December 28 Friday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
“Puppy chew the soap.”
“Mr Clemens do you care to contribute to the Booth Memorial Fund?”
“No I don’t. I hate this idea of celebrities scratching each other’s backs & I don’t want anybody to be asked to contribute anything—for me!” [MTP TS 154-155].
Clemens’ A.D. of this day included: From Susy’s Biography: some of the stories Clemens used to tell; tribute to Clemens from Andrew Lang—Clemens’ speech for Booth dinner—the game of pegs for remembering dates— Clemens is found laughing over his own book. He comments upon this—also upon the mystery of style—impossible for an author to conceal his own peculiar style—The coincidence of Oliver Wendell Holmes reading of death of relative, remarking that his name was incorrect because Dr. Holmes’s father, who baptized him had lost the slip of paper on which name was written, & the finding of the slip by Dr. Holmes immediately afterwards— The coincidence of the Bessie Stone letter & the coming upon “Mary” in “Huck Finn” immediately after [MTP Autodict3].
Frederick T. Leigh for Harper & Brothers wrote to Sam explaining their position on advance advertising for forthcoming books, in reply to Sam’s complaint that there had been none on CS book [MTP]. On or after this day on the back of Harpers’ letter, Sam gave instructions to Isabel Lyon how to reply. “Tell him I understand the whole situation now & approve of it. & as to that full lengthened white clothed apparition—does he want to use it in that book—or shall he hand it to some other mag—because they want it” [MTP].
American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science, NY sent Sam a membership card and a certificate for being an elected member, signed by William H. Welch, President [MTP].
Manly B. Curry wrote on Army and Navy notepaper, Manila, Phillipines to Sam. Curry had a month’s leave coming and wanted to meet Sam [MTP].
Samuel Post Davis wrote to Sam. In part: [MTP].
My Dear Twain. / I have written an article for the Journal and American, of N.Y. entitled “Twain at Long and Short Range.” It treats of the Harper feed at Delmonicos, briefly and more of the little lunch of beer and sandwiches at that 14th St joint.
I have requested Sam Chamberlain, of the Journal to submit the proofs to you before running the article with the liberty of revision as well as the right to shelve the entire thing if you wish.
The state of Nevada is putting up a new public library to cost about $40,000 and last summer I wrote Andrew Carnegie to see if he would not contribute something toward the structure as I knew he was fond of chucking his surplus in that direction.
He was off in Scotland somewhere and I never heard from him. Now it stricks me that a life sized statue of a Comstock miner in the rotunda of that building would be a fine thing. A miner stripped to the waist with his hands on the top of his pick handle ready to tackle an honest days work. I think you might induce Carnegie to give $5000 for such a broze life size. Some evening we might get him round to your house and persuade him to limber up and if he proves cantankerous we could throw him down and take the money away from him. If we thought it a hazardous job we could send for Steve Gillis and make a sure thing.
I called you up by phone last week as I wanted to call and tell you about that stock but the party at the phone said that you were going out to dine. It was the night that the artists gave you the blow out. If this keeps up you will have [to] sell your dining room set [MTP]. Note: nothing directly given about Joe Goodman’s situation. Clemens did not care much for Sam P. Davis.