December 28 Thursday – Sam went to the West Side Court to view a libel trial brought by William d’Alton Mann (1839-1920), publisher of Town Topics against Collier’s Weekly and Norman Hapgood, editor in chief of that periodical. (Mann was a Civil War officer who fought under George Armstrong Custer at Gettysburg, and rose to the rank of Colonel. See more below Times article) Sam was not there to offer testimony. The New York Times wrote of Mark Twain “a Spectator in Court” in their article, Dec. 29, p.5 “Mr. Burden Describes ‘Fads and Fancies’ Call.” (Note: two days later Mann wrote to Clemens; see entry).
The methods used in obtaining subscriptions to “Fads and Fancies” were gone into at length yesterday [Dec. 28] at the hearing before Magistrate Whitman, in the West Side Court, on the charge of criminal libel …. James A. Burden, Jr., who was the principal witness, told in detail of the particular experience with Robert A. Irving, editor of the New Yorker and formerly a solicitor for “Fads,” which led him to have Irving arrested on an extortion charge three weeks ago.
Mark Twain a Visitor.
Mark Twain entered the private examination room at the West Side Court just before the session began. His appearance caused a stir among the lawyers, newspaper men, and spectators assembled there. It was afterward learned that while the humorist is not to be called as a witness, something more than curiosity had prompted his attendance. Town Topics recently contained a paragraph in which Mark Twain had been made to appear as indorsing “Fads and Fancies” at a recent dinner [Dec. 21] of writers at which Mr. Carnegie was a guest. Mr. Clemens had been quoted as uttering a soft impeachment directed at Mr. Carnegie for not devoting his millions to the distribution of the works of Mark Twain in an edition de luxe on the “Fads and Fancies” pattern instead of building libraries.
It was said that Mr. Clemens did not like the item. After listening to some of the testimony, however, he went away. He refused to say anything regarding the purpose of his visit.
Note: this on Mann from The Man Who Robbed the Robber Barons (1997) by Richard T. Gregg:
“Hero of the Battle of Gettysburg, politician, investor, Federal revenue employee, newspaper publisher, inventor, and builder of railway coaches for luxury travel, founder of the Compagnie Internationale de Wagons-Lits. …became a columnist at the beginning of the twentieth century. His ‘Town Topics, the Journal of Society’ victimized New York’s, indeed the nation’s, upper ‘400’, who literally quaked in terror at the thought of being exposed by Colonel Mann! Those who proffered loans (never repaid, naturally!) to the Colonel, to avoid their private or scandalous activities being singled out [blackmailed] in Mann’s column, included:”
E. Clarence Jones, Senator Russell Alger, Dr. Seward Webb, William C. Whitney, J. Pierpont Morgan, George and Howard Gould (sons of Jay Gould), Collis P. Huntington, James R. Keene, John “Bet-a-Million” Gates, the barbed-wire king; Rosewell Flower, broker & former governor of NY, Grant B. Schley, Charles M. Schwab, Thomas Fortune Ryan, and Perry Belmont (each with amounts from $1,000 to $76,000). Note: source lists each with each amount. See Sam’s disdainful letter to Mann Jan 3, 1906.
At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam replied to Miss Gertrude Natkin’s Dec. 27 note.
“It was very sweet of you, dear, to let me shake hands with you, that day; & mind, don’t you forget to remember that you are to be just as sweet & dear next time, & shake again, you charming child.
This, from your oldest & latest conquest— / SL. Clemens (M.T.)” [MTP].
Sam sent a signed photograph of himself to Miss Daisy Scott, in West Kensington, London [MTP].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Letters of love and homage come pouring in and in reply to them Mr. Clemens writes such sweet little sentences. He is moved by them, and so unspoiled and simple [MTP TS 117]. Isabel Lyon’s journal # 2: “Dinner at Mrs. Henry Draper’s / 271 Madison Ave. / at 8 o’clock” [MTP TS 38].
O.J. Bowman wrote from Horseheads, N.Y. to ask Sam if he might use his influence with “Saint Andrew” Carnegie to secure an organ for their church [MTP].
Florence T. Holt wrote to ask Sam if he would dine “with us informally on Wednesday, January 10the at eight o’clock?” [MTP].
Valentine H. Surghnor sent a night telegram from Chicago: “Congratulations young man the world has enjoyed you and your sayings and is better for your having lived in it may you continue to live long and well” [MTP].
Florence V. Swain wrote from Muncie, Ind. to Sam asking if he was a descendant of the Anthony family of Va. [MTP].
