out　with　a　club；　and　every　mark　about　them　seemed　to　have　been　made　with
a　blunt　instrument。　　The　children　must　have　struggled　hard　for　their
lives；　as　articles　of　clothing　and　broken　furniture　were　strewn　about　the
room　in　the　utmost　confusion。　　Julia　and　Emma；　aged　respectively　fourteen
and　seventeen；　were　found　in　the　kitchen；　bruised　and　insensible；　but　it
is　thought　their　recovery　is　possible。　　The　eldest　girl；　Mary；　must　have
sought　refuge；　in　her　terror；　in　the　garret；　as　her　body　was　found　there
frightfully　mutilated；　and　the　knife　with　which　her　wounds　had　been
inflicted　still　sticking　in　her　side。　　The　two　girls　Julia　and　Emma；　who
had　recovered　sufficiently　to　be　able　to　talk　yesterday　morning；　declare
that　their　father　knocked　them　down　with　a　billet　of　wood　and　stamped　on
them。　　They　think　they　were　the　first　attacked。　　They　further　state　that
Hopkins　had　shown　evidence　of　derangement　all　day；　but　had　exhibited　no
violence。　　He　flew　into　a　passion　and　attempted　to　murder　them　because
they　advised　him　to　go　to　bed　and　compose　his　mind。

Curry　says　Hopkins　was　about　forty…two　years　of　age；　and　a　native　of
western　Pennsylvania；　he　was　always　affable　and　polite；　and　until　very
recently　no　one　had　ever　heard　of　his　ill…treating　his　family。　　He　had
been　a　heavy　owner　in　the　best　mines　of　Virginia　and　Gold　Hill；　but　when
the　San　Francisco　papers　exposed　our　game　of　cooking　dividends　in　order
to　bolster　up　our　stocks　he　grew　afraid　and　sold　out；　and　invested　an
immense　amount　in　the　Spring　Valley　Water　Company；　of　San　Francisco。　　He
was　advised　to　do　this　by　a　relative　of　his；　one　of　the　editors　of　the
San　Francisco　Bulletin；　who　had　suffered　pecuniarily　by　the　dividend…
cooking　system　as　applied　to　the　Daney　Mining　Company　recently。　　Hopkins
had　not　long　ceased　to　own　in　the　various　claims　on　the　Comstock　lead；
however；　when　several　dividends　were　cooked　on　his　newly　acquired
property；　their　water　totally　dried　up；　and　Spring　Valley　stock　went　down
to　nothing。　　It　is　presumed　that　this　misfortune　drove　him　mad；　and
resulted　in　his　killing　himself　and　the　greater　portion　of　his　family。　
The　newspapers　of　San　Francisco　permitted　this　water　company　to　go　on
borrowing　money　and　cooking　dividends；　under　cover　of　which　the　cunning
financiers　crept　out　of　the　tottering　concern；　leaving　the　crash　to　come
upon　poor　and　unsuspecting　stockholders；　without　offering　to　expose　the
villainy　at　work。　　We　hope　the　fearful　massacre　detailed　above　may　prove
the　saddest　result　of　their　silence。



II

NEWS…GATHERING　WITH　MARK　TWAIN

Alfred　Doten's　son　gives　the　following　account　of　a　reporting　trip　made
by　his　father　and　Mark　Twain；　when　the　two　were　on　Comstock　papers：

My　father　and　Mark　Twain　were　once　detailed　to　go　over　to　Como　and　write
up　some　new　mines　that　had　been　discovered　over　there。　　My　father　was　on
the　Gold　Hill　News。　　He　and　Mark　had　not　met　before；　but　became　promptly
acquainted；　and　were　soon　calling　each　other　by　their　first　names。

They　went　to　a　little　hotel　at　Carson；　agreeing　to　do　their　work　there
together　next　morning。　　When　morning　came　they　set　out；　and　suddenly　on　a
corner　Mark　stopped　and　turned　to　my　father；　saying：

〃By　gracious；　Alf！　　Isn't　that　a　brewery？〃

〃It　is；　Mark。　　Let's　go　in。〃

They　did　so；　and　remained　there　all　day；　swapping　yarns；　sipping　beer；
and　lunching；　going　back　to　the　hotel　that　night。

The　next　morning　precisely　the　same　thing　occurred。　　When　they　were　on
the　same　corner；　Mark　stopped　as　if　he　had　never　been　there　before；　and
sand：

〃Good　gracious；　Alf　！　　Isn't　that　a　brewery？〃

〃It　is；　Mark。　　Let's　go　in。〃

So　again　they　went　in；　and　again　stayed　all　day。

This　happened　again　the　next　morning；　and　the　next。　　Then　my　father
became　uneasy。　　A　letter　had　come　from　Gold　Hill；　asking　him　where　his
report　of　the　mines　was。　　They　agreed　that　next　morning　they　would　really
begin　the　story；　that　they　would　climb　to　the　top　of　a　hill　that
overlooked　the　mines；　and　write　it　from　there。

