December 12 Wednesday – Sam returned to New York, and 21 Fifth Ave. [NY Times – above].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “This afternoon I went out to do an errand & on my return I found the King had arrived. He seemed sweeter & mellower than ever before. He can go away from me, but I shall not go away from him again unless he sends me” [MTP TS 149].

Miss Curtis Wager-Smith wrote on Plastic Club, Phila. letterhead to Sam, asking for help for copyrighting machine-made music, listing several organizations she’d applied to which did not know [MTP]. Note: on or just after this date Sam instructed Lyon to reply to her:

Apply to Librarian of Cong for bill before Cong. will see that machine made music has been intruded into it, & machine m. music is a matter for the patent office to handle—& has no place in literature If she will obtain & read the existing law she will be satisfied with it. It is perfectly sane—& the only thing desired is that Congress shall say yes or no as to the extension of time required by those who are anxious for it [MTP].

Miss Wagner-Smith also pasted a clipping from The Press, Phila. to the letter, “Mark Twain, Lobbyist.” The article described Sam’s efforts in seeing 180 members of the House of Representatives, arguing for the Bill. It also paraphrased Sam that it was a mistake to tie copyright of literary works up with music. Wagner wrote, wasn’t it about time someone did something about copyright protection? [MTP].

Mr. Vere Goldthwaite (b. 1870) wrote from Boston to Isabel Lyon, to thank her “the sweet courtesy” with which she received him when he called at Sam’s house the day before He apologized for any impropriety. He enclosed a clipping dated Dec. 9, 1906 from the Boston Sunday Globe, which held a large pictgure of a young and distinguished looking Goldthwaite, “author of a New Book on Ingersoll,” yes, Robert G. Ingersoll, hero to Twain. The book was yet a MS which may explain why this man chose to knock on Sam’s door [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “My Compliments.” Gribben supplies that this book, The Philosophy of Ingersoll was indeed published, though gives no date beyond Sam’s 1906 copy. It was inscribed to Clemens:

“To Mark Twain, / with special reference to the following lines, ‘I believe in the medicine of mirth and in what I might call the longevity of laughter. Every man who has caused real, true, honest mirth, has been a benefactor of the human race’ /and with the kind regards of / Vere Goldthwaite / Dec. 1906”

William Holsten for New York American wrote to Sam that likely he’d seen letters of Col. Cowalsky, counsel for King Leopold of Belgium, accusing Sam of acting under a retainer from the British government. Rumors to the effect that Sam was out of the Congo movement due to his friendship with H.H. Rogers. “I have made several fruitless efforts to see you in regard to these matters. Will you not consent to make some statement in connection with them?”  [MTP].

Note: Lyon wrote for Sam on the letter: “If the fool had come to the hotel instead of sending his damn note we could have talked. Even if he’d seen him there would have been nothing to talke about for Cowalsky’s suggesgtion & the other sug. are mere silliness & not worth any attention.”

H. Lenare, Jr. wrote from New Morton House, Erie, Pa. letterhead noting Sam’s remark in the NY Journal of “how ridiculous the dress of the Male sex is.” Lenare supported such a movement, perhaps begun by getting “together a number of prominent men such as, Literary, Doctors and Professors who have made health and comfort a study” [MTP].