May 16 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam replied to his old Nevada friend, William R. Gillis, whose incoming letter is not extant:

Dear old Unreconstructible!

It isn’t your ghost, but yourself, in the flesh—I recognize the signs. Didn’t I say true? “So far as I knew,” those three were the only intimates of mine left alive out there. How should I imagine that you & Jim & Steve could still be above ground when I haven’t had a line from any of you for ages? You are all old, & ought to be mouldy, too—why are you lingering? what is your pretext? My own time will shortly expire, by the statute of limitations; yet I was a mere lad when I superintended—nightly—the full-grown disturbances invented by you three for the discomfort of the police. Jim Gillis is all of 95, & you & Steve are not much behind him. Retire, retire! leave the obituaries to me. You know I will not put in them anything you would wish unsaid.

Meanwhile, meet me half way. Come east as far as Columbia, Missouri, you three, & strike hands with me there the 4th of June; otherwise we shall not meet again on this side of the grave—& certainly not on the other side: I know it by the spirit of unreform detectible in your letter.

With my love & blessing. … [MTP].

Sam also replied to Joe Goodman, whose incoming letter is not extant. Sam wrote of seeing John Mackay several times since the “old days,” and being invited to Mackay’s home twice within the last year, the last time (see May 21, 1901 NB entry) Mackay claimed he had Sam’s note for $5,000 (relating to the Paige typesetter investments). Sam was “astonished” but asked for a copy of the note, which never came. “I believe his memory had played him a trick, & that he really thought I owed him the money, & that he had once had such a note & had mislaid it.” He retold the scheme of Senator John P. Jones, and of his repaying the debts:

Jones will remember better. It was Jones’s scheme. By it, a number of men were to buy a privilege to subscribe for the stock, & pay $5,000 each for that high privilege. Jones bought one, & so did Mackay, but the others declined & the scheme broke down. I have met Jones within the past year, & he was hearty & did not ask me to buy back his privilege.

I am very glad you set John [Jones] right in the matter, & I will go & see him; I know he was not intentionally in the wrong—that is not his character.

There were men (poor ones) who bought a few royalties of me on my assurance that it was a good thing. That was quite another matter, & I paid those small sums back as soon as I was able—an aggregate of $3,000;

I returned to a millionaire (a purchaser of royalties) his note for $45,000 to keep it from going to pay the Webster debts; but if the note had already been paid, I would have allowed him to lose it.

Your handwriting shows no age, Joe, & I am glad of that; it has the same grace & firmness it had when you were 24. I shall be 67 at the end of the year, & sometimes I feel old, but not often. But I am persistently old in this: my this-world interests are decaying, & my other-world interests have already disappeared. Wine & beer do not invite me any more, & it has taken me 5 months to drink one bottle of Scotch whisky, my pet of all brews. But I smoke all day, & I get up twice a-night to do the like. When I get smoked out—well, it will be a sign!

The Madam & Jean send enthusiasms of regard & wishes for a visit from you—& I the same [MTP].

Sam also wrote a note to H.H. Rogers.

Great Scott!—why didn’t I stay & tend to that business myself. Pull him in again, & send for me.

We expect to leave for York Harbor in the last half of June, in the Kanawha. I told Mrs. Clemens I invited you & Mrs. Rogers & all the friends you please, & she said it was an impudent speech after your generosity.That is what I get for trying to do the handsome thing by you.

I rushed home yesterday to do some work—& didn’t do it.

Mrs. Clemens had a bad time with her heart last night, & for a while could only breathe when sitting up; but she is in much better shape, now, & has gone to the osteopath. She wouldn’t allow him to come here— double rates & the Hartford house not sold [MTHHR 487]. Note: source gives no explanation for the “Great Scott!” item.

Mary Geary for Elisabeth Marbury wrote to Sam: “Your letter received. I note what you say about ‘Tom Sawyer’” [MTP].