November 14 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: names a comedy play by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, whom he’d met at a dinner for Sir Henry Irving in London on June 9: The Gay Lord Quex: A Comedy in Four Acts. N.Y . The full NB entry:

Sam’s notebook: “Gay Lord Quex—Wednesday—Box—or billiards? Ask R & the Rices & telephonegraph. /

Mrs. Clemens & not the Rice’s—dinner 6.45. / Dine with Mr. Rogers” [NB 43 TS 29].

New York Times ads shows this at the Criterion Theatre. see insert ad

Richard Watson Gilder wrote to Sam, not wanting price to be an issue for an article from five to ten thousand words. His offer was $500, but he wrote: “I wish you would let me know whether an even larger offer would” buy the article, because they wanted that single article if money would ‘fetch it’” [MTP].

Harper & Brothers per George B. Harvey wrote to Sam.

Confirming our verbal arrangement of yesterday, I beg to state my understanding of the same to be as follows:

First: — That we are to have the exclusive serial rights for our periodicals and the North American Review of all your work done between this date and January 1st, 1902, and of your work already done, but not yet published, at the rate of twenty cents a word.

We are to have the exclusive rights to publish all of your books during the same period, paying you twenty per cent royalty upon the retail price thereof.

Third: — We are to publish an advertisement of your books in each number of Harper’s Magazine, and from time to time as may seem advisable, in Harper’s Weekly, Harper’s Bazar and the North American Review.

If this statement of our agreement conforms to your understanding, will you kindly confirm same and greatly oblige, …. [MTP].