November 27 Monday – Sam was in Washington, D.C. and was a guest of President Theodore Roosevelt. Later in the day he returned to New York. The New York Times reported the event on page 1.
Mark Twain the President’s Guest
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.—Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) was a guest of President and Mrs. Roosevelt at luncheon to-day. Invited to meet Mr. Clemens were Secretary Bonaparte, Attorney General Moody, and John Temple Graves. The call of Mr. Clemens upon the President was purely social.
[Note: not purely social—Sam took the opportunity to discuss the Congo situation, then wrote to Mrs. Roosevelt his thanks and apologies for unloading his “burden” on the President. See also Dec. 3 article]
Note: Charles Joseph Bonaparte (1851-1921) at this time Secretary of the Navy (1905-1906); also Attorney General (1906-1909). William H. Moody (1853-1917), Attorney General (1904- 1906). John Temple Graves, (1856-1925) editor of the Atlanta Georgian, and in 1908 was the People’s candidate for Vice President.
Hawkins writes: “the president showed interest in the Congo and said he would ask Bacon to make a thorough report. Twain apparently inferred that Roosevelt would act against Leopold if he were first sure England would also act” [163]. Robert Bacon (1860-1919) was Assistant Secretary of State under Elihu Root (1845-1937), who was named to the post after the death of John Hay.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: The mails are full of letters from people who are sending loving messages to Mr. Clemens on the approach of his 70th birthday. These letters come from the old, and from the children, from the celebrated and learned and mighty, and from the uncultured and humble—but they all bear the heartfelt message of homage and love and appreciation of the writer, and the man, and the King whose crowning has not been placed by any hands, but has grown with a steady spiritual growth out of the genius and the life of the man who sits enthroned in the hearts of the people who offer their sweet tribute. It is touching. He came home today from Washington [MTP TS 110].
Edmund D. Morel wrote to Sam about The Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Belgian Congo: “The Report… is a curious document. I sent you a copy of my presentation of it. I trust you received it, but I fear it will have been too long to wade through” [Gribben 574].
H.W. Palmer wrote compliments of his books read for years and birthday wishes to Sam [MTP].
Hélène Elisabeth Picard wrote to Sam asking if he would look at a letter from the President and verify if it was his handwriting. She had written the President congratulating him on the peace reached in the Russo-Japanese War, but a friend claimed it wasn’t his handwriting on a resply. No mention was made of Sam’s 70th [MTP].
Samuel Pollock wrote from Willards Hotel, Wash. D.C. to offer birthday wishes Sam, asked whether he was on the Mississippi in Mar. and Apr. 1862 with the gunboat flotilla, “and if so whether for a short time you were a pilot on the ‘DeSoto’ with Capt. Montgomery” [MTP].
T.G. Sawkins wrote from NYC to Sam recalling it had been 13 years since they’d met at the Players Club in NYC. He enclosed a poem for which he was trying to find a publisher, and asked for “a candid opinion” [MTP]. Note: Miss Lyon wrote at the top in pencil: “The man who claims to have been the first one to advise Mr. Clemens to go to Australia on a lecturing tour—& now he asks a favor” Will Larrymore Smedley wrote from Chautauqua, NY to offer birthday wishes [MTP].
Eleven year old Paul Thorne wrote from Youngstown, Ohio to Sam, having the same birthday. He and his friends had read Huck and Tom and he “played the games” from them but got licked and sent to bed. He asked if Tom and Huck and Aunt Polly were still alive. He wished Sam “lots more birthdays” [MTP].
Anne Warner wrote from Hildesheim, Germany to offer birthday wishes to Sam [MTP].
Mark Twain the President’s Guest
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.—Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) was a guest of President and Mrs. Roosevelt at luncheon to-day. Invited to meet Mr. Clemens were Secretary Bonaparte, Attorney General Moody, and John Temple Graves. The call of Mr. Clemens upon the President was purely social.
[Note: not purely social—Sam took the opportunity to discuss the Congo situation, then wrote to Mrs. Roosevelt his thanks and apologies for unloading his “burden” on the President. See also Dec. 3 article]
Note: Charles Joseph Bonaparte (1851-1921) at this time Secretary of the Navy (1905-1906); also Attorney General (1906-1909). William H. Moody (1853-1917), Attorney General (1904- 1906). John Temple Graves, (1856-1925) editor of the Atlanta Georgian, and in 1908 was the People’s candidate for Vice President.
Hawkins writes: “the president showed interest in the Congo and said he would ask Bacon to make a thorough report. Twain apparently inferred that Roosevelt would act against Leopold if he were first sure England would also act” [163]. Robert Bacon (1860-1919) was Assistant Secretary of State under Elihu Root (1845-1937), who was named to the post after the death of John Hay.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: The mails are full of letters from people who are sending loving messages to Mr. Clemens on the approach of his 70th birthday. These letters come from the old, and from the children, from the celebrated and learned and mighty, and from the uncultured and humble—but they all bear the heartfelt message of homage and love and appreciation of the writer, and the man, and the King whose crowning has not been placed by any hands, but has grown with a steady spiritual growth out of the genius and the life of the man who sits enthroned in the hearts of the people who offer their sweet tribute. It is touching. He came home today from Washington [MTP TS 110].
Edmund D. Morel wrote to Sam about The Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Belgian Congo: “The Report… is a curious document. I sent you a copy of my presentation of it. I trust you received it, but I fear it will have been too long to wade through” [Gribben 574].
H.W. Palmer wrote compliments of his books read for years and birthday wishes to Sam [MTP].
Hélène Elisabeth Picard wrote to Sam asking if he would look at a letter from the President and verify if it was his handwriting. She had written the President congratulating him on the peace reached in the Russo-Japanese War, but a friend claimed it wasn’t his handwriting on a resply. No mention was made of Sam’s 70th [MTP].
Samuel Pollock wrote from Willards Hotel, Wash. D.C. to offer birthday wishes Sam, asked whether he was on the Mississippi in Mar. and Apr. 1862 with the gunboat flotilla, “and if so whether for a short time you were a pilot on the ‘DeSoto’ with Capt. Montgomery” [MTP].
T.G. Sawkins wrote from NYC to Sam recalling it had been 13 years since they’d met at the Players Club in NYC. He enclosed a poem for which he was trying to find a publisher, and asked for “a candid opinion” [MTP]. Note: Miss Lyon wrote at the top in pencil: “The man who claims to have been the first one to advise Mr. Clemens to go to Australia on a lecturing tour—& now he asks a favor” Will Larrymore Smedley wrote from Chautauqua, NY to offer birthday wishes [MTP].
Eleven year old Paul Thorne wrote from Youngstown, Ohio to Sam, having the same birthday. He and his friends had read Huck and Tom and he “played the games” from them but got licked and sent to bed. He asked if Tom and Huck and Aunt Polly were still alive. He wished Sam “lots more birthdays” [MTP].
Anne Warner wrote from Hildesheim, Germany to offer birthday wishes to Sam [MTP].
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