Booker T. Washington sent a telegram to Sam: “It would injure our meeting and disappoint our friends as well as place me in embarrassing position to have you withdraw since your name has already been extensively advertised among our friend[s] hope very much you will remain / Booker T. Washington” [MTP].
The methods used in obtaining subscriptions to “Fads and Fancies” were gone into at length yesterday [Dec. 28] at the hearing before Magistrate Whitman, in the West Side Court, on the charge of criminal libel …. James A. Burden, Jr., who was the principal witness, told in detail of the particular experience with Robert A. Irving, editor of the New Yorker and formerly a solicitor for “Fads,” which led him to have Irving arrested on an extortion charge three weeks ago.
Mark Twain a Visitor.
Mark Twain entered the private examination room at the West Side Court just before the session began. His appearance caused a stir among the lawyers, newspaper men, and spectators assembled there. It was afterward learned that while the humorist is not to be called as a witness, something more than curiosity had prompted his attendance. Town Topics recently contained a paragraph in which Mark Twain had been made to appear as indorsing “Fads and Fancies” at a recent dinner [Dec. 21] of writers at which Mr. Carnegie was a guest. Mr. Clemens had been quoted as uttering a soft impeachment directed at Mr. Carnegie for not devoting his millions to the distribution of the works of Mark Twain in an edition de luxe on the “Fads and Fancies” pattern instead of building libraries.
It was said that Mr. Clemens did not like the item. After listening to some of the testimony, however, he went away. He refused to say anything regarding the purpose of his visit.
Note: this on Mann from The Man Who Robbed the Robber Barons (1997) by Richard T. Gregg:
“Hero of the Battle of Gettysburg, politician, investor, Federal revenue employee, newspaper publisher, inventor, and builder of railway coaches for luxury travel, founder of the Compagnie Internationale de Wagons-Lits. …became a columnist at the beginning of the twentieth century. His ‘Town Topics, the Journal of Society’ victimized New York’s, indeed the nation’s, upper ‘400’, who literally quaked in terror at the thought of being exposed by Colonel Mann! Those who proffered loans (never repaid, naturally!) to the Colonel, to avoid their private or scandalous activities being singled out [blackmailed] in Mann’s column, included:”
E. Clarence Jones, Senator Russell Alger, Dr. Seward Webb, William C. Whitney, J. Pierpont Morgan, George and Howard Gould (sons of Jay Gould), Collis P. Huntington, James R. Keene, John “Bet-a-Million” Gates, the barbed-wire king; Rosewell Flower, broker & former governor of NY, Grant B. Schley, Charles M. Schwab, Thomas Fortune Ryan, and Perry Belmont (each with amounts from $1,000 to $76,000). Note: source lists each with each amount. See Sam’s disdainful letter to Mann Jan 3, 1906.
At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam replied to Miss Gertrude Natkin’s Dec. 27 note.
“It was very sweet of you, dear, to let me shake hands with you, that day; & mind, don’t you forget to remember that you are to be just as sweet & dear next time, & shake again, you charming child.
This, from your oldest & latest conquest— / SL. Clemens (M.T.)” [MTP].
Sam sent a signed photograph of himself to Miss Daisy Scott, in West Kensington, London [MTP].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Letters of love and homage come pouring in and in reply to them Mr. Clemens writes such sweet little sentences. He is moved by them, and so unspoiled and simple [MTP TS 117]. Isabel Lyon’s journal # 2: “Dinner at Mrs. Henry Draper’s / 271 Madison Ave. / at 8 o’clock” [MTP TS 38].
O.J. Bowman wrote from Horseheads, N.Y. to ask Sam if he might use his influence with “Saint Andrew” Carnegie to secure an organ for their church [MTP].
Florence T. Holt wrote to ask Sam if he would dine “with us informally on Wednesday, January 10the at eight o’clock?” [MTP].
Valentine H. Surghnor sent a night telegram from Chicago: “Congratulations young man the world has enjoyed you and your sayings and is better for your having lived in it may you continue to live long and well” [MTP].
Florence V. Swain wrote from Muncie, Ind. to Sam asking if he was a descendant of the Anthony family of Va. [MTP].
Booker T. Washington sent a telegram to Sam: “It would injure our meeting and disappoint our friends as well as place me in embarrassing position to have you withdraw since your name has already been extensively advertised among our friend[s] hope very much you will remain / Booker T. Washington” [MTP].
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