November 20 Thursday – Sam and Cable gave a reading in Newburgh, New York.

Sam wrote a letter marked “Confidential” from Hartford to William N. Woodruff, Hartford machinist and contractor, about the Nathan Hale statue competition for the Conn. State Capitol [MTP]. Gerhardt won the competition in Mar. 1885 [Perry 168; Schmidt]. (See MTNJ 3:179n6 for more about Woodruff.)

An advertisement began in the Youth’s Companion for subscription agents for Huckleberry Finn. The ads ran Nov. 20, 27 and Dec. 11, 1884, and carried the line: AGENTS: “Splendid Terms. Canvassing Books Ready,” together with Charles L. Webster & Co.’s New York address. The canvassing books used by salesmen to pitch sales carried the famous obscene defacement of page 283, since Webster did not detect the obscenity until November 28, 1884, eight full days later. He then informed the New York Tribune and the New York Herald about the defacement [The Twainian, Mar-Apr 1946, p.1-3]. See Nov. 29 entry for the Herald article.

Sam called on General Grant at his New York City home on East 66th Street to offer to publish Grant’s memoirs. When he left, “he was convinced that the general would give Charles L. Webster & Co. the rights to publish his memoirs” [Perry 115]. (See Nov. 23 to Susy with mention of this visit.) Grant discussed Sam’s offer with his children and Adam Badeau, then wrote to close friend and advisor George W. Childs to help him evaluate the situation [116].

The New York World ran an article “Mark Twain as a Lecturer / How He Feels When He Gets on the Stage before an Audience,” p. 5. Sam explained “how he watches, gauges, and adjusts to the reactions of audiences” [Budd, “Interviews” 3].

Robert J. Burdette wrote to Clemens, sorry that a lecture engagement called him to Saratoga just as Clemens & Cable were to arrive in Philadelphia [MTP].