Chapters 22-23 Summary

Twain opens Chapter 22 with a letter from an old friend from his silver mining days. One of the things Twain liked about this man, Higbie, was his poor spelling. Twain says good spelling is not an accomplishment; it is a talent one is born with or not.

Higbie was the first person to use Twain's creative scheme to help the unemployed get work. Twain sent him to volunteer his labor, and within weeks Higbie was a highly paid worker as a result of the bidding that broke out among various foremen. Twain says he never did apply this scheme himself. He didn't need a job as long as Higbie had one.

In Chapter 23, Twain discusses dueling. It was both fashionable and illegal in Nevada. Twain had no desire to fight a duel, but there were frequent duels between representatives of rival...