November 14 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam wrote to Samuel H. Row, of Lansing, Michigan, who evidently recalled Sam’s “Roughing It” lecture (incoming not extant) in Lansing, Dec. 20, 1871, “when you were young and handsome I had the pleasure of introducing you to a Lansing audience” [Scharnhorst 527]. Evidently Row asked about Sarony’s ubiquitous photograph of Mark Twain (he sat for at least two portraits, in Nov. 1884 and ca.1894). Note: Sam did not lecture in Lansing on that date, but was in Sandwich, Illinois. His last Lansing lecture was on Dec. 14, 1871. Sam’s reply:
That alleged portrait has a private history. Sarony was as much of an enthusiast about wild animals as he was about photography; and when Du Chailles brought the first gorilla to this country in 1819 he came to me in a fever of excitement and asked me if my father was of record and authentic. I said he was; then Sarony, without any abatement of his excitement asked me if my grandfather also was of record and authentic. I said he was. Then Sarony, with still rising excitement and with joy added to it, said he had found my great grandfather in the person of the gorilla and had recognized him at once by his resemblance to me. I was deeply hurt but did not reveal this, because I knew Sarony meant no offense for the gorilla had not done him any harm, and he was not a man who would say an unkind thing about a gorilla wantonly. I went with him to inspect the ancestor, and examined him from several points of view, without being able to detect anything more than a passing resemblance. “Wait,” said Sarony with strong confidence, “let me show you.” He borrowed my overcoat and put it on the gorilla. The result was surprising. I saw that the gorilla while not looking distinctly like me was exactly what my great grandfather would have looked like if I had had one. Sarony photographed the creature in that overcoat, and spread the picture about the world. It has remained spread about the world ever since. It turns up every week in some newspaper some where or other.It is not my favorite, but to my exasperation it is everybody else’s. Do you think you could get it suppressed for me? I will pay the limit. / Sincerely….[MTP]. Note: this letter was included in the syndicated interview for 62 Western newspapers on Sam’s 70th birthday: see Scharnhorst p. 525-8 for the rest, chosen from the Seattle Star, p.8. The interview took place on Nov. 16 [Nov. 16 to Frohman].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Jean, 9:30” [MTP TS 109; Hill 116].
Gertrude M. Adams wrote from Swarthmore College, Swarthmore Pa. to thank Sam “very very much” for all he had done—a fan letter [MTP].
Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote on Koy-Lo Co. letterhead to inform Sam that N.W. Halsey, Bankers, would send to him for the $40,000 check. They told me that these call loans are usually repaid the day after they are made, so they have to keep on replacing the money. They charge a nominal commission for doing this—I didn’t inquire how much. If the money is idle for a few days, they should allow you 2% or 3% interest on it, but I didn’t inquire about that either [MTP].
N.W. Halsey & Co. Bankers wrote to Sam, having rec’d his check for $40,000. “We placed it at 6% on call, and will renew it in the morning at the opening rate” [MTP].
Frederick S. Bigelow wrote from Phila. to ask Sam to contribute “a few sentences” for a maxim book he was compiling for the Henry Altemus Co., a large publishing house in Phila. [MTP].
That alleged portrait has a private history. Sarony was as much of an enthusiast about wild animals as he was about photography; and when Du Chailles brought the first gorilla to this country in 1819 he came to me in a fever of excitement and asked me if my father was of record and authentic. I said he was; then Sarony, without any abatement of his excitement asked me if my grandfather also was of record and authentic. I said he was. Then Sarony, with still rising excitement and with joy added to it, said he had found my great grandfather in the person of the gorilla and had recognized him at once by his resemblance to me. I was deeply hurt but did not reveal this, because I knew Sarony meant no offense for the gorilla had not done him any harm, and he was not a man who would say an unkind thing about a gorilla wantonly. I went with him to inspect the ancestor, and examined him from several points of view, without being able to detect anything more than a passing resemblance. “Wait,” said Sarony with strong confidence, “let me show you.” He borrowed my overcoat and put it on the gorilla. The result was surprising. I saw that the gorilla while not looking distinctly like me was exactly what my great grandfather would have looked like if I had had one. Sarony photographed the creature in that overcoat, and spread the picture about the world. It has remained spread about the world ever since. It turns up every week in some newspaper some where or other.It is not my favorite, but to my exasperation it is everybody else’s. Do you think you could get it suppressed for me? I will pay the limit. / Sincerely….[MTP]. Note: this letter was included in the syndicated interview for 62 Western newspapers on Sam’s 70th birthday: see Scharnhorst p. 525-8 for the rest, chosen from the Seattle Star, p.8. The interview took place on Nov. 16 [Nov. 16 to Frohman].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Jean, 9:30” [MTP TS 109; Hill 116].
Gertrude M. Adams wrote from Swarthmore College, Swarthmore Pa. to thank Sam “very very much” for all he had done—a fan letter [MTP].
Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote on Koy-Lo Co. letterhead to inform Sam that N.W. Halsey, Bankers, would send to him for the $40,000 check. They told me that these call loans are usually repaid the day after they are made, so they have to keep on replacing the money. They charge a nominal commission for doing this—I didn’t inquire how much. If the money is idle for a few days, they should allow you 2% or 3% interest on it, but I didn’t inquire about that either [MTP].
N.W. Halsey & Co. Bankers wrote to Sam, having rec’d his check for $40,000. “We placed it at 6% on call, and will renew it in the morning at the opening rate” [MTP].
Frederick S. Bigelow wrote from Phila. to ask Sam to contribute “a few sentences” for a maxim book he was compiling for the Henry Altemus Co., a large publishing house in Phila. [MTP].
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