April 29 Thursday – Sam’s article, “Proposed Shakespearean Memorial,” was published in the New York Times [Fatout, MT Speaks 93].

In Hartford Sam replied to the Apr. 28 of Josiah G. Holland,  who had asked Sam to write an article for a series for the American cities (on Hartford) in Scribner’s Monthly. Holland was a founder of Scribner’s. Sam’s answer was clear enough:

“There is probably not another man in Connecticut who is so besottedly ignorant of Hartford as I am. I have lived here 3 or 4 years (in the fringe of the city) & I only go to town when it is necessary to abuse my publisher” [MTL 6: 470]. Note from source: “Clemens was not favorably disposed toward Holland: in 1872 he had written a scathing rebuttal—which he never published—to Holland’s attacks on platform humorists.”

Sam recommended Charles Clark of the Courant since Charles Warner was abroad [MTL 6: 470].

Sam also wrote to Dan De Quille having received Dan’s letter outlining proposed book projects on the history of the Comstock Lode. “Hang it man, you don’t want a pamphlet—you want a book—600 pages 8-vo, illustrated.” Sam pointed out there was no money in a pamphlet. Joe Goodman has advised Dan to write a pamphlet as “a quicker, easier, and surer thing than Sam proposes” [MTL 6: 472].

Josiah G. Holland for Scribner’s Monthly wrote again NYC. “Dear Sir:—/ I am really very sorry about Mrs. Twichell because he likes fishing; but of course I didn’t know about it and can’t help it now. I have a note from Yung Wing which says that the article is not correct. I presume Bowen did not state his mistakes from Mrs Twichell, or did he? I’m sure I don’t know. I shall write to Bowen. He had already furnished us an article on the Chinese at North Adams… [MTP]. Note: at the top of the letter Holland wrote, “I wrote you yesterday on another business.”

Thomas B.A. David (b.1836) wrote from Pittsburgh to Sam:

Dear Sir— / I am very much indebted to you, in round numbers I should say about $50,000, and I wish I could pay you—It all comes of “Old times on the Mississippi”—I had traveled some on the western waters, and the same propensity that always lifted me to the top of a stage coach, carried me to the Pilot house; and I have been renewing my youth in your papers—

      It will be no compliment to you to say that your reproduction of those scenes and characters is simply wonderful, but it may be when I tell you that I am laboring hard to convince my wife that it is not pure and unadulterated fiction—Wooing her was easy work in comparison— / Very Respy yours… [MTP]. Note: Note: Sam wrote on the env. “About River Sketches.” Sam’s account of his River days ran under this title serialized in the Atlantic Monthly from January to June. David, for eight years preceding the war, had been manager of the telegraph office at Wheeling, Va. During 1877 David conducted a series of tests on Edison’s and Bell’s telephones to determine their effectiveness. Letters between the men survive at Rutgers.