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.
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.
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.