March 23 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

This afternoon Mr. Clemens went for a walk in the lovely March sunshine. He went up to see the Doubledays—and when he was walking down 4th avenue a man came up to greet him. Mr. Clemens “let on” to know him, and when the man said he was “so glad to see that Mr. Clemens was well enough to be out”—Mr. Clemens replied—“Oh yes, I’ve been well enough for 6 weeks”—The man was Mr. Mott, and we have been hedging off his tiresome wife and her invitations for weeks and weeks saying that Mr. Clemens wasn’t well enough to see people. The telephone groaned over the lies I’ve told it about Mr. Clemens’s ill condition. I’ve told such a lot of them too to Mrs. Mott. Poor telephone [MTP: TS 46-47]. Note: likely Mr. and Mrs. Jordan L. Mott of NYC.

Isabel Lyon’s Journal # 2: “Mr Clemens sent to Signor Cecche [sic Cecchi] a copy of Dr. Kirch’s letter & his reply to Dr. K’s letter which was written to Dr. Starr—Dr. K’s letter or statement was written to some one here in the city” [MTP TS 9]. Note: Dr. Moses Allen Starr; Dr. G.W. Kirch.

Frank N. Doubleday for Doubleday, Page & Co. wrote to Sam asking for a character sketch of H.H. Rogers. The World’s Work, published by Doubleday, wanted to publish the proposed sketch. Would Sam help? Isaac Frederick Marcosson (pen name John S. Gregory), longtime journalist, had been in Kansas early in 1905 to write an account of the lawsuit between Standard Oil Co. and the State of Kansas. Rogers was nearly impossible to interview, being well aware that he could hardly get an objective view by the press. Marcossin applied to Doubleday for his assistance in gaining the interview and Doubleday then wrote Twain, who took on the role of middleman between Rogers and Marcossin. Boewe writes this letter of Doubleday’s was likely hand delivered (to support this quick response, see Lyon’s above entry that Sam took a stroll and called on the Doubledays). Lyon wrote on the bottom of the note, “Mr. D. things that Mr. R. does not understand the point they [World’s Work] wish to make” [MTP]. For the full story see M. Boewe’s excellent article, “Mark Twain Anonymous,” The Kentucky Review (Spring 1989), p. 42-55. Also see Marcossin’s article in the Mark Twain Quarterly (Winter 1937-38), p. 7, 24.