July 18 Tuesday – In Krankenheil-Tölz, Germany Sam wrote to Charles J. Langdon, asking that Matthew Arnot’s 45 royalties transferred by Arnot to Livy and sent to Franklin G. Whitmore for safe deposit [MTP]. Sam’s notebook:
July 18. Wrote C. J. L. [Charles J. Langdon] to have Arnot’s 45 royalties transferred by Arnot to O.L. Clemens & sent to Whitmore for Safe Deposit [NB 33 TS 23].
Sam also wrote to John Brisben Walker, owner of Cosmopolitan, responding to his Apr. 12 offer. Sam proposed to double words and payment, (from 2,500-3,500 words and from five to ten thousand dollars) for a twelve month serial of “The Innocents Adrift,” his “Down the Rhone” account. Sam advised he had 20,000 words written at this point [MTP]. Note: Sam’s offer would have meant he’d have to write some 40,000 additional words. Sam’s notebook shows an entry of these terms [NB 33 TS 23]
Sam also began a letter to Frederick J. Hall that he would add a PS to on July 22. No reason was given for the delay, an unusual practice for Sam.
Doubtless Mr. Walker [Prof. Lawrence B. Walker] is away on vacation, but please keep a copy of the enclosed in your regular letter-book, and get the original to him as soon as you can.
It is my ingenious scheme to protect the family against the almshouse for one more year — and after that…well, goodness knows! I have never felt so desperate in my life — and good reason, for I haven’t got a penny to my name, and Mrs. Clemens hasn’t enough laid up with Langdon to keep us two months.
Sam was fearful that Daniel Whitford, who represented both Webster & Co. and the Mount Morris Bank, would “withdraw his protection,” meaning his influence with the bank in holding off payment of the debts, and that even his royalties might be seized before the debts were paid. If LAL could be sold it would save both Hall and Sam. He’d received no letters or cablegram about the machine being finished.
We are afraid you are having miserable days and worried nights, and we sincerely wish we could relieve you, but it’s all black with us and we don’t know any helpful thing to say or do [MTLTP 350-2].