October 25 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster.
Hammersley said the foreman of the Herald composing rooms was here last Saturday to examine the machine [Paige typesetter]; was satisfied with it, & said he should advise the Herald to order $150,000 worth (30 machines.) (More than necessary, I should think, for 30 of them would do the work of 150 men.)
However, my object now in writing, is to say, if you should carry Hammersley’s project through, telegraph me when it is actually done, for I shall want to scrape up some money & buy another block of this stock, here, if I can get it. I reckon it will take about a hundred thousand machines to supply the world, & I judge the world has got to buy them—it can’t well be helped.
At this point Sam’s investment in the Paige typesetter was only $5,000, and would eventually be $300,000—a loss [MTBus 172-3].
Sam also wrote to John C. Kinney, evidently an editor on the Hartford Courant. Sam wrote he was “mighty glad you got in those paragraphs, & paid Fitch’s speech so handsome a compliment editorially…” Sam asked, “…won’t you please telephone me, so that I can order a copy or so” of Howells’ review of P&P written “for the N.Y. Tribune at John Hay’s request” ? [MTP]. Note: Sam’s home telephone was directly wired to the Courant office.
Sam also wrote to James R. Osgood. He was still bothered by the Miles Herndon baronet mistake and suggested the wording of a cable for Chatto & Windus. Sam noted,
“English critics are more likely to discover such a flaw than ours” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to an unidentified person declining an invitation to attend a Board of Trade convention, probably in St. Louis. Sam apologized but was:
“…putting a book through the press, & this sort of work requires not merely daily but hourly attention; so that if I were even invited to attend my own funeral I simply couldn’t go; they would have to play a dummy on the mourners & hold on with the monument indefinitely” [MTP].
The carpenters and plumbers were done working on the Clemens house by this day, and the decorators began attacking their work with scaffolds (See letter to House, Oct. 26).
William Dean Howells’ review of P&P, “A Romance by Mark Twain,” ran in the N.Y. Tribune, p.6, and was reprinted in several newspapers.
Kate D. Barstow wrote to Sam:
“Dear Sam / Can you spare me $50.00 now? If not can you spare me $25.00 ?”
She bowed and scraped and begged him not to “possibly depriving yourself or family of a comfort or pleasure”…implying that Sam’s response was less than fully enthusiastic. Kitty referred to his offer to use him to procure her books at a discount…and wrote she would “avail” herself of that in the future [MTP; See Kate’s Oct. 29 entry].
Bruce Weston Munro wrote from Newcastle, Ont. to thank Clemens for his “kind, out-spoken letter. Far from being hurt at so kind & sincere a letter, I am only pleased” [MTP].
Percy F. Sinnett wrote from Adelaide, S. Australia acknowledging Sam’s letter rec’d weeks before. [MTP]. Note: see Sinnet’s May 21; Sam’s July 24 to Sinnett; Sam’s July 24 to the Australian Public; Herbert Evans to Sam of July 21