146. Grand Fete-Day at the Cliff House 19–21 December 1865
This sketch survives in the San Francisco Examiner for 23 December 1865, which reprinted it with this preface: “Interesting Display.— Mark Twain in a late letter to the Territorial Enterprise furnishes the following bill of festivities to be indulged in at the Cliff House
on Christmas day.” The sketch must have appeared in the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise sometime between December 19 and 21; the Enterprise printing has been lost.
Since the city's newspapers give no evidence of a Christmas day program at the Cliff
House, Clemens' “bill of festivities” must have been designed to satirize special
Christmas programs at the local theaters. For instance, the Metropolitan Theatre featured
actors and artists presenting ballets, songs, pantomimes, the great “Niagara Leap”
(by the acrobatic team of the Buislay Brothers), and tableaux such as “The Queen of
the Flowers” and “The Shower of Gold.”1 Clemens' various “artistes” were well known to him and to the public: most were prominent
turfmen and stable owners like Jim Eoff and Harris Covey or town characters like Michael
Reese and Emperor Norton.
Editorial Notes
1 “Amusements,” San Francisco Alta California, 24 December 1865, p. 4.
Textual Commentary
The first printing in the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, probably sometime between 19 and 21 December 1865, is not extant. The sketch survives
in the only known contemporary reprinting of the Enterprise, the San Francisco Examiner for 23 December 1865 (p. 3), which is copy-text. Copy: PH from Bancroft. There are
no textual notes or emendations.
X
[begin page 400]
Grand Fete-Day at the Cliff House
performance to commence precisely at high noon.
The following celebrated artistes have been engaged at a ruinous expense, and will perform the
following truly marvelous feats:
Pete Hopkins, the renowned Spectre of the Mountains, will walk a tight rope—the artist himself
being tighter than the rope at the time—from the Cliff House to Seal Rock, and will
ride back on the Seal known as Ben Butler, or the Seal will ride back on him, as circumstances
shall determine.
Jim EoffⒺexplanatory note will exhibit the horse Patchen, and explain why he did not win the last race.
Harris CoveyⒺexplanatory note will exhibit Lodi and Jim Barton, and
Billy WilliamsonⒺexplanatory note will favor the audience with their pedigree and sketches of their history. N.B.—This
will be very entertaining.
Jerome LelandⒺexplanatory note will exhibit the famous cow, in a circus ring prepared for the occasion, and perform
several feats of perilous cowmanship on her back.
Commodore Perry ChildsⒺexplanatory note will take a drink—the weather permitting. This was to have been done by another acrobat,
but he is out of practice, and Mr. Childs has kindly volunteered in his place.
[begin page 401]
Michael ReeseⒺexplanatory note will dance the Stock Gallopade, in which fine exhibition he will be assisted by several
prominent brokers.
After which Judge Bryan will sing two verses of “Neapolitaine”—by request.
The whole to conclude with the grand tableau of the “Children in the Wood”—Children
in the Wood: Emperor NortonⒺexplanatory note and the Spectre of the Mountains.
Explanatory Notes Grand Fete-Day at the Cliff House
ⒺJim Eoff] An excellent trainer and driver of horses. In a sensational 1863 trial he had been
acquitted of murder charges for having shot and killed William D. Chapman during a
dispute at the Willows Race Track (San Francisco Morning Call, 2 May 1863, p. 1).
ⒺHarris Covey] Co-owner of the Fashion Livery and Sale Stable on Sutter Street (Langley, Directory for 1865, p. 361).
ⒺBilly Williamson] William F. Williamson was the popular proprietor of the Bay View Park and Race Track
on San Bruno Road (Langley, Directory for 1865, p. 458).
ⒺJerome Leland] With his brother Lewis, Leland was co-proprietor of the Occidental Hotel, known
for its superior catering. The “famous cow” may have been a prize animal purchased
to feed the patrons of the Occidental.
ⒺCommodore Perry Childs] Possibly George E. Childs, bookkeeper for the Occidental (Langley, Directory for 1865, p. 117).
ⒺMichael Reese] Reese was a native of Bavaria who had come to the United States as a youth and then
to California in 1850. In spite of various financial set-backs he eventually became
one of San Francisco's wealthiest men (“Pioneer Obituaries. Michael Reese,” San José
Pioneer, 10 August 1878, p. 2). After Reese was sued for breach of contract of marriage in
February 1866, Clemens was consistently critical of his integrity (see “Michael,”
no. 177; “A San Francisco Millionaire,” no. 180; “Reflections on the Sabbath,” Golden Era 14 [18 March 1866]: 3, reprinted in WIM, pp. 39–41).
Ⓔ Emperor Norton] Joshua A. Norton, who lost his fortune in 1853 and as a result became
a likable lunatic. See the explanatory note on him for “The Lick House Ball” (no.
65).
The first printing in the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, probably sometime between 19 and 21 December 1865, is not extant. The sketch survives in the only known contemporary reprinting of the Enterprise, the San Francisco Examiner for 23 December 1865 (p. 3), which is copy-text. Copy: PH from Bancroft. There are no textual notes or emendations.