• Austria - 1897-99

    Submitted by scott on

    Mark Twain stayed in Vienna with his wife Olivia and his daughters Clara and Jean from the end of September 1897 till the end of May 1899, except for a few weeks in the summer of 1898, spent at the summer resort of Kaltenleutgeben near Vienna.

    The family took quarters in Hotel Metropole, beautifully situated on the Franz-Joseph's Quay, on the right bank of the Danube Canal.  Later they moved to the Hotel Krantz, opposite the old Capuchin Church and Monastery, in the center of the city.

  • 1897

    Submitted by scott on

    The Human is a Fool, Hypocrite & Humbug – Contract at Last
    London: “Chartless, Adrift Derelicts”– Victoria’s Jubilee – Orion Dies
    N.Y. Herald Fund – Twain’s Death an Exaggeration – Peaceful Weggis & Writing Vienna &
    “Leschy” for Clara – Stirring Times in Austria – FE Published


    1897 – Sam recorded he was paid $11,398.65 this year by the American Publishing Co and
    noted “Equator” by the entry. He estimated the Co. “cleared say $3,000” [NB 46 TS 17].

  • September 24, 1897

    Submitted by scott on

    September 24 Friday – The Clemens party spent the day in Salzburg, Austria. Sam’s notebook:

    “From the din of unpleasant church-bells it would seem that this village of 27,600 people is made up mainly of churches. Money represents labor, sweat, weariness. And that is what these useless churches have cost these people & are still costing them to support the useless priests & monks” [Dolmetsch 23: NB 42 TS 38].

    Dolmetsch writes,

  • September 25, 1897

    Submitted by scott on

    September 25 Saturday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam thanking for the $50 rec’d on Sept. 22. “Billy Claggett was here last week. He is thin and old and almost beyond recognition. His unsmiling sadness may be caused by the continued alienation from his wife and the loss of his fortune.—the latter a guess.” Orion added to the letter on Sept. 27 [MTP]. Note: William H. Claggett (1838-1901), old mining buddy of Sam’s; see Vol. I.

  • September 27, 1897

    Submitted by scott on

    September 27 Monday – Salzburg, Austria: a gray and dreary day, rain threatened. At noon the Thomas Cook agent took the Clemens party from the hotel to the train station. At 12:40 the train left the station bound for Vienna, Austria, about 185 miles away. At 7 p.m. they arrived at the Kaiserin Elisabeth Westbahnhof, the western rail terminal in Vienna. There was a steady cold, but light rain. After a search they found two porters (Droschkes) to haul party and luggage [Dolmetsch 24; Sept. 29 to Barr; NB 42 TS 39].

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