May 29 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to his mother, Jane Clemens, who was contemplating a trip from Fredonia to Keokuk to see Orion and Mollie. After commenting on his mother writing to an “old gentleman” and criticizing a “young man who prints the paper,” Sam encouraged her to travel part way by water for her comfort; he wanted to pay the cost [MTBus 186].
May 30 Tuesday – In Lexington, Mass. William Dean Howells wrote hoping to lure the Clemenses for a visit before they left for Elmira for the summer and before he sailed for Europe [MTHL 1: 404-5].
May 31 Wednesday – Hubbard & Farmer bankers & brokers sent a statement showing $4,167.05 credit in Sam’s account [MTP].
June – The Stolen White Elephant was a collection of stories published by James R. Osgood. Sam wrote the title story in 1878, and the earliest copies printed early in June [Hirst, “A Note on the Text,” Oxford Edition, 1996]. This book combined the elephant tale with all those in Punch, Brothers, Punch! (1878) as well as several others, including two on the “McWilliamses” [Rasmussen 445].
June 1 Thursday – Sam wrote from Hartford to the son of the late Dr. John Brown, John Jr., nicknamed “Jock.” The Clemens family offered condolences. Sam asked for a picture of Dr. Brown.
“I was three thousand miles from home, at breakfast in New Orleans, when the damp morning paper revealed the sorrowful news among the cable dispatches” [MTNJ 2: 500n223]
June 2 Friday – Charles Webster wrote to Sam about possible hires and the return of Clarence E. Buckland (1851-1905), whom he thought unsuitable, too slow, and an instigator among the men to organize [MTP].
June 3 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood.
“Have written to ask Spofford [Librarian of Congress] if my copyright is perfect on my several books.”
Sam needed to know if any of his copyrights were faulty, as he considered a Chicago lawsuit against Belford and Clarke on the Sketches, New and Old (1875).
June 4 Sunday – Clarence E. Buckland wrote from Wash. DC to Sam, convinced that “my break with the Kaolatype Eng. Co. was the result of a conspiracy hatched in the fertile brain of Mr. F.C. Raubs.” He’d apologized to Webster for the way he left the firm and agreed upon a contract to work for $24 a month [MTP]. Note: Frank C. Raubs.
June 5 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Webster about the Bierstadt Artotype business. He wanted Charles to look into it and see if it was worth investment [MTBus 186].
Sam also wrote to William M. Laffan, letter not extant but referred to in Laffan’s June 7 reply.
June 6 Tuesday – S.J. Ahern, ed. wrote a postcard from St. Paul, Minn. to Sam: “Come back. The circus is in town…” [MTP].
June 7 Wednesday – Sam telegraphed from Hartford to Charles Webster about mailing a check to buy 80 shares of a stock suggested by Webster, which may have been for American Bank Note Co. (See June 12 letter to Webster) [MTP].
Orion Clemens wrote from Fredonia to Sam. Ma had experienced some sort of “spasms” and he related her care. It was a “terrible fright” [MTP].
June 8 Thursday – Clara Clemens’ eighth birthday was celebrated with a party for 67 children at the Farmington Avenue house. In his notebook, Sam entered: “Osgood get a Longfellow for Clara’s birthday” [2: 460]. Longfellow died on Mar. 24; soon after, Houghton, Mifflin & Co. published a volume of his works. Sam believed Jean picked up scarlet fever at the party [MTNJ 2: 487n186].
June 9 Friday – Orion Clemens wrote from Fredonia: “When your dispatch came this afternoon I told Ma I had received a dispatch from you, in which you sent the love of all that family, and wishes to be kept informed. She was much affected”[MTP].
William M. Laffan for Harper & Bros. Wrote: “Dear Clemens: / If it will suit you I can come up on the newspaper train Tuesday a.m. which will give me all day” [MTP].
June 10 Saturday – The official issue date of The Stolen White Elephant.
Sam wrote from Hartford to Chatto & Windus, asking for copies of the London periodical Tom Hood’s Comic Annual for 1873, 1874, and 1875. Sam’s article, “How I Escaped Being Killed in a Duel” ran in the 1873 volume; and the 1874 issue ran a version of his sketch “Jim Wolf and the Cats” [MTNJ 2: 485n179].
June 11 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood:
“I wish you would set a cheap expert to work to collect local histories of Mississippi towns & a lot of other books relating to the river for me.
“Meantime all those people who promised to send such things to us ain’t doing it, dern them” [MTP].
June 12 Monday – Sam wrote a short note from Hartford to Charles Webster, advising him to send the “Bank Note Certif.,” so he might put it in the safe with his other securities. “I need no more investments, now—bought a lot of Adams Express stock to-day & exhausted our pile” [MTP].
Two copies of The Stolen White Elephant were placed with the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress [Hirst, “A Note on the Text” Oxford edition, 1996].
June 13 Tuesday – A.V.S. Anthony of Osgood & Co. wrote a list of comparisons between some illustrations for LM made with Kaolatype and those by Moss Engineering Co. [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Comparison of Kaolatype & Moss Eng. Doom of Kaolatype”
June 14 Wednesday – Karl Gerhardt wrote to Sam & Livy. He’d rec’d the letter of credit for 100 pounds. He also told of Mr. Elnell arriving and now they were “best of friends”. He told of their art progress, his sculpting and her drawing [MTP].
June 15 Thursday – From Hartford, Sam typed a letter to Charles Webster about pictures done by the Moss Engineering Co. (possibly for LM); about Osgood buying a shop; about the Bank Note stock certificate arriving safely; and about another letter received from Clarence E. Buckland that Sam referred to Webster [MTP].
June 16 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells, who was making ready to travel to Europe.
We leave here the 22d, D.V., —for Mrs. Clemens never alters a schedule: once decided, always decided, with her. Pity we can’t see you folks again, but evidently these families are too busy with journey-preparations to allow of any present visitings.
June 17 Saturday – Sam telegraphed from Hartford to Charles Webster about buying stock for him [MTP].
A brief description of The Stolen White Elephant appeared in the “Minor Notices” of Critic [Tenney 11].
Charles S. Fairchild wrote a notecard from Boston, hoping Sam & Livy would “review your decision and still find it possible to join us the 22nd” [MTP].
June 18 Sunday ca. – The famous four-generations picture was taken in New York on or about this day, Jane Clemens’ 79th birthday: Jane, daughter Pamela Moffett, granddaughter Annie Moffett Webster, gr-granddaughter Jean Webster (See Webster, p. 193).
June 19 Monday – Sam entertained James R. Osgood at his Hartford home and “had a pleasant talk bout our trip & all…[the] charming people” he’d met [June 20 letter to Cable, MTP].
June 20 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles W. Fairchild, Howells’ friend and neighbor in Belmont and brother of Lucius Fairchild. Charles had invited Sam to a farewell dinner for James R. Osgood, who was leaving for Europe. Sam decided not to go because the banquet was the same day the family had planned to remove to Elmira. The illnesses in the family no doubt also played a part in his declining the invitation.
June 21 Wednesday – From Sam’s notebook:
“June 21—Crane We should be delighted to see any one of you here, but as the children have been exposed we don’t dare move them” [MTNJ 2: 497]. Note: No letter survives with this date or message. Possibly Sam wrote the note to include in a letter or telegram which no longer exists, or was never sent.
Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster: