December 5 Monday – Sam’s twelfth and last presentation to the Monday Evening Club was the reading of a paper titled “Consistency.” [Monday Evening Club].
In Hartford Sam wrote to Andrew Chatto about the tax that the Inland Revenue Office assessed. Evidently there had been postage due on the receipt for the tax.
December 6 Tuesday – Frederick J. Hall for Webster & Co. wrote to Sam asking how many engravings were required for Nathaniel J. Burton’s Yale Lectures on Preaching [MTLTP 238n5].
December 7 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Webster & Co. Outlining an offer to Dr. J.H. Douglas for a book “of not less than 200,000 words,” paying seventeen and a half cents per copy for the first 10,000 sales after plate costs [MTP]. Note: This book was noted as rejected on Dec. 5 [MTLTP 236n1].
December 8 Thursday – In Hartford Sam answered Orion Clemens’ Dec. 5 letter. Sam felt he’d never given an interviewer or biographer any information that he wanted to someday put in his autobiography; he hated “all mention of my private history, anyway.
December 9 Friday – From Sam’s notebook, another co. bank balance: 15,076.79. Draft & notes due, $554 [MTNJ 3: 359].
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
3933 Mr. James Quin[n] 40.00 RR Agent
December 10 Saturday – From the New York Times of this date, p.4 (See also Nov. 7)
KNIGHTS OF THE ORDER OF PIUS
December 12 Monday – Charles J. Devlin on Spring Valley Coal, Ill. letterhead acknowledged receipt of Sam’s letter and that they were transferring the books “over to the K. of L. Library” [MTP].
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
3935 Mrs. J.H. Barton 30.00
December 13 Tuesday – Funk & Wagnalls wrote offering Sam $1,000 for ten articles (1500 words each) on “The People I have Met,” or “Several Chapters From my Life” [MTP].
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
3936 E. Steger & Co. 0.80
3937 Estes & Lauriat 3.60 Boston Bookseller
3938 Mr. A.A. Welch 4.00
December 14 Wednesday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam, evidently responding to Sam’s veto on the interview with the St. Louis Republican. Orion agreed the man would “get nothing contraband out of this oyster.”; Ma hacked all night; Orion enclosed a waybill for hickory nuts sent; he never got the Pope book [MTP].
Eva G. Goddard wrote a “begging letter” from Terrell, Tex. Asking for a book with a picture [MTP].
December 15 Thursday – Webster & Co. Wrote to Sam that his telegram was received asking for a certain kind of paper, which the mills were urged to rush. The prospectus of the Library of Humor was ready, save the bios and the preface; other details discussed about the book [MTP].
George Walton Green wrote from N.Y. to Sam thanking him for taking part in the Nov. 28 Authors’ Readings in Chickering Hall [MTP].
December 16 Friday – Richard W. Gilder for Century Magazine wrote to Sam arguing against proposed legislation (the Pearsall Smith matter) he felt would be strongly opposed and unconstitutional [MTP].
December 17 Saturday – From Sam’s notebook: “Dec. 17 — 14,000” [MTNJ 3: 359].
Webster & Co. Wrote to Sam: “Your telegram telling us to go ahead with the book, and also the telegram about the paper, is received.” The paper was rushed to Hartford and should be there now [MTP].
December 18 Sunday – In Hartford Sam wrote to H.C. Christiancy, of the Detroit Custom House who wanted to know if Sam would pay the duty on pirated books (Roughing It in this case) seized at the Canadian border. As the law then stood, Sam had the right to deny entry of pirated material, but in order to seize it, would have to pay import duties on the material.
December 19 Monday – From The Twainian Nov.-Dec. 1951, p.1 comes this piece of history in an article by Frank M. Flack of Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa:
“The January-February, 1946, issue of The Twainian reprinted the text of ‘Mark Twain’s Patent Adjustable Speech,’ as it was delivered on Forefather’s Day, December 20, 1887, before the Congregational Club of Boston.
December 20 Tuesday – Sam went to Boston, Mass. And gave the speech, “Patent Adjustable Speech” in reaction to a toast on “Post-Prandial Oratory” at the Congregational Club, Music Hall [Fatout MT Speaking 230-4]. The Twainian Jan-Feb 1946 p.1 reports from a Boston Globe article (Dec. 21, p.1, “Pilgrims”), that Charles W.
December 22 Thursday – Orion and Mollie Clemens wrote to Sam and Olivia. Orion: thanks for the Christmas present, Ma will buy something nice with her present; comments and wonderings about the typesetter. Mollie: thanking for the present sent — where would they be without their help? She couldn’t answer why Sam would help her “poor old father,” who was “comfortably fixed as can be” now.
December 23 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to William Malcom Bunn (W.M. Bunn) (1842-1923), ex-territorial Governor of Idaho (1884-5), now a well known lawyer, after dinner speaker, clubman and art collector of Philadelphia. Evidently Bunn requested 25 lines from Sam on some subject, giving him only two days to provide them.
December 24 Saturday – In Hartford, Sam answered a letter (not extant) from Dana Estes (1840-1909), of Estes & Lauriat, Boston booksellers. Estes offered membership to Sam in a group working for copyright protection, something Sam was already involved in the Authors Copyright League of New York, and had no time to add another organization to his docket.
December 25 Sunday – Christmas – Sam inscribed a copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: To / F.G. Whitmore/ With the best Xmas greetings of, /The Author / ~ / Hartford, Dec. 25/87 [MTP].
George Griffin sent Sam a pipe and a note hoping he would be around in 43 years to enjoy it [MTP]. Note: Griffin was Sam’s butler/man-servant.
December 27 Tuesday – Charles Webster wrote two letters to Sam; he rejected a single payment plan to settle amounts charged to his account by the embezzler Frank M. Scott. Webster claimed that Scott had charged $8,000 to Webster’s account when in fact he’d only drawn $4,000. But since Scott destroyed the cashbook holding the entry, it could not be proven. At the time the theft was discovered, Sam offered Webster $4,000. Webster said no to this idea because,
December 28 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Charles Webster about the hiring of W.E. Dibble. Sam had jotted in his notebook a desire to return Webster’s salary back to $3,000 from the $3,800 that had been agreed to for the settling of $4,000, which was caused by the Scott embezzlement. Now he took the reins to the situation and suggested that Webster could donate the $800 toward Dibble’s salary:
December 29 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Webster & Co. That it would be best not to bind the Custer book just yet as it could not be canvassed; the better use of the money was elsewhere [MTP].
Meanwhile, Charles Webster answered Sam’s suggestion of Dec. 28 that he take a $800 hit on his salary to hire W.E. Dibble:
December 30 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to James B. Pond, calling himself the “burnt child” who “shuns the fire” — he didn’t want the “remotest thing to do with a Hartford entertainment again.”
I think too much of the profession to help it hurt itself here [MTP].
December 31 Saturday – In the morning, Sam left Hartford for New York, and “another troublesome dinner,” which he referred to in his Dec. 28 letter to Webster.
In the evening, Sam read a story (unknown) at the Author’s Club, Watch Night [Fatout, MT Speaking 657].
New York newspapers, including the Brooklyn Eagle, p.2 announced the January Century Magazine would contain,
More Publishing Struggles – Library of Humor – Blizzar
“Don’t Wear your Arctics in the White House”– Congressional Hear
Theo’s Stroke – Grace King – Webster Bought out for $
1888 – Sometime during this year an old fellow-printer from the spring of 1853 in St. Louis, Anthony Kennedy, wrote to Sam with some sort of invitation that Sam felt would “get me in trouble with No. 6” — a reference to a Webster & Co. Contract. Sam declined, and told Kennedy: