MARK TWAIN IN THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC CHRONICLE
1865
[EDITOR'S NOTE: These items have not been previously republished elsewhere. They are included in this collection because of their potential to be the work of Clemens and are deserving of further research and consideration. The item "A Shameful Outrage" refers to the Macdougall and Maguire fight which Clemens wrote about in two letters to the Enterprise -- one dated December 20, 1865; the other contained a poem about the incident. The item titled "Oppressed" refers to the budding career of writer Prentice Mulford who wrote under the pseudonym "Dogberry." Clemens later came to know Mulford personally.]
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A SHAMEFUL OUTRAGE
The brutal assault upon Professor Macdougall, perpetrated yesterday by a notorious theatrical manager in this city, is one of those outrages that call for exemplary punishment in a civilized community. The ruffian who made the assault has so long enjoyed the privilege of venting his brutal passions upon all who incur his displeasure, that, that he has come to consider it his right to insult, bully, beat and maim any person who dares cross his path or interfere with his interests. If this is indeed a civilized community -- if we live under the protection of law -- if our courts and judges possess any dignity and any power, it is time that outrages of this character should be punished with sufficient severity to prevent their repetition.
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OPPRESSED
The Era's "Dogberry" entered upon his literary career styling himself a "Condensed Novelist;" in Sunday's issue he writes himself "The Era's Oppressed Novelist." Unless he enters upon a rigorous course of literary-moral reform, he ought speedily to become "a suppressed novelist." But in truth we begin to have hoped of "Dogberry." His "Biography of Barney McBrian, the Shootist," is funny; and is not plagiarised, so far, at least, as we are aware. Nevertheless, "Dogberry" must expect to have his good things viewed with a grain or so of suspicion, until he has given satisfactory evidence of thorough reformation.
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[transcribed from microfilm]
