Home at Hartford: Day By Day

April 11 Tuesday – Office of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army per H.M. Adams wrote to advise that “a copy of a map of the alluvial basin of the Mississippi River and 16 sheets of the new map …have been sent by today’s mail” [MTP].

April 11 Wednesday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Mrs. Rollins (unidentified further):

April 11 Saturday – Sam wrote a one liner from Hartford to S.L. Caldwell, accepting for Susy and himself the invitation sent. Caldwell’s identity and the event referred to are unknown.

April 11 Sunday – At the Murray Hill Hotel in New York, William Dean Howells wrote to Sam.

I got the last of your telegrams and the only one last night. We all want to stop over with you on our way home, but we don’t know when the people are going out of our house, or when we shall get in. Will you let me write you again about the visit, reserving the right to say no to me if it isn’t convenient for you when we propose coming?

April 11 Monday – Alfred P. Burbank wrote Sam, once again interested in a possible production of Colonel Sellers as a Scientist (The American Claimant). With the recent death of John T. Raymond Burbank felt there was an opportunity for him to take on the popular character [MTHL 2: 591n2]. From this footnote in the cited text:

April 11 Wednesday – Sam wrote to A.C. Armstrong for the New Princeton Review withdrawing from the forgotten promise to write an article [MTNJ 3: 343n134].

Susan L. Crane wrote concerned about Livy’s health and wanting to come take care of her [MTP].

M.P. Handy wrote to Sam (Pierce College of Business, Phila. To Handy Apr. 6 enclosed) seeking his speech at the school’s commencement [MTP].

April 11 Thursday – In Hartford, Sam responded to an unidentified man who evidently asked what effect the Paige typesetter would have on the costs of composition. Sam’s reply shows how high the expectations for the machine were:

April 11 Friday – Edgar W. (Bill) Nye wrote to Sam from Helena, Mont. that he “had recently the pleasure of meeting … the gifted cuss known as Joe Goodman.” Nye wanted to get together and smoke “the festive corn cob,” drink and play pool and smoke, “tell Sabbath school stories and stay up late” [MTP].

Daniel C. Smith ?wrote from N.Y.: was Sam open to lecture? Sam wrote “no” on the envelope [MTP].

April 11 Saturday – Howells sent a brief letter of introduction for Sergei M. Stepnyak (Sergei Mikhailovich Kravchinski). “I am sure you and he will not fail to be great friends” [MTHL 2: 643]. The source notes identify Kravchinski as a “Russian Nihilist and exile,” who wrote under the pseudonym Stepnyak (Often spelled Stepniak). In Nov. 1888, Howells had issued a positive review of Stepnyak’s The Russian Peasant. Stepnyak lectured on Siberian exiles, Tolstoi, and the need for revolution in Russia [n1].

April 12 Tuesday – A.G. Newman, burglar alarms, NYC wrote to Sam. “Referring to enclosed Statements of a/c would say that with your permission I propose drawing on you for the Amt $222.46 on the 22nd inst., when I trust you will find it convenient and agreeable to honor the same, and greatly oblige” [MTP].

April 12 Wednesday – Roswell Phelps mailed Sam a contract for his employment, which Sam signed. Phelps was to receive $100 per month for “at least four weeks” work, all traveling and living expenses and for transcribing notes made on the trip by June 1, one dollar per thousand words. The contract is in the MTP [MTNJ 2: 517].

April 12 Thursday – James R. Osgood wrote that they didn’t need to start the 8th for Chicago. “Clark seemed to think about 10 days necessary in the other case, but I guess if we leave here the morning of the 9th it will be time. You come here Tuesday the 8th and dine with me and will start Wed. a.m. We can return the following Monday or Tuesday. / Glad you like the book” [MTP].

April 12 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, in a rather scolding tone:

“The book is to be issued when a big edition has been sold—& not before…Now write it up somewhere, & keep it in mind; & let us consider that question settled, and done with…Write it up, & don’t forget it any more” [MTBus 248].

April 12 Monday – In Hartford Sam responded to Howells’ Apr. 11 letter:

Good — it’s all right. We were afraid you had escaped to Boston….Well, I shall be down Friday evening, & will look in on you Saturday morning, & we will arrange to visit there [MTHL 2: 553].

April 12 Tuesday – As reported by the Brooklyn Eagle of Apr. 13, 1887 p.5, Sam and Webster & Co. finally won a court case:

THE PUBLISHERS OF GRANT’S BOOK.

Mark Twain and His Partner Recover Some Heavy Amounts.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa., April 13

Charles L. Webster and Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain), trading as Charles L. Webster & Co., yesterday won three cases before Judge Fell.

April 12 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to his sister-in-law, Susan L. Crane that she would be “so welcome!” Livy was ailing again with a bad throat and head; Sam too had “a most infernal cold in the head” [MTP].

April 12 Friday – Sam and Livy went to New York and stayed at the Murray Hill Hotel [Apr.15 to Crane]. He gave a reading there the next day at Miss Brown’s.

Sam’s notebook: [check] # 4830. Apl. 12. $40. — 2,000 miles [3: 470].

April 12 Saturday – An English version of the P&P play opened at the Gaiety Theatre in London [MTNJ 3: 482]. Note: this had been authorized by Sam and Andrew Chatto.

Moncure D. Conway wrote from London about the P&P play — he’d seen the first performance of it and could not sleep until he had “put on paper an assurance for you of its wondrous success.” He also thought CY was “a pretty book” [MTP].

April 12 Sunday – Sergei M. Stepnyak (Sergei Mikhailovich Kravchinski), a Russian revolutionary, wrote to Sam from the Alvorton Hotel in Boston, including a brief letter of introduction (Apr. 11) from William Dean Howells. Stepnyak asked if he might call on Sam when he passed through Hartford in a few days [MTHL 2: 643n1].

April 12? Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells, including a note from John T. Lewis, the “sable hero” of the runaway carriage incident. Sam sent it as an addition to the story [MTLE 5: 70].

April 13 Tuesday – Frederick J. Boesse (1844-1914) wrote from Americus, Ga. to criticize TA, and Sam’s “blunders” in German, as well as to criticize American habits [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “From a Jewish swine.” Paine later wrote under this “Amen. / A.B.P.”; Boesse was the head of F.J. Bosse & Co, NYC importers of jeweler’s materials. He was born in Germany and lived in Brooklyn for 50 years [NY Times obit Sept. 19, 1914)].

April 13 Wednesday – Laura C. Redden Searing (1839-1923; pseudonym: “Howard Glyndon”) wrote from Sherwood, NY to ask Sam for coaching about subscription publishing [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Howard Glyndon Poetess”; not in Gribben.

April 13 Thursday – Karl & Hattie J. Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy, delighted with the Clemenses letters even though typed. He’d sent Sam’s last letter to a London Publisher and rec’d a valuable dictionary in return. A detailed page or two of their expenses [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Gerhardt / Part of Expense a/c for 17 ½ months—Mc 17 ’81 to Sept. 1 ’82–/ $900 a year

April 13 Friday – Funk & Wagnalls wrote an offer to publish Sam’s 80,000 word MS to be included in a series of 12 books by representative American authors [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Not Answered”

April 13 Tuesday – Howells,  still in New York, wrote a short note to Sam, responding to his Apr. 12 letter about coming down to see him on Saturday.

We leave this hotel today, for a visit in N. Jersey, but I’ll run in to see you Friday [MTHL 2: 554]

Howells’ Jersey visit was to Elinor Howells’ younger sister, Mrs. Augustus D. Shepard [n2].