January 1 Wednesday – Sam went to N.Y.C. and stopped at the Rogers’ home. He “found only one little chappy on deck,” and wrote the following day to wish the family Happy New Year [Jan. 2 to Rogers].

At 11 a.m. Sam went to Carnegie Hall where he heard Ernest Seton-Thompson (1860-1946) (Scottish born Ernest Evan Thompson; sometimes seen as Ernest Thompson Seton) noted author and wildlife artist, give a lecture, “Wild Animals I Have Known,” also the title of his book. There he met Sir Robert Stawell Ball (1840-1913), Irish, at this time Astronomer Royal of Cambridge University, England. Ball writes:

Major Pond sent me six tickets for a private box, with the intimation that the next box was to be occupied by Mark Twain! I sent five of the tickets on to the Goodbodys, and some of them turned up. I was duly introduced to Mark Twain. He is a most striking-looking man, and we had a nice little talk. I told him how fond we were of ‘Mr. Bixby’. There was a large attendance at the lecture, mostly children [Reminiscences of Sir Robert Ball (1915) p.348].

Marie Van Vorst wrote “Two Roundels” (poems) to Sam, “with the reverence and love of his guest / New Year’s Day. / 1902” [MTP].