July 21 Sunday – In Cambridge Mass., Howells wrote Sam, “extremely sorry” he’d not been able to come to Hartford for a short visit, but “one trivial thing after another” had interfered.
July 22 Monday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam.
All right. /Of course you are lonesome. / You never told us if the other machines accepted your challenge. / We shall be glad to hear at any time any thing about the machine. / I read your last letter to Ma, and explained to her. She said you always were very quick. / She is suffering today with rheumatism [MTP].
July 23 Tuesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam about Daniel Beard illustrating CY:
I note what you say about his seeing Mr. Stedman also about the quality of the pictures, that is, to have more or less humor in some of them, but not too much. Will try to give Mr. Beard the correct idea as to just what you wish [MTLTP 254n1].
July 24 Wednesday – Back in Elmira Sam wrote to William Dean Howells, sorry they hadn’t been able to meet while he was in Hartford. Sam suggested a surreptitious meeting:
July 25 Thursday – William Lindon wrote and sent a manuscript for Sam’s comment. Whitmore responded that Sam had no time to read the MS [MTP].
July 26 Friday – Jean Clemens’ ninth birthday.
Franklin G. Whitmore wrote to Sam: “I sent you 3 boxes ‘Hoffman’ brand. The others have not as yet arrived. I will forward as soon as they do. I have just come from the factory & left the machine running finely — old Van at the keys.” Paige was better after suffering from “Morbus” and would like his salary by the 10th [MTP]. Note: Cholera Morbus is gastroenteritis.
July 27 Saturday – Sam’s article, “Archimedes,” a burlesque against high rents and the “present evils of land monopoly” ran in the New York Standard, under the pseudonym, “Twark Main,” as an Australian writer. This piece turned up in the early 1950’s in a search of microfilm files for the defunct newspaper (1887-1892).
July 28 Sunday – In the evening, Charles Langdon visited the Clemens family at Quarry Farm [July 29 to Whitmore].
Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore, enclosing a check for Whitmore’s salary. The letter is not extant but is referenced in Whitmore’s July 30 [MTP].
July 29 Monday – In Elmira Sam wrote a two-paragraph note to Franklin G. Whitmore, about the Paige typesetter rate of production and of Charles Langdon’s visit of the prior evening and his agreement to send $5,000 to the U.S. Bank on this day. Earlier this day Sam went down town and saw Charles but had forgot to ask him if the deed was done [MTP].
July 30 Tuesday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Robert Underwood Johnson of Century Magazine about illustrations for CY. The note expressed Sam’s desire to closely cooperate with Dan Beard, for whom he had great respect. He also wrote that he’d sent his MS to New York to be typewritten [MTP]. Note: Sam also mentioned he’d sent his MS “off to New York” to Howells, so as to make an anticipated visit more of a vacation [MTHL 2: 607].
July 31 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: [chk] #4974. EL Holbrook, $15, July 31 [3: 491].
August – Sometime during the month Sam wrote Franklin G. Whitmore, “I can have no stoppage upon any pretext,” which most likely had to do with the Paige typesetter [MTP].
“Mark Twain’s Story” ran in Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly. Sam wrote a list of his favorite songs in his notebook, not dated but within August notes. These may not be the full or correct titles, but they were good enough for Sam:
August 1 Thursday – Frederick J. Hall sent Sam twelve Daily Report forms and a financial statement showing 4,402 books sent out during July, LAL Vol. 8 leading the list with 301 sales. Hall also sent a letter with the reports, noting, about the Scott embezzler affair, “The Dist. Attorney writes this morning, saying the Scott matter is to go before the Governor and he wishes to know if this letter contains our present views regarding Scott” [MTP].
August 2 Friday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Orion Clemens explaining delays on the Paige typesetter. Apprentices were striking two keys simultaneously, so the machine had been down for a week until an additional device to prevent such events was installed. Sam wanted the letter strictly private, and included the Apprentice’s Record for time and number of ems on the typesetter.
Not 5 persons in the country know that the machine is done, & no more will know it for a month yet, if we can help it. …
August 3 Saturday – In Elmira Sam answered Robert Underwood Johnson’s letter of Aug. 2 about which issue of Century excerpts of CY would appear and who would be the illustrator:
Beard is the artist. As for me, I’d as soon it went into the Nov. No. as the Dec. Suppose you drop in & discuss with Mr. Hall [MTP].
August 4 Sunday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore about the apprentice Fred Whitmore (one of Franklin’s sons) on the typesetter. Sam wanted Fred to practice on a dummy keyboard while the machine was down, just to keep his practice for speed up. Sam had discovered that his servant, George Griffin, was to blame for forwarding letters to him and said that he’d instructed George but he’d neglected to follow instructions [MTP].
August 5 Monday – In Elmira Sam wrote to William Dean Howells. The letter reflects the degree to which Sam depended on Livy and/or Howells as social censors of his work.
Mrs. Clemens will not listen to reason, or argument; or supplication: I’ve got to get you to read the book [CY]. … The proofs, thoroughly corrected, & then revised & re-corrected, shall go to you as revises, from time to time, from the office in New York.
August 6 Tuesday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Francis de Winton (1835-1901), a friend of the Marquis of Lorne who later was appointed by King Leopold to take Sir Henry Stanley’s place in the Congo. He was a recognized authority of central Africa.
August 7 Wednesday – In Elmira Sam wrote to the editors of the Century:
I’ve done as you required — done my very levelest best to get it to you in time for the November number — & I reckon I’ve succeeded. — Hope so, anyway. I mail it to-night.
Sam also wrote that he would have Fred Hall hurry Dan Beard with the illustrations [MTP].
Adrien C. d’Henzel wrote from St. Paul, Minn.; this is a “begging letter”; Sam wrote on the env. “An incorrigible humbug” [MTP].
August 8 Thursday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam about Johnson of the Century wanting the material and illustrations and of the one picture by Daniel Beard “made as a sample.”
August 9 Friday – Sam’s notebook: [chk #] 4388. A.H.H. Dawson, $10, Aug. 9 / [chk #] 4389 Langdon & Co. $100 Aug. 9 [3: 491].
Sam wrote to George Standring, letter not extant but referred to in Standring’s Sept. 16 [MTP].
Franklin G. Whitmore wrote to Sam:
August 10 Saturday – In Cambridge, Mass. Howells answered Sam’s plea of Aug. 5:
You know it will be purely a pleasure to me to read your proofs. So far as the service I may be is concerned, that I gladly owe you for your many generous acts; and if I didn’t want to read the book for its own sake or your sake, I should still want to do it for Mrs. Clemens [MTHL 2: 609].
August 12 Monday – Andrew H.H. Dawson wrote on District Attorney’s Office, NYC stationery to Sam:
It’s a whack! I’ll go it — do it — risk it, yea in the full frowning face of the fate of the Ides of March gang & the Flack flock, I’ll enter into the conspiracy you propose & will carry it out to the letter reckless of consequences. I made the same contract once with Stewart & Woodford & did redeem to the letter my part of it but he… [did not.] [MTP].
August 13-14 Wednesday – It is possible but unlikely that Sam made the intended trip to Hartford through New York during this period; it would have been a rushed trip, since he was in Elmira on Aug. 15 when Kipling arrived. In his Aug. 2 to his brother he wrote: “I go to Hartford a couple of days hence to remain a spell.” No outgoing letters from Sam are extant for the period. Further, Sam refers to a “made delay by going away” in his Aug.
August 14 Wednesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam enclosing the finished title page for CY. He also mentioned Charles A. Durfee, who was in with a book of quotations to publish [MTP].