September 1 Monday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook “Monday 6 p.m.—tea / Mrs. Rogers— Clara & Mr. Young R. there—going away. / Yorkshire Men—cousin of Miss Jones who is singing—near Stephens store). / telephone if we can’t come. / [Line separator] / Offered $50,000 for the Tarrytown house. Declined. We paid $45,000 for it. ” [NB 45 TS 25].
Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
It is lovely of you. We could not have shown your telegram to Mrs. Clemens yesterday, but she can see it before night, I think, for she shows much improvement to-day. It continues to be a case of down-&-up, up-&-down. Yesterday I thought her chances were bad, she was so weak & exhausted & discouraged; but to-day it is handsomely different. When she is “up” she thinks she is going to start ina week—always that. But if it isn’t the double of that I shall be very much surprised indeed.
I will give lots of notice—of date, number of persons, etc—If she were able to talk, I would try to persuade her to go to Riverdale & avoid all railroading. But I don’t know that I should succeed.
There’s 200 Union Pacific pf. left. It cost 88½ & is selling at 94¼. Wouldn’t it be good commerce for Miss Harrison to put in an order to sell at 100—if it gets there? If it shouldn’t get there—well, that’s another matter.
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3 p.m. Mrs. Clemens has seen the telegram & sends her love and grateful thanks. In which joins / SLC That$2,230.48 raises the credit in Guaranty Trust to a good figure—for which, a thousand thanks. I think there’s $15,000 there now. Mrs. C. will be sure to begin building the addition at Tarrytown. I shan’t oppose it any longer, if her heart is set on it [MTHHR 502-3].
September 1-8 – Sam also wrote to the California Society of New York.
I thank you cordially for your invitation. I was not early enough to be a pioneer, but was president of the “Hand-cart Sub-Pioneers,” and for thirty-five years have been the only survivor of that organization. Other members were Bummer & Lazarus & Emperor Norton. In the name of the Sub-Pioneers I beg to drink with you. Bummer & Lazarus will be remembered as two dogs who, in days agone, occupied quarters underneath the old Bulletin headquarters, while emperor Norton was an eccentric character about town [MTP:San Francisco Call 10 Sept. 1902]. Note: Joshua A. Norton (Emperor Norton); Bummer and Lazarus were dogs: see Vol. I entries for all.