September 18 Friday – At Quarry Farm in Elmira, N.Y. Sam wrote to Beatrice M. Benjamin.
Yes, I should like very much to have the views of the house. I think the pictures of your grandfather & me are excellent. Mr. Rogers looks just like himself—just as he always looks when he is arranging in his mind to raise my board.
I’ve got the bronchitis & am leading a very exemplary life. I can’t swear or carry on, because it hurts my breast. Bronchitis would help your grandfather, don’t you think?
I am sending my love, & am affectionately your ancient & aged friend [MTP]. Note: Beatrice M. Benjamin (1889-1956), fifteen-year-old granddaughter of H.H. Rogers.
Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
I am ashamed, that I am still dawdling here, when I ought to have been in New York days ago. I can’t get rid of the bronchial trouble, & I telegraphed yesterday, hoping to go down last night. But I got a fresh cold, & was afraid of the night journey.
Lord, I know you are out of patience with me—it couldn’t be otherwise. If I could have caught yesterday’s train—but I couldn’t, there wasn’t time.
[one or two lines (about 14 words) torn away]
But perhaps that was just as well, anyway, for as this is your last day in your office for the present you will need all your time in your own affairs, & you have placed mine in a position where a few days’ delay cannot hurt them.
But dead or alive I shall be in New York when you get back, & I will stay there. I know I did not need to tell you how to protect me from Bliss, but I just thought of that, & so I put it in without stopping to reflect that it would be superfluous [MTHHR 538-9].
Rogers wrote to Sam Clemens.
I have just sent you the following despatch:
“I am compelled to go Fairhaven to-night, and hope to be back not later than Tuesday, although I may be detained because of the law suit. I conclude to send you Bliss’s letter by mail to-day. I have taken no further steps in the matter. Will write you.”
Herewith please find the letter from Mr. Bliss. Of course he is endeavoring now to get all that he can. The suggestion you make as to acquiring the business in the event of Harpers’ failure does not connect itself with the royalties under discussion. We can undoubtedly arrange that feature without paying much for it. The only ground that Bliss has for claiming that you waive royalties from July 1st lies in the fact that that was what you contemplated when the Collier arrangement was under consideration. We have made him a concession from the Collier plan by shortening the time of payments to practically eighteen months instead of twenty-four. However, I think all this can be left until we meet again. I think you had better plan to be here on Tuesday [Sept. 22].
I trust that Mrs. Clemens is improving, and that you are quite recovered from your bronchitis.
Rice has been with me for two nights. We had Colonel Paine on Wednesday night, and Lancaster, of Liverpool, last night. Booker Washington is going down to Fairhaven to-morrow on the yacht with Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin. …/ P.S. Since writing the above, Mr. Bliss has been calling us up, but I told him there was nothing further to say at present. Evidently he is a little uneasy [MTHHR 539-40].
In Florence, Italy, George Gregory Smith wrote to Sam about possible Villas for lease. He added another letter, dated Sept. 20, which is also in the file [MTP].