April 11 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave. in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Joseph J. Roche.

I am very much obliged to you for sending the Italian clipping to me. We are all glad to know, by the cablegrams, that Genoa treated Mr. Hay well, and that he is improving in the mild climate of Italy. (It is a large ‘we’, there being eighty million of us.) [MTP]. Note: John Hay would die July 1, 1905. See also Roche’s Mar. 30.

Sam also wrote to Edmund Dene Morel of the English Congo Reform Assoc. about the rejection of “King Leopold’s Soliloquy” by Harpers for the North American Review. Hawins describes: “Twain wrote Morel that ‘the corporation’ was ‘doubtful about the commercial wisdom of dipping into Leopold’s stinkpot.’ He noted with disgust, ‘They are so situated, by the contract between us, that I cannot make them do right’” [155-6]. Note: Harpers would release the “Soliloquy” to the American Congo Reform Assoc. at Twain’s request. See June 16 to Duneka.

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “I bought a red collar for Bambino today. Frantic Bambino who runs away over fences to find his feline kind and exchange confidences [MTP: TS 50]. Isabel Lyon’s journal # 2: “Representative of a Furnace maker came to examine & make estimate of cost of new furnacing” [MTP TS 13].

Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote on Koy-Lo letterhead to Sam, not having heard back from John T. Lewis. “Wouldn’t it be a good plan to get Susie Crane to go and see him and ‘take his measure’?…PS if we could get his ‘shoes’ we could fit him exactly” [MTP]. Note: with insoles.