August 31 Friday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam replied to the Aug. 29 of Samuel Hopkins Adams of Collier’s.

Dear Adams: / I think that the majority of the illustrious men whom I questioned by mail as to their reasons for recommending Oppenheimer’s policy-shop exhibited themselves as astonishingly careless & dangerous citizens in their replies. They knew that the public believed in them & trusted them, & they were treacherous to that trust, & shamed it. You say that when they discovered how they were being used, they withdrew their names. In silence. Do you think that that was sufficient? It does not seem so to me. I think that until they repent over their damaged names the country ought to be as ashamed of them as you will see by their letters that they are privately ashamed of themselves. If is certainly laughable—& also pathetic—to see grown-up men act as these illustrious children have acted.

Sincerely Yours

Mark Twain.

Private.

Print it, if you like [MTP]. Note: See Nov. 1905 and Nov. 16, 1905 to Depew; Sam had been upset by the claims of the Oppenheimer Institute for “curing” alcoholism, especially after sending his manservant Claude Benchotte there and having him return inebriated. He wrote several letters, Depew’s being illustrative, to “illustrious men” questioning them.

Clemens’ A.D. this day included: Clemens appoints 2 pupils and tries his scheme for spontaneous oratory at the Dublin club-house—Tells of his second lecture & the repetition of the Horace Greeley story—Tells the same thing later at Chickering Hall—The series of 7 photographs of Mr. Clemens—Letter from his long vanished sweetheart, Laura Wright— Reminiscences of her; of Youngblood, the pilot; & of Davis, the mate—Letter offering tour in vaudeville [MTP: Autodict2; MTE 196-200].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Jean, 8:20, violent” [MTP TS 115].

Lucia Fessenden Gilbert wrote from Malone, N.Y. to Sam, complimenting “A Horse’s Tale” and asking if Sam would send a copy to the Queen of Spain. Sam then wrote on the letter and

sent it to Mary B. Rogers on or just after this date. “Come, Mariechen, isn’t it a nice letter?

There’s others like it, thanks be! & I’ve a passion for pettings & compliments. Clara & Jean assert it.”

Further, he directed Lyon to answer Gilbert in this way: “I am able to tell her it was written (by request) for the children of Spain—to be translated & published there by the Society for the Discouragement of the Bullfight. I am a good person” [MTP].

William Dean Howells wrote from Kittery Point, Maine to Sam.

With all thanks to you for your kind interest and proposition, I have decided, after talking with my wife, not to do anything about that accursed story of mine for the present at least. I must put it by, and perhaps never print it, (unless some fortunate chance should warrant it) till all the Feet have turned up their toes. It is too bad. But we cannot face the notion of a lot of neighbor- women saying, “Isn’t it a shame he has put poor H. F. into his story.”

      I would come and build next to you, but you ask too much for your land. $25 for a ten acre lot? No, sir.

      What a day this is! All blue and gold, and me to the Hammond Typewriter!  Yours ever… [MTHL 2: 820].

Roi Cooper Megrue for Elisabeth Marbury wrote a short thanks to Sam for sending the note authorizing Miss Daisy Andrews. Also, “I have received the letter from Mr. Timmory and will take up the contents at once” [MTP].

H.H. Rogers wrote to Sam that instead of taking old things from the house, Sam had taken good things, and he wanted the trunk and things back as soon as possible. He alerted Sam that Melville E. Stone would visit him in Dublin to confirm Sam’s appearance at a banquet on Sept. 19, and asked Sam to telegraph him where he would see Stone or telegraph Stone direct.

Rogers ended with: “By the way, I have been using a pair of your gloves in the Mountains, and they don’t seem to be much of an attraction” [MTHHR 616-17].