November 24 Thursday – Thanksgiving – Charlemagne Tower, US ambassador in Vienna, gave a reception at his residence on Alleegasse for all Americans. Sam and Clara were in attendance. Dr. and Mrs. Hiester Bucher (Vara Kalbach Bucher) met Sam and Clara, as recorded in Mrs. Bucher’s diary and published in Mary Leah Christmas’ A Honeymoon in Vienna, 1898-1899:
Met Hiester, Drs. Forbes and Newhard at the Spital, where we took a car, and proceeded to the Tower residence…Mrs. Tower received us. We went on into the dining room. After chatting with Mrs. Brainerd and Mrs. Remmington, Hiester tried to find an ice for me. A man whom we took for the head waiter offered to get it, and a little later we learned that same was no less than Mr. Tower himself. … Was introduced to the great Leschetitsky [sic], “Mark Twain” (Mr. Clemmens) [sic] and Miss Clemmens [sic] [32]. Note: sic’s in Christmas’ text. Leschetizky is the only person identified here.