January 16 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Katharine I. Harrison.
The Plasmon Co will send you some Plasmon stock for me. That is what I had to have $10,000 for, & that is why I sold the Union Pacific pf. Do not conceal it from Mr. Rogers. He will think it an unwise investment—still, I want him to know. I shan’t conceal any of my performances from him.
When I get to a halting-place in the Christian-Science book I am writing, I’ll come down & cart it to the Safety D. The patients are coming along finely. I see the madam 15 minutes every day, now; to-day Jean sat up an hour or two [MTP; not in MTHHR].
Sam also wrote to an unidentified man. “You have expressed my views in your second paragraph. I have held them for 25 years” [MTP].
Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Franklin G. Whitmore.
Mr. Clemens comes to me with the following: “Tell Whitmore that we are assured that Mrs. Clemens will be able to travel by June 1st, and the Doctor has ordered that she go to some suitable climate in Europe, to get clear away from American climate and worries of house keeping. There fore we shall sell the Tarrytown house just as soon as I can get a big enough bid for it. If anyone wants the Hartford house, for $30.00000 let him have it. If nobody wants it at that figure, perhaps we better put it up at auction with $30.00000 as the knockdown price. And of course Whitmore will keep ALL this to himself.” Jean is very much better. and has been ordered South, when she can get about. Which of course Mrs. Clemens does not know. Please write to Mr. Clemens next time [MTP].
John F. Forth wrote to Sam, sending some pipe cleaners of his own invention. Forth wanted to call them “Mark Twain pipe cleaners,” if it was ok with Sam. They had to be left overnight in the pipe [MTP].
Sam’s notebook: Ralph Keeler (1840-1873) was in a list of writers Sam compliled from those he had known personally [Gribben 364]. The others listed: “J.B. Pond, Geo. W. Cable, Redpath, Nasby, De Cordova, Howells, Aldrich, Bloodgood Cutter, Dan Slote, Van Nostrand, Fairbanks, Duncan, Ned House” [NB 46 TS 6]. Note: Sam continued this list (down the page, not separated by commas, as shown) on Jan. 17, 18, 19; see entries.