Captain Burton's "City of the Saints" is not heavily noticed in California. The Sacramento Daily Union, the California paper that was most read in western Nevada Territory in those years, carried a three-fourths column outtake from the book in the February 28, 1862 issue, and two months later (April 19) refers to having already carried a review of the book. It is quoted a few times in correspondence from Salt Lake City to the Union, but I don't find it gaining much notice in the Union, and none in any of the other papers on the California Digital Newspaper Collection mention it. At that time Sam was restless in Carson City, having been to Unionville and about to go to Aurora. Looking at the record, little appears which would suggest how Sam passed those days. There was widespread regional flooding from a deluge in mid January and another serious storm a month later. The trial of William Mayfield for killing the Sheriff was a big deal, and then Mayfield escaped in March for more big news. Mostly, the news is just routine. Burton's book was doubtless in the local bookstore located next door to the old Ormsby House, I can only suggest Sam did have time to read, and as Gribben suggests, a time for mining dreams and talk. Stock in the better Comstock mines a few miles east of Carson City was expensive: Ophir at $1,250 and Gould and Curry at $500. In a message dated 10/23/2023 11:09:10 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
Sigh, with just a bit of research in Alan Gribben's astounding reference
volume I found Richard E. Burton, son of Nathaniel Judson Burton. And,
following that is an entry for Richard Francis Burton: "Personal
Narrative of a Pilgrimage to El-Medinah and Mecca" reportedly signed by
Clemens. I still wonder why Sam was apparently unaware of Burton's
"City of the Saints" first published in the US by Harper and Brothers in
1862.
On 10/9/23 15:14, Scott Holmes wrote:
> There is an entry in Day By Day for May 17, 1788 that has me
> puzzled:*May 17 Thursday* – *Frederick J. Hall** for Webster &
> Co.* wrote to Sam: “Your favor received, also the watch. We will pay
> the Burton bill, the bill for composition and electrotyping on the
> Burton book, and also send you invoice for the watch. We have
> forwarded a copy of ‘The Library of Humor’.” Other finances were
> discussed [MTP]. /Note/: *Richard E. Burton*.
>
> Who is this Burton and what book did he write? This cannot be Richard
> F. Burton, who figures so much in my treatment of Sam Clemens' travels
> to Carson City.
--
/Unaffiliated Geographer and Twain aficionado/
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