January 9 Thursday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam sent 16 form letters to writers (25 were named in the publisher’s list) to determine if they had been asked and did contribute a story to a proposed book (A House Party) by Small & Maynard, a Boston publisher. He was concerned that his name had been advertised as one of the writers without his permission. The recipients all answered in the affirmative: they had been invited to contribute. Thirteen responses survive;. These writers were: John K. Bangs, George W. Cable, Paul Leicester Ford, Mary E. Freeman, Alice French, Robert Grant, Mrs. Burton Harrison, Sarah Orne Jewett, Charles G.D. Roberts, Frank R. Stockton, Booth Tarkington, Margaret Deland, and Owen Wister. Only Tarkington and Freeman answered they had not contributed; Bangs and French declined to answer whether they had contributed. (Answers came throughout the month) The form letter:
MANIFOLD LETTER TO THE 25.
RIVERDALE, NEW YORK CITY, JAN. 9.
DEAR
AS REGARDS THAT BOSTON BOOK OF TWELVE STORIES, TO WHICH YOU AND I AND TWENTY-THREE OTHER WRITERS HAVE BEEN ADVERTISED AS HAVING BEEN INVITED TO CONTRIBUTE, WILL YOU MIND ANSWERING IN THE RESPECTIVE BLANKS THESE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS, WHICH IN ALL COURTESY I ASK:
WERE YOU INVITED TO CONTRIBUTE? ANSWER
DID YOU CONTRIBUTE?
ANSWER:
(SIGNED)
[MTP]. Note: See Jan. 10 to Bliss.
J.E. Bryant for Booklover’s Library sent Sam a receipt of $1,800 for 200 shares in the capital stock, and included a prospectus [MTP].
Sam’s notebook: “200 shs stock in the Booklover’s Library—half to J. & half to C.—will arrive presently” [NB 45 TS 2]. Note: J & C likely Jean and Clara Clemens. Relates to the receipt Bryant sent above.
Elisabeth Marbury wrote to Sam that she had his letter of Jan. 8 but didn’t understand “its intent. Put this down to my stupidity. So far as the Mayos” were concerned she felt she’d acted on his wishes [MTP].
There is no evidence that Sam joined William Dean Howells and friends for lunch and good talk at Moretti’s Restaurant at 1 p.m. on this day; no NB entry was made for this.