January 8 Monday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to Katharine I. Harrison, enclosing a typewritten sheet with sections XIV between his and Livy’s Dec. 31, 1896 contract with American Publishing Co., and V, and VI from his Dec. 31, 1896 contract between Harper & Brothers and the American Publishing Co. and Livy:
“I feel quite sure that this is from my contract with Bliss. I think you will find that the Harper contract does not afford me these protections, nor indeed any protections at all.”
Sam didn’t need a copy of the Harpers contract but asked her to examine it and determine if there was “any way to get hold of my Harper books,” which he guessed there wasn’t. He noted on the margin to paragraph XIV: “Bliss paid me $10,000 in advance on ‘Following the Equator,’ but I had no advance-money from Harper” [MTHHR 423]. Note: in previous letters Sam expressed dissatisfaction with Harpers’ sale of his books, advertising of his books, and lately his lack of ability to cancel the contract after five years, which the enclosed segment of the contract with Bliss contained. With the reorganization of Harpers and Col. Harvey’s installment, these issues would not occupy Sam’s attention.
Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.
It was splendid to get that good long letter—it was the next best thing to seeing you in person and having a handshake. I should like that mighty well. …
I am strongly hoping we may get home the middle of May; and yet there is this objection: that we should have to hunt summer quarters at once; therefore we may end by remaining here till next God knows when! I can’t endure the thought of it. I am tired to death of this everlasting exile. We have this flat until the middle of May, and must pay for it, and therefore stick it out.
Sam had a scheme to support Mrs. Rogers’ latest charity effort (unspecified)—he didn’t think he had the voice to speak in a large hall any more, but he had “voice enough for the largest drawing room we can find” with “war prices” charged to the rich for tickets. He thought it “very nice news” that Rogers’ daughter, Mai Huttleston Rogers would marry William Robertson Coe on June 4, and he would keep her secret. A May return would offer a yacht trip. (Rogers had not yet built his own yacht so was chartering.) “We must make a long trip; it is the best of all ways to build up mental and bodily health.” Sam reported the Boer war had “taken all the gaiety out of the people and a smile is a forgotten aspect,” and gave an example of the downturn in business affected by the war. Other subjects: Sam was disillusioned with the N.Y. World, which he thought had become “respectable” after they “captured some mighty big writers for Xmas,” but he didn’t intend to “get caught again.” He had tried to guess the size of Clarence Rice’s children and today Rogers’ letter included that. Livy had been down two weeks with influenza and bronchitis, but was “up and around and all right, now.” He remembered Susy’s “cerebro-spinal meningitis” and thought “Kellgren would have cured her without any difficulty” [MTHHR 424-6].
Sam also wrote to Joe Twichell.
Mental Telepathy has scored another. Mental Telepathy will be greatly respected a century hence.
By the accident of writing my sister and describing to her the remarkable cures made by Kellgren with his hands and without drugs, I brought upon myself a quite stunning surprise; for she wrote to me that she had been taking this very treatment in Buffalo—and that it was an American invention.
Well it does really turn out that Dr. Still, in the middle of Kansas, in a village, began to experiment in 1874, only five years after Kellgren began the same work obscurely in the village of Gotha, in Germany. Dr. Still seems to be an honest man; therefore I am persuaded that Kellgren moved him to his experiments by Mental Telegraphy across six hours of longitude, without need of a wire.
Sam continued with an indictment of doctors and medicine as an “insane system…protected by the state and made a close monopoly” [MTP]. Note: Dr. Andrew Taylor Still.
Harper & Brothers wrote to Sam, forwarding a copy of a letter by Marie Wiertz asking to translate into French “Concerning the Jews.” Sam would answer on Jan. 23; see entry [MTP].