Home at Hartford: Day By Day

April 25 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Augustin Daly, who had sent him “a beautiful book” — probably the “book printed from the prompter’s copy of the play, [Taming of the Shrew] adorned by photogravures of Miss, Rehan, Drew, and the supper scene in the last act” [N.Y. Times, Apr. 14, 1887 p.5 “Shakespeare at Daly’s”]. Sam wanted to be remembered to the actors Miss Ada Rehan and Mrs.

April 25 Thursday – Jennie A. Eustace from Elmira wrote from N.Y.C. asking Sam “to write a part in this new play which shall fit me — me and only me. And then I want you to insist on Mr. Frohman engaging me to play it” [MTP].

H.H. Kelsey, Graham Taylor, and J.B. Pierce wrote a postcard from Hartford to Sam asking for the return of a “subscription list” sent on Apr. 9. Sam wrote on the card, “Haven’t got it” [MTP].

April 25 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Moncure Conway who had sent news about the English version of the P&P play.

April 25 Saturday – Howard P. Taylor wrote Sam proposing terms for the dramatization of CY [MTP].

April 26 Monday – Sam gave a reading “at a private house” of “A Telephonic Conversation” in Hartford. (See Apr. 23 entry) [MTLE 5: 85; MTPO]. The piece ran in the June 1880 issue of the Atlantic [Budd, “Collected” 1018].

April 26 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster.

“All right. The reasons why Kaolatype hasn’t paid, seem to be very simple. But I think you will make it pay. You will remember I gave Sneider a week’s grace—let his wages cease with that” [MTP].

Western Union Telegraph Co. bill of Apr. 30 shows telegram sent this date to New York, recipient not specified (see that entry for others).

April 26 Wednesday – The Gold Dust arrived at Vicksburg, Miss., where Sam, Osgood and Phelps boarded the Charles Morgan [MTNJ 2: 436]. A notebook entry for the date at 11 AM may be the time of the Morgan’s departure [462]. Before boarding, the party took a ride to the National Cemetery, where Sam jotted the motto over the gateway:

April 26 Saturday – Charles Webster wrote to Clemens: office stationery printed; would hold the drawings for him to see on Tuesday; Howells suggestion to print a book “about the adventures of a young country boy in Boston” in the fall; paper costs; Osgood money; office rent contract; Raubs trial postponed [MTP].

April 26 Tuesday – Charles Webster wrote asking his “Uncle Sam” to “be a little patient in regard to that statement,” (two-year) which he wrote was a “long, laborious task” [MTP].

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3668  Mssrs Marks Brothers  10.20  Fruit

3671  Edwin L Turnbull  3.00

April 26 Friday – A. Bourne wrote a note to Sam decrying the same N.Y. World article, “A Book Canvasser’s Woes” (enclosed) “This outrageous twisting of fact…” Sam wrote on the env., “No, we can’t kill lies by denying their truth” [MTP].

Republican Club of New York sent Sam an engraved admission card to the club for a period of Apr. 26 to May 6, 1889  [MTP].

April 26 Saturday – On or just after this day Sam declined (through Franklin G. Whitmore) Amos Townsend’s Apr. 25 invitation [MTP]. See Apr. 25.

April 26 Sunday – In Fredonia, N.Y., Charles Luther Webster died at 3 a.m. He was only 39 years old. In Hartford Sam wrote condolences to his niece, Annie Moffett Webster.

April 27 Tuesday – Evelyn S. Allen, “plain cook” wrote from Buffalo, NY.

April 27 Wednesday – Hartford and New York Steamboat Co. billed $1.50 for “1 box plants from Elmira; Apr. 25 from NY, Lake Eire & Western RR” [MTP].

Western Union Telegraph Co. bill of Apr. 30 shows telegram sent this date to Brooklyn, recipient not specified (see that entry for others).

April 27 Thursday – The Charles Morgan stopped a half an hour at Baton Rouge, La. [MTNJ 2: 546].

“Baton Rouge was clothed in flowers, like a bride—no, much more so; like a greenhouse. For we were in the absolute South now—no modifications, no compromises, no half-way measures. The magnolia trees in the Capitol grounds were lovely and fragrant…” [Ch.40 LM].

April 27 Sunday – Roswell Smith wrote to Clemens about a farm house in Simsbury, Conn. for Cable to rent at $350 per year [MTP].

April 27 to May 4 Sunday – In his May 4 letter to the Gerhardts, Sam wrote:

“…Twichell & I have been breaking our necks & bones all the past 7 days trying to learn to ride the bicycle—but we have acquired the art, now, & shan’t break anything more” [MTP]. (See May 4 entry.)

April 27 Monday – Sam wrote a short note from Hartford to George Iles, Montreal editor:

“I hope to live to see you swing your scepter by & by, in accordance with that plan we talked of” [MTP]. Note: The “plan” is not identified. Sam may have left for New York this day or early the next.

April 27 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam telegraphed Augustin Daly to send the two tickets to the Murray Hill Hotel, New York, for the next night’s performance [MTP].

April 27 Friday – Sam may have gone for a short ride with Livy in the morning (see Apr. 28 to Crane). He then went to New York alone, Livy still too weak to travel. This is the likely day he met with Robert Louis Stevenson in Washington Square. Stevenson remembered in his Apr. 16, 1893 letter to Sam,

April 27 Saturday – Thomas S. Fox for Albany Evening Union wrote to Sam. Fox wanted to use the Kaolatype process “in a small local way,” not in the country at large [MTP]. Note: Whitmore had given him a $3,000 price to use the process in the U.S.

April 27 Sunday – Fatout lists this date for the Max O’Rell Dinner at the Everett House in Boston, Mass. where Sam gave a speech, “continuing his feud with foreign critics in general and with the ghost of Matthew Arnold in particular,” with “On Foreign Critics” [MT Speaking 257-60].

April 27 Monday – Sam wrote through Franklin G. Whitmore to Matthias Hollenback Arnot, Elmira financier and neighbor of the Langdons, asking for return of royalties sold on the Paige typesetter. He offered to reimburse Arnot for the $5,000 with interest at six percent.

April 28 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Lucius Fairchild, congratulating him on being named U.S. minister to Spain [Rees 8; MTLE 5: 88]. Sam related missing a visit with Fairchild’s brother Charles in Boston during their recent weeklong stay there. Sam enclosed a photograph of himself and recalled the “good times we had that day at St.

April 28 Thursday – Sam wrote a short note from Hartford to the A.V.S. Anthony, that he would:

“…hand that book to Osgood, when he comes, & he can take it to Boston; if it is too bulky, I guess we’ll tear out that particular fac-simile & let him take that” [MTP].

April 28 Friday – At 8 AM, the Charles Morgan arrived at New Orleans. Sam stayed at the St. Charles Hotel [MTNJ 2: 458n84]. While in the city, he met up with George W. Cable. From Sam’s notebook: