January 16 Sunday – At the Hotel Metropole in Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote to James Whitcomb Riley in Indianapolis, thanking him for a book sent in fulfillment of a “promise made …in Washington so many years ago…” He wrote he’d direct his Hartford publisher to send him a copy of his book (likely FE). After his signature he noted, “London weather in Vienna! / —fog to smell & the electric to work by at noon-day” [MTP]. Note: Gribben catalogs two candidates fitting the “you’ve squared your promise” bill. See entry for Riley’s A Child-World (1897) [p. 579] and Rubáiyát of Doc Sifers (1897) [p. 581].

Theodor Leschetizky came to dine with the Clemens family at the Metropole Hotel. Eduard Pötzl was also invited. Sam recorded the scene in his notebook on Jan. 19:

Last Sunday night [Jan. 16], at dinner with us, he [Leschetizky] did all the talking for 3 hours, & everybody was glad to let him. He told his experiences as a revolutionist 50 years ago in the ’48; & his battle-pictures were magnificently worded. Pötzl had never met him before. He is a talker himself & a good one—but he merely sat silent & gazed across the table at this inspired man, & drank in his words, & let his eyes fill & the blood come & go in his face & never said a word [NB 40 TS 7].

Elsa Hinterleitner wrote from Vienna to Sam asking for his handwriting on a photo of him, the furnishing of which would make her “infinitely happy [,] a young and enthusiastic Viennese girl” [MTP].