April 18 Wednesday – The New York Times, Apr. 19, p. 14, “Sutton Beats Slosson by Superior Billiards,” again mentioned Mark Twain’s evening at the international billiards tourney at Madison Square Garden:

Mark Twain witnessed the contest from his usual seat at one side of the table. He laughed heartily as the French billiardist rubbed along the caroms for fair-sized runs at the beginning until he had obtained a lead of 270 to 183 at the end of the thirteenth inning by cleverly executed ball-to-ball billiards.

      The American humorist foresaw the end, however, as he explained to those sitting near him.

Gertrude Natkin wrote from NYC to Sam: “NOTICE! / A little girl is very anxious waiting for the eve of he 19 . Reward! Of ten blots to the one identifying this little girl” [MTAq 26; MTP].

Joe Twichell wrote to Sam.

Dear Mark: / See what you’ve brought me to! What stories could I tell such an audience? Were I to undertake it, I should have to ask you to give me a lesson or two in the art. But I can’t go, fortunately. May 4th I shall be in Lexington, Ky. attending Mr. Ogden’s Southern Education Conference. Harmony is going with me. We leave New York May 1 and shall be away till th May 9 . st

After his signature, Joe added, “Thanks for your just comment on Gorky’s bad mistake. Poor fellow; he didn’t understand our bigotry. Too bad!” [MTP]. Note: in the file is an invitation (dated Apr. 16) to Twichell from the Periodical Publishers’ Association of America, Edward Bok (ed. Ladies’ Home Journal, Phila.) for a dinner on May 4.  It appears that Joe marked the following paragraph: “The Board of Directors thought that you might be willing to come and add zest to the entertainment of the evening by giving our guests some of those stories which you know so well how to tell.”

April 18 ca.  – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam replied to the Apr. 16 from Daniel Carter Beard: “Will try to be present / Mrs. Dougherty” [MTP].