It was working on this paper where Samuel really learned how to write and discovered his talents. However by 1853, before Samuel was even eighteen years of age he was sick of his limitations at the family newspaper and decided he wanted to expand his horizons and move on to something bigger and better. He set off to various cities throughout the country seeking employment. He did odd jobs in numerous American cities such as St. Louis, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and then set back out west again.
Samuel was back living on the Mississippi River again by 1857 as he worked as a steamboat sailor on the river traveling round trip from St. Louis to New Orleans. He knew the route like the back of his hand and the entire time he worked as a sailor he did not get into one accident nor did he coast the companies he worked for a single penny worth of damage. In 1861 however the Civil War was beginning to break out with numerous southern states succeeding the Union, including Louisiana forcing his steamboat career to be put on hold. Once his steamboat career was put on hold Samuel found a job writing for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise in 1862. During his time at the Enterprise Samuel began writing his first novel, Roughing It, although it did not get published until later on. Roughing It is the story of two brothers who go on a journey and the adventures the encounter on their trip. This novel was based on a true story although a few of the details may have been a little exaggerated at times. After the writing of this book was written Samuel takes on his penname for which he is better known as, Mark Twain. Samuel Clemens then moved to California and added another profession to his arsenal, he became a professional miner, although he was not very successful at this and could barely afford to provide for himself. He left the mining town of Carson City, California and headed for San Francisco, where he got a job writing for the San Francisco Call.