November 1 Friday – Overland Monthly ran a sketch of Mark Twain by Alice Resor, accompanied by excerpts of IA reprinted from the magazine’s Oct. 1868 issue [Tenney: “A Reference Guide Third Annual Supplement,” American Literary Realism, Autumn 1979 p. 192].
Robert H. Chase wrote from Phila. after reading the Autobiography in NAR about the “early trials of Innocents Abroad.” Chase related an 1839 tale of knowing a “poor young woman” from the South who, stricken by the war had come to Phila. He advised the woman to canvass for IA and from the start she had good success, making over $40 in one day; finally she saved up $500 from the book, took it West, married well and was never poor again [MTP].
Robert J. Collier wrote to Sam.
Dear Mr. Clemens:- / Sallie and I are delighted to know that you are back in town and we are looking forward to a family dinner soon again. I hope the summer surrounded you with as much affection as Sallie seems to think your proper portion, and as I have heard that Tuxedo is the home of many beautiful young female persons, I have not been able to allay her jealousy.
Norman has given me a little fable called “Jocko and the Parrot,” whose authorship he did not know, but which emanated from you. It is an able and entertaining allegory, but with a moral pointed with so much venom that I don’t want to print it anonymously. As your personal view, it would be tremendously interesting, and if you will stand for it, either by signing it or sending with it a letter of commendation,—in it goes at once: Otherwise I am afraid that we shall have to give up the idea of printing it [MTP]. Note: Collier continued on to disagree generally with Twain’s opinions of President Roosevelt, taking a position with his weekly that “he is being unjustly blamed for a catyclsm not of his causing,” or, the financial crisis. Since they took that view “it would be almost dishonest for us to publish so clever (and bitter) an anonymous arraignment of him.”
Harper & Brothers for Frederick T. Leigh wrote to Miss Lyon enclosing a check for $1,000 on account of payment due this day of $2,083.33 [MTP].
Dorothy Quick wrote from Plainfield, NJ to Sam.
My Dear Mr Clemens / I just simply love the pictures Miss Lyon sent me they are all so good of you I wished I was back again at Tuxedo when I saw them Grandpa and Grandma and everyone in fact say they are the very best Kodak pictures they ever saw I read in the paper that you were down town I think you were very brave I should have been frightened to death you dont know how I miss you or how I long to see you we play cards every night and have lots of fun please tell Miss Lyon I will write to her very soon with lots and lots of love kisses and hugs your very loving / Dorothy [MTAq 80].
Of the selections from Twain’s A.D.’s, DeVoto selected about half of the materials not chosen before by Paine to be included in Mark Twain in Eruption (1940); among DeVoto’s choices, was “The Panic,” dictated this day, which compared the financial struggles of 1907 to prior panics [4-7]. Note: MTP notes, “Re-uses story in AD 5 Mar 1906 (‘…just my God damned luck’).”