June 6 Tuesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal # 2: “Wrote Mr. Duneka not to trouble Mr. Howells about the book or Mark Twain letters. C.C. & J.L.C. want to collect & compile the letters” [MTP TS 20].

writes of Clemens’ attempt to persuade Howells to take on his biography:

…Howells ultimately declined the biography project. In early June [June 6], after discussing the matter with his daughters, Twain had Isabel write to Duneka, asking him not to bother Howells about editing his letters as now Clara and Jean had expressed interest in the project (even though in January he had suggested that Isabel should edit them). Two weeks later, he wrote Clara at her Norfolk, Connecticut, sanitarium saying he had appointed “you and Jean to arrange and publish my ‘Letters’ some day—I don’t want it done by any outsider. Miss Lyon can do the work, and do it well…and take a tenth of the royalty resulting.” Just three months later Twain changed his mind again, telling Isabel that Clara would be the principal editor and she could assist in the project. Jean was out. Visions of royalties danced in Isabel’s head… [MTOW 59]. Note: we cannot know for sure what danced in the head of Miss Lyon, but such assumptions may make for good book selling.

Frederick A. Duneka wrote to apologize to Sam for “an oversight of one of our staff,” who was to send Sam’s Congo article to Dr. Parke. They could not find an address for Parke, but only the Liverpool address of The Congo Newspaper; but there was no Parke there. This matter had not been reported to Clemens, so Duneka apologized, then added he hoped Sam liked his country place [MTP]. Note: Dr. Robert E. Park, not Parke.

Sam answered Duneka’s of this day: Don’t trouble Howells about the matter of preparing a book of Mark Twain letters. My daughters want to undertake it. This pleases me more than I can tell. It would have been their mother’s work; they recognize that it is theirs now for her sake. Shall be more than glad to have those little microbe books. The book I am writing has to have a large display of scientific learning in it in order to compel the gratitude of common schools and the public, and the burden of manufacturing it is beginning to tell on me. Help from other competent sources will be a relief to me, and I shall get it out of those little books. / Sincerely yours, …[MTP: Cushman file].

John R. Gow for the Congo Reform Assoc., Tremont Temple, wrote to Sam, quoting an Apr. 25 letter from Edmund Dene Morel of the English Congo Reform Assoc. to Dr. Park: “Mr. Clemens tells me that he has sent on to the American Congo Reform Association an article of about 10000 words entitled “King Leopold’s Soliloquy”, for you to use as you see fit.” Gow had not rec’d the article, and would appreciate having use of it [MTP]. Note: Miss Lyon answered for Sam on June 9.

John Larkin wrote to Sam enclosing a deed from Sam to Sandford Wilson for the Texas property that Sam needed to sign and swear before a notary, then return [MTP]. Note: Archer Co. Texas land of Livy’s.