March 11 Saturday – Sam wrote the following concerning his birthday. This piece was later found in an autograph album. Note Sam’s comparison of himself to George Washington:

Nov 30, 1835.

St. Andrew set, once for all, the standard of character proper to persons electing to be born on the 30th of November. None but the vain & self-complacent have taken the risk since. I chose the 31st, myself, not knowing there was no such day. I was so young, & so troubled with embarrassment on account of having to go among ladies the way I was—a trying ordeal I have always refused to do it again. The 30th of November is perhaps the most difficult & exacting of all the birth-days, except February 22, but I have done what I could to keep it up to standard; many think, with success.

Mark Twain

March 11, 1905 [Sotheby’s sale # NO 8698 June 17, 2010, Lot 538, from the James S. Copley Library].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: Tonight Mr. and Mrs. Stanchfield dined here. It was a very pretty dinner and a good one and the talk was principally about the great Russian-Japanese War, for at this time the Russians are suffering tremendous losses and the Japanese are lashing them with victory upon victory. They are capturing Mukden. Mr. Stanchfield is a very handsome man, and clever too.

Mr. Dan Beard called this afternoon, I didn’t see him [MTP: TS 43].

Isabel Lyon’s journal#2: “Mr. Coburn photographed Mr. Clemens. / Mr Dan Beard called” [MTP TS 7].

Muriel M. Pears wrote to Sam.

My Dear and Greatest Mr. Clemens, / Only this week and by special order have I been able to get a North American for this month, for as indeed I heard in Philadelphia before I left the demand for the copy with the Soliloquy was so great that every one was speaking of it and of the extraordinary interest it aroused.” Pears praised JA again. She guessed that Sam’s cat Bambino had by now forgotten her, but she hoped to see him again [MTP]. Note: Muriel visited Sam on Feb. 17.