Those were primitive times. Imagine a passenger in these
easy-going days calling to a driver or conductor to “Strike
that bell!”
“H--l” is his abbreviation for Hannibal. He had first used
it in a title of a poem which a few years before, during one
of Orion's absences, he had published in the paper. “To
Mary in Hannibal” was too long to set as a display head in
single column. The poem had no great merit, but under the
abbreviated title it could hardly fail to invite notice. It
was one of several things he did to liven up the circulation
during a brief period of his authority.
The doubtful money he mentions was the paper issued by
private banks, “wild cat,” as it was called. He had been
paid with it in New York, and found it usually at a
discount--sometimes even worthless. Wages and money were
both better in Philadelphia, but the fund for his mother's
trip to Kentucky apparently did not grow very rapidly.
The next letter, written a month later, is also to Orion
Clemens, who had now moved to Muscatine, Iowa, and
established there a new paper with an old title, 'The
Journal'.
To Orion Clemens, in Muscatine, Iowa:
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 28th, 1853.
MY DEAR BROTHER,--I received your letter today. I think Ma ought to
spend the winter in St. Louis. I don't believe in that climate--it's too
cold for her.
The printers' annual ball and supper came off the other night. The
proceeds amounted to about $1,000. The printers, as well as other
people, are endeavoring to raise money to erect a monument to Franklin,
but there are so many abominable foreigners here (and among printers,
too,) who hate everything American, that I am very certain as much money
for such a purpose could be raised in St. Louis, as in Philadelphia.
I was in Franklin's old office this morning--the “North American”
(formerly “Philadelphia Gazette”) and there was at least one foreigner
for every American at work there.
How many subscribers has the Journal got? What does the job-work pay?
and what does the whole concern pay?...
I will try to write for the paper occasionally, but I fear my letters
will be very uninteresting, for this incessant night-work dulls one's
ideas amazingly.
From some cause, I cannot set type nearly so fast as when I was at home.
Sunday is a long day, and while others set 12 and 15,000, yesterday,
I only set 10,000. However, I will shake this laziness off, soon, I
reckon....
How do you like “free-soil?”--I would like amazingly to see a good
old-fashioned negro.