January 30 Saturday – The New York Times, p. BR73 ran a squib, “A New Novel from Mark Twain”:
Mark Twain, now in Florence, Italy, is according to the announcement of his publishers, Messrs. Harper & Brothers, seriously engaged upon a novel begun some years ago. Nothing definite is said as to when the novel in question will be ready for the press, but presumably the date is not very remote. Meantime Mr. Clemens is writing a short story for the next number of Harper’s Magazine. According to the personal confession of the humorist, Mrs. Clemens “edits all his stories,” and to his daughter, who acts as typewriter, he pays “regular union rates.”
Sam’s notebook: “Began measures to bring suit for damages / Mr. Cobb, 9 Piazza San Felice” [NB 47 TS 5]. Note: see Jan. 29 to Stanchfield. Also, this may be Arthur M. Cobb; see index.
Sebastiano V. Cecchi wrote from Florence to Sam—more complications about having a telephone line installed, which case now was muddied by Sam’s attorney Plaisant [MTP].