January 20 Wednesday – Sam went to New York City, accompanied by Isabel Lyon [Feb. 5 to Blackmer]. He would not return to Stormfield until the evening of Jan. 30.
In the evening Sam attended the annual dinner at Delmonico’s, given by the Directors and faculty of the New York Post Graduate Medical School and Hospital. The New York Times reported on the function:
TWAIN TALKS TO DOCTORS.
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“Dr. Clemens” Describes Imaginary Medical School at His Country Home.
At the annual dinner of the Directors and Faculty of the New York Post Graduate Medical School and Hospital at Delmonico’s last night Mark Twain, a member of the Post-Graduate Corporation, and appropriately introduced as Dr. Samuel L. Clemens, told of the imaginary establishment of an imaginary branch of the Post-Graduate School at his home in Redding, Conn. He recounted the imaginary ailments of the imaginary patients, and told of the disagreements in diagnosis between himself and the other members of the Faculty—to wit: a horse doctor and an undertaker.
Dr. Clemens, who wore his now famous white suit of dinner clothes, and seemed to be comfortable in them, also talked at some length about his celebrated burglars. He declared that he had never lost anything through burglars; on the contrary, he had been a gainer, he declared, because the burglars had frightened away some undesirable servants.
“I desire to honor two noble institutions,” said Dr. Clemens, “both of which are teachers. One is the Post-Graduate and the other the Children’s Theatre, of which I am proud to be the President.
“I may say, as a member of the Post-Graduate Corporation,” he added, “that I have been practicing up there in Connecticut for seven months, and the population is thinning out—the public is growing less.”
Dr. George N. Miller, President of the Post Graduate, who presided paid a tribute to the late Dr. D. B. St. John Roosa, who was the founder of the institution and its President up to the time of his death last year.
Dr. Miller declared that the legacy of $2,000,000 left to the institution by Frederick Charles Hewitt of Oswego, N.Y. was “the same as in the treasury now” despite the contest of Mrs. Hewitt’s will.
Other speakers were Dr. Bache Emmett, Dr. W. S. Thayer of Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Musser of Philadelphia, Dr. Adami of Montreal, Dr. Samuel Lambert, Dr. Simon Flexner, and Dr. Charles L. Dana.
Among the 150 present were Dr. Frederic Brush, Superintendent of the Post-Graduate Medical School; Dr. Arthur F. Chace, Secretary; Dr. K. K. MacAlpine, Dr. G. R. Pleek, and Dr. George I. Miller.
E.C. Babcock for the Osborne Co., NYC wrote to Sam. “At the suggestion of Mr. Samuel J. Woolf, we have made a reproduction of a portrait of you painted by him. This picture we are planning to issue as an art calendar, but before doing so, we would like to know if you are entirely satisfied with this particular portrait” [MTP]. Note: “Ans. Jan 27 M.L.H.” See IVL’s journal for Feb. 13, 1906, which clearly shows the portrait was unsatisfactory.
Earle R. Clemens for the Rhyolite (Nev.) Herald wrote to ask Sam for a short story “about the old days in Nevada.” He remarked he should be a relative, given his name [MTP]. Note: “Ans. Jan 29 M.L.H.”
Curtis Lubin for Town & Country replied to Clemens or Lyon’s Jan. 19, saying he would be “most pleased to come to Redding on the train leaving New York at 8:50” on Jan. 25 [MTP]. Note: see Jan. 14 from Lubin.