September 23 Wednesday – Sam’s original guestbook contained one entry for this date: Harriet W. Barbour, Farmington, Conn. [Mac Donnell TS 3].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Ill all day – nervous shock” [MTP: IVL TS 66].
J.H. Burchford for the Circumnavigators Club wrote from Burlington, NJ, a short note to advise a “prospectus” of the club was being sent, “and we should be very glad to receive your application” [MTP].
Mary L. Howden wrote to answer Sam’s ad for a stenographer in this day’s NY Herald. “I am a Scotch girl, an Episcopalian, refined and well educated” [MTP]. Note: Mary would be called “Miss Mollie” after she was hired to replace the dismissed Josephine Hobby as Sam’s stenographer. She was put in charge of answering and sorting Sam’s voluminous mail and appears to have begun employment on Oct. 1, 1908, with her earliest annotations on Sam’s incoming mail on Oct. 3. Howden would be replaced by a male stenographer, William E. Grumman. Isabel Lyon had fired Josephine Hobby, who Hill calls “Paine’s ally.” Howden had answered an ad in September. She was replaced by Grumman on Feb. 3, 1909 [208, 229].
Dr. Louisa H. Richardson’s short note recommending Mary Howden as “most faithful and painstaking” in her stenography work, is in the file with Howden’s above letter to Sam [MTP
Charles Henry Meltzer wrote twice to Sam, the first from Redding, the second from NYC. He was a correspondent for the New York American and his editor had requested him to “annoy you with a few questions… / Mrs Eleanor [sic Elinor] Glyn has been circulating—privately a pamphlet which, it seems to be published, and which embodies a summary of an alleged (apparently genuine) interview with yourself and what seems to be your written comment.” Was the interview and Sam’s comment genuine? He enclosed a copy of the “Glyn matter” and expressed the desire to meet while in Redding.
Meltzer’s second letter from NYC reveals he had visited and interviewed Clemens the previous day, Sept. 22:
My Dear Sir. / I had written my story and turned it in to the Editor when quite by chance— happening to call at the office. I was handed your message. You will believe me when I say that it greatly disappointed me—For I will not pay you the poor compliment of assuming that you supposed I was talking eu l’air today without purpose. — That would have been disrespectful to you. Of course I supposed that you knew I was interviewing you for publication. Moreover, if you recall the circumstances, you twice in the course of our conversation told me that you had no objection to my quoting your very words—and indeed asked me to do so—especially in expressing your opinion of certain “indiscretions” of that lady [Glyn]. Only at certain points had I put exact words in your mouth in my story and I had been careful to explain that I did not pretend to be literally quoting you—I have referred the whole matter to the managing Editor, who is a most courteous gentleman—quite desirous to do everything fair and decent.
He says (quite truly) that the pamphlet is public property anyhow, as it has been circulating in London & New York. That will therefore be printed in the “American” in any case and be read all over the country. It was with the wish to give you an opportunity of commenting and repudiating or qualifying the statements attributed to you by Mrs. G. that the “America” requested me to interview you. —The intention was entirely courteous and deferential and I had hoped you understood this. —If you wish to modify what was said to me yesterday, or to omit certain remarks, it would give the paper pleasure to accommodate you. But would it not be less rather than more desirable to have those statements of Mrs. G.’s go out to the world without your protest and explanation than with them? — I shall endeavor to call you up tomorrow by telephone and should appreciate your courtesy if you would kindly answer me yourself. — It would gratify the “American” if, on re-consideration, you let the matter go as now planned and waived your objections to the publication. If you absolutely wished (though time is an important factor in all journalistic things) possibly the Editor would submit my story to you for you to revise. But I have no authority to say this and the matter is (technically) out of my hands. — Very sincerely and without presuming to counsel you, it does seem a case in which hard plain speech was more than permissible; and I believe everyone would think the better of you for using it. / With many thanks… [MTP].
W.W. Sanford wrote from NYC to send Sam a copy of the Christian Herald which contained an account of Sanford’s mother’s life. “I have often heard her speak so feelingly and so kindly of your mother and have many times heard her relate the occurances of those early days at Fredonia, N.Y. / I thought it might interest you to read a few lines…” [MTP].
Thomas Weiss sent a picture postcard (of a fountain) from Munich, Germany with a brief salutation in German [MTP].