December 16 Tuesday ca., before – In Hartford Sam wrote to Richard Watson Gilder:

My Dear Gilder: C.N. Flagg, descendant of a tolerably long line of painters, is painting my portrait for exhibition in the Academy next spring: & he has made the sittings delightful with his tongue — repetitions of talks with his aged uncle George, (painter, of course) who knew everybody in art & literary circles in London a generation or so ago. Finally I said, “You’ve got a gold mine in that Uncle George of yours — why don’t you work it,” All right. First result, last night. I mean, first instalment of “Talks with my Uncle George” submitted in manuscript. Present, the Twichells Mrs. George Warner, Mrs. Clemens — the visitors there by accident. Well, sir, by cordial verdict of that court, this instalment is just charming. Actually this delightful talker writes as delightfully as he talks — or else he deceived us by masterly reading. I think Flagg is a discovery. Do you want him? Make me a bid & I’ll see whether you can have him or not. He is poor, but I’m not going to let him go cheap. Yrs. sincerely, S.L. Clemens [MTP from Goodspeed’s Catalog, No. 189, Item 62].

December 16 Tuesday – Richard Watson Gilder typed a postcard notifying Sam that “Talks with my Uncle George” had been received and he would read it [MTP].

Howard P. Taylor wrote from N.Y. to Sam that so far he’d been unsuccessful in placing the CY play for this season after having interviewed “most of the New York managers…At present the play is under consideration by A.M. Palmer of the Madison Square and Palmer’s Theatre”

[MTP].

Frederick J. Hall wrote a short note to Sam that he’d written Chatto and enclosed Sam’s letter. Hall would be on the lookout for a copy of Stanley’s book for him [MTP].