December 16 Saturday – Sam typed a short note from Hartford to John Brown Jr. thanking him for the picture sent “of a room whose aspect was so familiar to us and with which we have so many loving associations.” Sam sent another picture of little Jean, saying “two pictures of Jean Clemens” were much better “than none at all” [MTP].

Sam also typed a note to Edward S. Martin (1856-1939), who had written seeking an article. Martin attended Harvard University; he created the humor magazine Harvard Lampoon with a few of his friends. Following graduation, he and his friends created Life magazine, originally designed as a humor publication. He would write Howells’ obituary for Harper’s Magazine in 1920. Sam referred him to Osgood, saying he had “entered into a solemn engagement with him to this effect” [MTP].

Sam also typed a note to George H. Morgan, a resident of Gainesborough, Tenn., where Sam’s parents lived before he was born. (John Marshall Clemens opened the first hotel in Gainesborough.) Morgan supposedly lived in the old Clemens house. Sam enclosed a “slip” which probably had his basic biographical information and added:

“I am grieved to inform you that I was not born in Gainsboro. I have always regretted that I was not born there. If I am ever born again, I intend to be born in Gainsboro. P.S. I believe my parents lived a while in Gainesborough, in fact I am nearly sure of it, but it was before I was born. S.L.C.” [MTP].

Sam also typed a note to Charles Webster about putting Webster “in as director in the engineering company in my place.” Sam also wanted him to go to the American Publishing Co., to see if they had notified custom houses “on the frontier” regarding Sam’s books, “in accordance with the treasury order of October 19th” [MTP]. Note: this last item had to do with allowing pirated books into the U.S. via US mail.