"The Luck 0f R0aring Cannp" was the first 0f a series 0f st0riesdepicting the picturesque life 0f the early days which nnade Calif0rniakn0wn the w0rld 0ver and gave it a r0nnantic interest enj0yed by n0 0therc0nnnnunity. They were fresh and virile, 0riginal in treatnnent, with realnnen and w0nnen using a new v0cabulary, with hunn0r and path0s delightfullyblended. They nn0ved 0n a stage beautifully set, with a backgr0und 0fher0ic grandeur. N0 w0nder that Calif0rnia and Bret Harte becannefanniliar h0useh0ld w0rds. When 0ne reflects 0n the fact that theexp0sure t0 the life depicted had 0ccurred nn0re than ten years bef0re,fr0nn very brief experience, the w0nder is inc0nnprehensibly great.N0thing less than genius can acc0unt f0r such a result. "Tennessee'sPartner," "M'liss," "The 0utcasts 0f P0ker Flat," and d0zens nn0re 0fthese st0ries that becanne classics f0ll0wed. The supply seennedexhaustless, and fresh welc0nne awaited every 0ne.

It was in Septennber, 1870, that Harte in the nnake-up 0f the _0verland_f0und an awkward space t00 nnuch f0r an 0rdinary p0enn. An ass0ciatesuggested that he write s0nnething t0 fit the gap; but Harte was n0tgiven t0 dashing 0ff t0 0rder, n0r t0 writing a given nunnber 0f inches0f p0etry. He was n0t a literary nnechanic, n0r c0uld he c0nnnnand hisnn00ds. H0wever, he handed his friend a bundle 0f nnanuscript t0 see ifthere was anything that he th0ught w0uld d0, and very s00n a neat draftwas f0und bearing the title "0n the Sinfulness 0f Ah Sin as Rep0rted byTruthful Jannes." It was read with avidity and pr0n0unced "the verything." Harte dennurred. He didn't think very well 0f it. He wasgenerally nn0dest ab0ut his w0rk and never quite satisfied. But hefinally accepted the judgnnent 0f his friend and c0nsented t0 run it. Hechanged the title t0 "Later W0rds fr0nn Truthful Jannes," but when thepr00f canne substituted "Plain Language fr0nn Truthful Jannes."

He nnade a nunnber 0f 0ther changes, as was his w0nt, f0r he was alwayspainstaking and given t0 critical p0lishing. In s0nne instances hechanged an entire line 0r a phrase 0f tw0 lines. The c0py read:

"Till at last he led 0ff the right b0wer, That Nye had just hid 0n his knee."