December 4 Thursday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Frederick C. Harriott who had coughed up part of the $500 owing Charles W. Stoddard. For weeks Sam and William Dean Howells had been acting in Stoddard’s behalf to recover money owed from Harriott, a literary agent in Boston.
I have letters from Mr. Stoddard in which he acknowledges the receipt of your check for two hundred and fifty dollars on account. It will be a pleasure to me to report this to the publishers and editors with whom and for whom I am acting in this matter. I wish you had sent Stoddard the remaining hundred and fifty dollars and finished the incident. I think it ought to be sent to him at once, together with the three mss (“Over a Wall.” “Three Days of Grace”, and “The Tales of Two Ulsters”) then he will report to me. I am purposely saying nothing about a commission from Stoddard to you; you will concede, yourself, that a charge for your services would add but little to the gravity of the situation [MTP].
Sam also wrote to James B. Pond, who evidently had crossed a line of Sam’s.
You are making it very hard for me. Don’t do that. In my lecturing days I met my obligations toward friends and charities, and I shall never deliver another public lecture. When I do a private one it has to be in a private dwelling, and not elsewhere. There must be a pledge, on honor, that no mention shall be made of it in print, by poster, advertisement or newspaper reference; that the house shall be strictly closed against newspaper reporters; and that all possible means be used to keep the matter out of print, both before and after the lecture; finally that the tickets shall be at a good price and not a cheap one; if the audience cannot be gathered by private invitation, then there is to be no audience. I have one such engagement at present, and shall fill it; I had another but cancelled it, because I found that a newspaper man knew about it. I know that these are fiendish conditions but I can’t modify them. If you want to take a chance in them I’m your man [MTP]. Note: Sam also wrote that Livy “makes a little progress.”
William Denison McCrackan (1864-1923), leading exponent of Christian Science, wrote twice to Sam, sending Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, and “other printed matter” on Christian Science, including one by a non-believer that appeared in The Era.
“In addition to making the corrections which I left with you this morning I shall be very glad to follow your advice to write an article after your three have appeared, and I have just had a conversation with Mr. David A. Munro upon the subject. If your articles are to take book form, perhaps you will permit my article to be included” [MTP]. Note: Sam’s Dec. 5 response includes the phrase “the ms. which you left here yesterday,” denoting at least one of the letters was delivered, not mailed. Sam wrote on the first env. “Make copy of my letter (of Dec. 5) & preserve it with this / SLC / Also preserve Mr. C’s typewritten letter which he has signed in pencil”
Barbara Mullen wrote from Hannibal, Mo. to Sam. “My sophomore class of the Hannibal High School have been celebrating the anniversary of your birth by giving a recital from your works. As it is my privilege to plan these programs…I take pleasure in sending you the program and press notice….” She asked if she might have one of his pictures. Mark wrote on the top of the letter “Send her a Princeton photo” [MTP].
Sam wrote check # 435 from Lincoln Bank to American Plasmon Co. for $500, and noted “making $5,500 thus paid in on sub[scription] of $25,000” [NB 46 TS 5].