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. |
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Page 7
... volume hastily for the press , he has done the best he could in the premises ; and only begs that the sin of omission or of commission that may be observable in these pages , should not be visited upon the head of the Author . SAN DIEGO ...
... volume hastily for the press , he has done the best he could in the premises ; and only begs that the sin of omission or of commission that may be observable in these pages , should not be visited upon the head of the Author . SAN DIEGO ...
Page 33
... volume . If I meet Smith in the street , and ask him — as I am pretty sure to do " How he does ? " he infallibly replies- " Tolerable , thank you " --which gives me no exact idea of Smith's health - for he has made the same reply to me ...
... volume . If I meet Smith in the street , and ask him — as I am pretty sure to do " How he does ? " he infallibly replies- " Tolerable , thank you " --which gives me no exact idea of Smith's health - for he has made the same reply to me ...
Page 40
... volumes , or forty - eight chapters of thril- ling interest , how the young man sought the girl's acquaint- ance , how the interest first excited , deepened into love , how they suffered much from the opposition of parents ( her parents ...
... volumes , or forty - eight chapters of thril- ling interest , how the young man sought the girl's acquaint- ance , how the interest first excited , deepened into love , how they suffered much from the opposition of parents ( her parents ...
Page 56
... volume of matter equal to fourteen hundred thousand globes of the size of the Earth , which is certainly a matter of no small importance . Through the telescope it appears like an enormous globe of fire , with many spots upon its ...
... volume of matter equal to fourteen hundred thousand globes of the size of the Earth , which is certainly a matter of no small importance . Through the telescope it appears like an enormous globe of fire , with many spots upon its ...
Page 103
... Volumes could not have said more . WANTED - By the subscriber , a serious young man , with fixed principles of integrity and sobriety , to make beds , sweep a room , black boots and bring water . For a youth of religious.principles , to ...
... Volumes could not have said more . WANTED - By the subscriber , a serious young man , with fixed principles of integrity and sobriety , to make beds , sweep a room , black boots and bring water . For a youth of religious.principles , to ...
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Common terms and phrases
admiration American appearance arrived beautiful Benicia Bogle Boötes Bowers brilliant star Brown California called Captain carpet bag cent cloth constellation crowd delight dollars door dress Dunshunner Earth excitement father feet gazed gentleman give Gyascutus hand head heard Heavens Hotel House idea Illustrated inhabitants inquire instant interest Jerry Goldsmith John Bigler JOHN PHOENIX Joseph Bowers Judge Jupiter Kearny Street lady Lectures letter light literary look MARSHAL JUNOT Mary Howitt miles mind Mission of Dolores Moon morning Mudge Muggins never night observed paper passed PHOENIX 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 vols volume wharf young
Popular passages
Page 113 - Archangel: but his face Deep scars of thunder had intrenched, and care Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows Of dauntless courage, and considerate* pride Waiting revenge.
Page 195 - O Woman ! in our hours of ease, Uncertain, coy, and hard to please, And variable as the shade By the light quivering aspen made, When pain and anguish wring the brow, A ministering angel thou ! — Scarce were the piteous accents said, When, with the Baron's casque, the maid To the nigh streamlet ran.
Page 26 - OLD Mother Hubbard Went to the cupboard, To get her poor dog a bone: But when she got there The cupboard was bare, And so the poor dog had none.
Page 114 - We rose, and with an unfaltering voice said: "Well, Judge, how do you do?" He made no reply, but commenced taking off his coat. We removed ours, also our cravat. ******** ******** The sixth and last round, is described by the pressman and compositors, as having been fearfully scientific. We held "the Judge" down over the Press by our nose (which we had inserted between his teeth for that purpose), and while our hair was employed in holding one of his hands, we held the other in our left, and with...
Page 86 - How sharper than a serpent's thanks it is to have a toothless child," as Pope beautifully remarks in his Paradise Lost. One individual characterized my letter as
Page 48 - ... and the final repulse, the Pi Utahs being routed after a loss of thirtysix killed and wounded, while the Pikes lose but one scalp (from an old fellow who wore a wig, and lost it in the scuffle), are faithfully given, and excite the most intense interest in the minds of the hearers; the emotions of fear, admiration and delight: succeeding each other, in their minds, with almost painful rapidity. Then follows the grand chorus: "Oh! we gin them fits, The Ingen Utahs. With our six-shooters — We...
Page 26 - ... took root, and in a few weeks grew to the prodigious height of thirty feet, and still preserving its proportions and characteristic appearance, extended in each direction, until it covered a space of ground some forty by twenty feet in measurement. " This singular phenomenon was taken advantage of by the proprietors ; doors and windows were cut in the wardrobe, a chimney erected, and it now answers every purpose of an addition to the original cottage, being two stories in height! This...
Page 75 - Ligeia! Ligeia! My beautiful one! Whose harshest idea Will to melody run, O! is it thy will On the breezes to toss? Or, capriciously still, Like the lone Albatross, Incumbent on night (As she on the air) To keep watch with delight On the harmony there?
Page 46 - Gradually the sounds roll forth in a song" of rejoicing to the God of Day. " Of thy intensity And great immensity Now then we sing ; Beholding in gratitude Thee in this latitude, Curious thing.* Which swells out into " Hey Jim along, Jim along Josey," then decrescendo, mas o menos, poco pocita, dies away and dries up.
Page 119 - ... exertion, on our part, individually, we are at length able to present to the public an Illustrated publication of unprecedented merit, containing engravings of exceeding costliness and rare beauty of design, got up on an expensive scale, which never has been attempted before, in this or any other country. We furnish our readers this week with the first number, merely premising that the immense expense attending its issue, will require a corresponding liberality of patronage on the part of the...