April 23 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “also Shakespeare’s day. / Wrote the letters to Sam Moffett & Lilly & Daisy Warner about Dr. Helmer” [NB 43 TS 8]. Note: Sam’s notebook had printed “St. George’s Day”.
At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam replied again to William James (incoming from James not extant) that he was right to go to Sweden for Kellgren treatments. Sam described the trip to Sanna and the facilities there (see July 8, 1899 for excerpt from this letter). He also described his use of Plasmon and promised to send Professor Virchow’s report on the product. He enclosed directions of “How to Dissolve Plasmon” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Lilly and Daisy Warner about Dr. Helmer, the letter not extant but referred to in his notebook entry for the day; see above.
Sam also wrote to his nephew, Samuel E. Moffett, editorial staff of the N.Y. Journal, heading the letter “Private.”
I reveal to you in strict confidence—Jean’s disease is epilepsy. Keep it to yourself. It has been told to two others—Dr. Helmer, Osteopath, 136 Madison avenue, cor. 31st st., & Mrs. Crane, Elmira; I wrote him about the case—for we wish to come home if we can venture to leave Kellgren. He answered, but only briefly; & what we need is all the information we can get. I wish you would go there & pump him dry; then pour out the result upon me without stint. Kellgren promises a cure, if we can wait long enough; & he has cured cases, & we know the people.
Sam wanted Moffett to take a “good short-hand man” with him to see the doctor and ask a list of questions—unfortunately the page with the questions is missing [MTP].
John Brisben Walker for Cosmopolitan wrote a tongue in cheek note to Sam, enclosing a letter from a man who quoted from the Mar. 14, 1900 issue of Christian Observer that after Twain’s article newspapers and magazines had been paid to not publish more about Christian Science. Walker’s note:
“I have told these people that you are the fellow who received fifty thousand dollars for agreeing not to publish anything more about the Christian Scientists. My own impression is that it would be cheap at the price; but I had no idea what a deep-dyed scoundrel you were. / Yours in crime.…” [MTP].