But　the　next　morning；　as　before；　Mark　was　surprised　to　discover　the
brewery；　and　once　more　they　went　in。　　A　few　moments　later；　however；　a　man
who　knew　all　about　the　minesa　mining　engineer　connected　with　themcame
in。　　He　was　a　godsend。　　My　father　set　down　a　valuable；　informing　story；
while　Mark　got　a　lot　of　entertaining　mining　yarns　out　of　him。

Next　day　Virginia　City　and　Gold　Hill　were　gaining　information　from　my
father's　article；　and　entertainment　from　Mark's　story　of　the　mines。




APPENDIX　D

FROM　MARK　TWAIN'S　FIRST　LECTURE；　DELIVERED　OCTOBER　2；　1866

（See　Chapter　liv）

HAWAIIAN　IMPORTANCE　TO　AMERICA

After　a　full　elucidation　of　the　sugar　industry　of　the　Sandwich　Islands；
its　profits　and　possibilities；　he　said：

I　have　dwelt　upon　this　subject　to　show　you　that　these　islands　have　a
genuine　importance　to　Americaan　importance　which　is　not　generally
appreciated　by　our　citizens。　　They　pay　revenues　into　the　United　States
Treasury　now　amounting　to　over　a　half　a　million　a　year。

I　do　not　know　what　the　sugar　yield　of　the　world　is　now；　but　ten　years
ago；　according　to　the　Patent　Office　reports；　it　was　800；000　hogsheads。　
The　Sandwich　Islands；　properly　cultivated　by　go…ahead　Americans；　are
capable　of　providing　one…third　as　much　themselves。　　With　the　Pacific
Railroad　built；　the　great　China　Mail　Line　of　steamers　touching　at
Honoluluwe　could　stock　the　islands　with　Americans　and　supply　a　third　of
the　civilized　world　with　sugarand　with　the　silkiest；　longest…stapled
cotton　this　side　of　the　Sea　Islands；　and　the　very　best　quality　of　rice
。。。。　　The　property　has　got　to　fall　to　some　heir；　and　why　not　the　United
States？


NATIVE　PASSION　FOR　FUNERALS

They　are　very　fond　of　funerals。　　Big　funerals　are　their　main　weakness。　
Fine　grave　clothes；　fine　funeral　appointments；　and　a　long　procession　are
things　they　take　a　generous　delight　in。　　They　are　fond　of　their　chief　and
their　king；　they　reverence　them　with　a　genuine　reverence　and　love　them
with　a　warm　affection；　and　often　look　forward　to　the　happiness　they　will
experience　in　burying　them。　　They　will　beg；　borrow；　or　steal　money
enough；　and　flock　from　all　the　islands；　to　be　present　at　a　royal　funeral
on　Oahu。　　Years　ago　a　Kanaka　and　his　wife　were　condemned　to　be　hanged　for
murder。　　They　received　the　sentence　with　manifest　satisfaction　because　it
gave　an　opening　for　a　funeral；　you　know。　　All　they　care　for　is　a　funeral。　
It　makes　but　little　difference　to　them　whose　it　is；　they　would　as　soon
attend　their　own　funeral　as　anybody　else's。　　This　couple　were　people　of
consequence；　and　had　landed　estates。　　They　sold　every　foot　of　ground　they
had　and　laid　it　out　in　fine　clothes　to　be　hung　in。　　And　the　woman
appeared　on　the　scaffold　in　a　white　satin　dress　and　slippers　and　fathoms
of　gaudy　ribbon；　and　the　man　was　arrayed　in　a　gorgeous　vest；　blue　claw…
hammer　coat　and　brass　buttons；　and　white　kid　gloves。　　As　the　noose　was
adjusted　around　his　neck；　he　blew　his　nose　with　a　grand　theatrical
flourish；　so　as　to　show　his　embroidered　white　handkerchief。　　I　never；
never　knew　of　a　couple　who　enjoyed　hanging　more　than　they　did。



VIEW　FROM　HALEAKALA

It　is　a　solemn　pleasure　to　stand　upon　the　summit　of　the　extinct　crater　of
Haleakala；　ten　thousand　feet　above　the　sea；　and　gaze　down　into　its　awful
crater；　27　miles　in　circumference　and　ago　feet　deep；　and　to　picture　to
yourself　the　seething　world　of　fire　that　once　swept　up　out　of　the
tremendous　abyss　ages　ago。

The　prodigious　funnel　is　dead　and　silent　now；　and　even　has　bushes　growing
far　down　in　its　bottom