April 25 Saturday – The New York Times, p. 11:
Mark Twain Leases His House.
The property of Samuel Clemens, (“Mark Twain,”) on Benedict Avenue, Tarrytown, consisting of a dwelling, stables, and about eighteen acres of land, has been leased to Charles A. Gardiner, attorney for the Manhattan Railway Company. Although Mr. Clemens bought the property about a year ago, he has never lived there, but has continued to make the Appleton place, at Riverdale, his home.
Frank Bliss wrote to Sam.
I return here with Anderson’s letter. I have written him that we have arranged for the book and would probably issue it in the fall.
All right, I will come up and see you some day getting the Galley proofs.
Well, the Harpers have finally jumped on us; served the papers on us yesterday for a Replevin Suit to take the plates away from us. The sheriff is now hunting for the plates & I think he will have a good hunt. $8000 damages claimed; trial set for early in June.
[MTP]. Note: this arrived late, on Apr. 28; Sam answered then. He wrote on the env. “War declared!”
Frederick A. Duneka wrote to Sam.
I can not thank you sufficiently for that exquisite story of the mother dog and her puppy. It is everything that a short story should be….Your collected set of 22 volumes is being offered all around about at greatly reduced rates, and incidentally in violation of the American Publishing Company’s contract with us. It is a bad thing for the set themselves and I am trying to stop it. I don’t mean to bother you about it and only mention the matter as something you might care to talk over later [MTP]. Note: Duneka also enclosed a check, amount unspecified.