Phoenixiana: Or, Sketches and BurlesquesThe first collection of sketches by the legendary California journalist and humorist George Horatio Derby (1823-1861), who came to California during the Gold Rush and quickly became a regular and popular contributor to the local newspapers. Derby wrote under several pseudonyms, including John Phoenix, John P. Squibob and Amos Butterfield, and his writings influenced both Twain and Harte, among humorists. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 25
Page 18
... becoming modesty ) as my own invention . It simply consists in placing one leg of a tripod on the initial point , and opening out the other legs as far as possible ; the distance between the legs is then measured by a two - foot rule ...
... becoming modesty ) as my own invention . It simply consists in placing one leg of a tripod on the initial point , and opening out the other legs as far as possible ; the distance between the legs is then measured by a two - foot rule ...
Page 39
... become at once an exact , precise , mathematical , truth - telling people . It will apply to every thing but politics ; there , truth being of no account , the system is useless . But in literature , how admi- rable ! Take an example ...
... become at once an exact , precise , mathematical , truth - telling people . It will apply to every thing but politics ; there , truth being of no account , the system is useless . But in literature , how admi- rable ! Take an example ...
Page 59
... becomes the morning or the evening star , but never departing quite 48 ° from the Sun. Its day is about twenty - five minutes shorter than ours ; its year seven and half months or thirty- two weeks . The diameter of Venus is 7,700 miles ...
... becomes the morning or the evening star , but never departing quite 48 ° from the Sun. Its day is about twenty - five minutes shorter than ours ; its year seven and half months or thirty- two weeks . The diameter of Venus is 7,700 miles ...
Page 71
... becomes a desideratum . It is , therefore , with pleasure I make known the following recipe , which I am assured has been tried with efficacy . Boil a quart of tar until it becomes quite thin . Remove the clothing , and before the tar ...
... becomes a desideratum . It is , therefore , with pleasure I make known the following recipe , which I am assured has been tried with efficacy . Boil a quart of tar until it becomes quite thin . Remove the clothing , and before the tar ...
Page 76
... become embarrassed by that unfortunate word " toss , " he was obliged to bring in either a hoss , or an albatross ; and preferring the bird as the more poetical , in- vented the extraordinary fact to explain his appearance . The above ...
... become embarrassed by that unfortunate word " toss , " he was obliged to bring in either a hoss , or an albatross ; and preferring the bird as the more poetical , in- vented the extraordinary fact to explain his appearance . The above ...
Common terms and phrases
admiration American appearance arrived beautiful Benicia Bogle Boötes Bowers brilliant star Brown California called Captain carpet bag cent character cloth commenced constellation crowd dollars door dress Dunshunner Earth excitement father feet gazed gentleman give Gyascutus hand head heard Heavens Hotel House idea Illustrated inhabitants inquire instant interest John Bigler JOHN PHOENIX Joseph Bowers Judge Jupiter Kearny Street lady Lectures letter literary look MARSHAL JUNOT Mary Howitt miles mind Mission of Dolores Moon morning Mudge Muggins never night observed paper passed Pike County planet Playa Plaza Poetical present readers received remarked replied route San Diego Herald San Francisco Saturn Skewball smile Society Squibob steamer story street sugar box thing tion turned Tushmaker VIRGINIA COMEDIANS vols volume wharf Whig young