May 1 Wednesday – At 4 a.m. the Kanawha got underway back to New York through the clearing fog [Baltimore Sun May 10, “Mark Twain in Clover” p.14]. Note: because the yacht could not be seen leaving from shore, it was thought for a day or more that it was lost at sea.
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “All day in bed. All day anxious about the King, for the Sun’s story of excessive fog makes travel dangerous. These days mother has been unspeakably sweet. But oh, we are all growing old—old ! She sat on my bed tonight when Nellie came up to say “a telephone message says that Mr. Clemens will be here inside of an hour” [MTP TS 55].
Though Sam was not in New York, the lease which Sam signed on Mar. 5 for William Voss’ house in Tuxedo Park began this day [Mar. 5 to Jean].
The Kanawha made New York a few minutes past 9 p.m. [Scharnhorst, 587n2].
Meanwhile, in New York, Mrs. Sidney Rosenfeld, an offended Christian Science member who was also head of the Century Theatre Club, raised a stink about Mark Twain being invited to supply signed books for their booth at the upcoming Actors’ Fair. The New York Times jumped on the story, p.2, “Mark Twain Fuss in Actors’ Fair.” Either Twain was out or she would resign from the club. Daniel Frohman was consulted with the result being the transfer of Sam to the Players Club booth. The membership was in favor of Mrs. Rosenfeld resigning.
Arthur McEwan died suddenly from heart disease in Bermuda. At the time McEwan was the chief editorial writer for the New York American. He was 56. After an English course at U.C. Berkeley, McEwan became a journalist, first in Virginia City, Va. in the 1870s, and later in San Francisco [NY Times, May 2, 1907, p. 11]. Note: see entries in Vol. II.
Roi Cooper Megrue for Elisabeth Marbury wrote to Sam. “Mr. Colwell wants to know if he can have another extension on his rights for A YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT. He also asked if Sam could go over the Agricultural Editor piece since Arnold Daly thought it needed work [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote on the letter: “No—Mr Clemens wont have a thing to do with it. Frohman says so”
John T. Mitchell wrote to Sam on Missouri Presbyterian Assembly and Summer School letterhead. Mitchell invited Clemens to join them any time from July 17 to Aug 4 and take Christian Science as a subject for a lecture [MTP].
Olivia Vickers wrote from Dallas, Tex. to defend Christian Science [MTP].