November 23 Monday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to William Dean Howells, addressing the letter:
“Mr. W. D. Howells |at the Burlington just aft the Holland House, 30th st., on the port tack as you pull out of 5th avenue reaching for 6th, on a taut bowline. New York City |N. Y.”
Dear Howells:
There’ll be a vacant bed Friday Nov 26th—do come up & occupy it & stay a few days. The early train (for Redding) leaves the Grand Central at 8.50 a.m.
The 3.32 p.m. comes about the same distance (an hour & a half) but you get off at Branchville.
Come! And tell us which train to meet.
If you’d like to see 100 of the sterlingest farmers & their families encounterable anywhere, take the early train. They will assemble in our library at 2.30 p.m., Friday, to hear me do the same old string of years—admission 25 cents, for the benefit of the village library. (You see I am concealing nothing from you, but you would greatly like these folks.)
Lord Northcliffe was here with Harvey. Lounsbury drove them to the station, & he told Miss Lyon that N. praised the house all the way & said he meant to get John Howells to go over & turn some of his residences into human houses. / With love— /Mark [MTHL 2: 837-8]. Note: Harry A. Lounsbury, a neighbor who had assisted in the capture of the burglars.
Sam also wrote to Emilie R. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers).
I’m a-coming just as soon I can find a vacancy—some day next week, I hope. I wish I could camp with the tribe at the Thanksgiving orgy, but there will be company and profligacies here on that day & for a day or two after. I wish you & the Admiral were going to be here & were no better than you ought to be—we would have a scandalous good time. Miss Wallace & another member of the I. C. are coming.
Yes’m, I thank you very much, & I shall give you notice before long. With my love to you & the Admiral— … [MTHHR 655-6].
Sam also inscribed a copy of Mark Twain’s (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance to an unidentified person: “I bought the plates of this book about 1873 & destroyed them. S.L. Clemens Nov 23/08.” [MTP: Parke-Bernet Galleries catalogs, May 12, 1953, No. 1441, Item 258].
Elbridge Axtell, age 74, an “old time printer” wrote from Springfield, Mass. to ask for “a line” from Clemens [MTP]. Note: “Ans. Nov. 24 MLH”
J.A. Goldsmith for Bridgeport Enterprise wrote to send Sam a copy of the paper and would be pleased to have his opinion [MTP]. Note: “Ans. Nov. 24 MLH”
J.T. Lockhart wrote from Spokane, Wash. to enclose a “little story of Col. Nash” he had just written. “I trust it may amuse you for a moment and hope it may bring back some pleasant memories of bygone days of early life [in] Carson, Parson White and his brick church that you named the ‘Chronic church’ as it was so long in the building” [MTP]. Note: “Colonel Nash of Carson” in file; “Ans. Dec. 7 MLH”; see Jan 22, 1909 entry about Parson White.
Henry Miller for Henry Miller Company, NYC wrote to announce The Winterfeast, a new play by Charles Rann Kennedy to be performed next Monday; if Sam wanted to go Miller would forward tickets [MTP]. Note: “Ans. Nov. 25 MLH”
New York, New Haven, & Hartford Railroad per A.B. Smith wrote to Sam acknowledging his letter of Nov. 18 asking that trains #239 and 240 stop at Redding; the matter would be looked into, but both trains were express [MTP].
Perry F. Burroughs wrote from Bridgeport, Conn. to ask for an autograph [MTP]. Note: “Autogr. sent Nov. 24 MLH”
George Thornhill wrote from Wappingers Falls, NY to verify his memory of seeing Sam on the SS Batavia in 1873 with a baby under his arm, Susy Clemens [MTP]. Note: the Clemens family with baby Susy was on the Batavia headed for England from May 17 to 27. See Vol. I.
Charles B. Whittelsey wrote from Hartford seeking Clemens with a talk before the Mens Club of Trinity Parish [MTP]. Note: “Ans. Nov. 25 MLH”; and IVL: “Lecture form”