November 29 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam wrote to John P. Cowan.

Dear Mr. Cowan: / Health to you! Sometimes, in the past two years, I have asked the Harpers’permission to say a word outside—for print—but I don’t now, for the applications these past two days amount to a sort of flood. Privately, between you and me, I did not suppose there was any Clemens blood in the world, outside of my family and J. Ross Clemens of St. Louis. Adam was the only ancestor I had ever heard of. / Sincerely yours … [MTP].

Sam gave an interview to a New York World reporter. The interview ran as “Twain calls Leopold Slayer of 15,000,000” in the paper on Sunday, Dec. 3. Section 3, p. 6. See Dec. 3 entry.

Isabel Lyon’s journal: This afternoon at 3:30 Signor Traverso came in to tell Mr. Clemens about the Massiglia law suit. All the misery that Mr. Clemens ever hoped the Countess would get out of this suit she has got, for she has spent a lot of money, lawyers have taken their time about getting evidence (or taking testimony) and long ago Count Massiglia went to Signor Traverso begging him to ask Mr. Clemens to drop the suit, for it was killing his wife, and life at the villa was made impossible for them, for every hand was against them, and life had become a Hell. Mr. Clemens listened to Traverso’s story, with a keen satisfaction, for the Countess has garnered what she sowed [MTP TS 111].

L. Fosdick wrote from Pittsburg, Penn. to Sam, asking for “a line that shall help clinch the verdict” in a church debate on Mark Twain. He drew a cartoon of a prison inmate and wrote “this is not a ‘hold up’.” On or just after this date Sam replied: “Before you engage in debates you should see to it that you get on the strong side, then you wont have to ask any body’s help” [MTP].

Anna E. Berry wrote from Garden City, L.I. to Sam. “As one of the oldest members of the dear Langdon family circle, I want to tell you that I am glad you are alive, and are going to have a birthday….I love to think of you in Elmira when you carried Pussy Cats, in your white linen coat– pockets…” [MTP].

The following persons also wrote various birthday congratulations to Clemens on Nov. 29:

• John Clarke from Arlington, Md. to congratulate Sam on his 70th.
• Cecile Freese from NYC as an “old friend” to congratulate Sam on his 70th and with love to Clara and Jean.
• Sophia de Genhaim from Vienna, Austria
• Eleanor V. Hutton (Mrs. Laurence Hutton).
• E.W. Hatch.
• Issac F. Marcosson.
• D.W. Morrill.
• Paul Muller.
• Maud Muratt.
• Georgiana Sanborn.
• J.H.K. Shannahan.
• J.H. Todd.
• Annie Trumbull sent a poem.
• Marshall P. Wilder telegrammed congratulations from Indianapolis, Ind..

Note: All of the above names and letters courtesy of MTP.