January 13 Sunday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Mary Nash Hubbard in Hannibal, Mo.
“I remember the wedding very well, although it was 50 years ago; & I wish you & your husband joy of this anniversary of it” [MTP]. Note: Mary was the sister to William H.C. Nash of Hannibal (b. 1829), a childhood friend of Sam’s [MTL 1: 246n4].
Sam also wrote to Nathaniel Meyers (1848-1921), President of the Hebrew Technical School for Girls, where Sam would speak on Jan. 20: “Very good—Sunday, Jan. 20,—8.30 p.m.—You gather me (& maybe Mrs. Clemens) in at 8. / I’ve got a subject!” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Edward W. Ordway (b.1864), secretary of the Anti-Imperialist League (prior called, American League of New York City).
“Yes, I shall be glad to be a Vice President of the League—a useless because a non-laboring one, but prodigally endowed with sympathy with the cause” [MTP].
Note: Ordway helped create the Philippine Independence Committee in 1904. This is the date sometimes cited for Sam joining the League. Ernest H. Crosby was the president of the New York chapter; Carl Schurz, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Van Dyke vice presidents. See Dec. 11 entry.
Sam also wrote to Harriet E. Whitmore (Mrs. Franklin G. Whitmore).
I saw Mr. Howells yesterday, & he was fervent in his praises of that translation. He hopes to find a chance to print a word about it bye & bye.
In answer to his inquiry, I told him I thought the authors had made & printed other translations in their private press in Springfield, or were purposing to do it [MTP]. Note: Gribben identifies the work as Frederic Whitmore’s A Florida Farm [764].
Sam’s notebook: recorded from conversation: “Kate Douglas W—‘I’m a lady, & I have to be so d—d particular’ / Charley Clark’s boy, Horace & the wh— [whore]” [NB 44 TS 3; Gribben 768] Note: Kate Douglas Wiggin (Riggs). Written by another hand on the TS: “episode earlier about fire in whore house?”
The N.Y. Times, p.17, datelined Washington, Jan. 12, Special to the Times, ran “Miss Clemens’s Debut” about her singing debut in Washington, D.C., but gave a date of “next Friday,” which was Jan 18. For whatever reason the performance was actually on Jan. 22, a Tuesday. See entry.