July 6 Saturday – Thomas Fitch, attorney in Reno, Nevada wrote to Sam enclosing p 3-4 from the Reno Evening Gazette for May 30, 1889, reporting Fitch’s Memorial Day speech; and p.3-4 of the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise July 6, 1889 reporting Fitch’s July 4 speech. No letter accompanied the clippings [MTP].
July 7 Sunday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore, directing him to send all securities for Clearfield Bituminous Coal Corp. to Charles Langdon in Elmira, as he “has a chance to sell the whole thing out.” Sam added:
It is splendid news from the machine.
I shall arrive Tuesday afternoon [MTP]. Note: the letter was postmarked July 8 and received July 9.
July 8 Monday – Likely on this day Sam left Quarry Farm for New York, where he may have spent the night. He was in Hartford by July 11, and on July 12 wrote he’d left Elmira “a few days ago.” Theodore Crane’s death on July 3 delayed his departure since he received Paige’s telegram on July 2, so this day, the first he might have reasonably traveled, seems likely.
July 9 Tuesday – Sam would have been in New York. He might have left for Hartford this day or either of the next two, but wrote from Hartford on July 11. He probably did not go to Hartford until the latter date, as he wrote Howells on July 13 that he “came on from Elmira a day or two ago.”
July 10 Wednesday – W.P. Hanna wrote from Auckland, NZ to Sam, enclosing a clipping (not extant) which told of a reading in the Wellington Parliament of Sam’s description of the Chamois in TA [MTP].
July 11 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Edmund C. Stedman, referring to his critical read of CY. Paraphrased from Henkels catalogs, Apr. 19, 1912, item 118:
July 12 Friday – In Hartford, at the family home, Sam wrote to Livy still in Elmira;
July 13 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to his old friend, William Dean Howells about the death of Theodore Crane and the “heart-breaking” atmosphere at Quarry Farm. In Hartford since at least July 11, Sam brooded about the house, empty save for the servants. His letter is one of the few from this period that is not an obvious response, but a request.
July 15 Monday – In Elmira Clara Clemens wrote to her father in Hartford of a new kitten, the growing puppies, their horse rides and her violin teacher, Professor John C. Bostelmann (see Sept 13 to same). Clara called her father “Buf” and obviously inherited her mother’s “original” spelling [MTP].
July 16 Tuesday – † In the evening in Hartford, Sam dined with the Charles Warners and then wrote a “response” not an “answer” to his daughter Clara’s letter of the previous day.
July 17 Wednesday – In Cambridge, William Dean Howells responded to Sam’s invitation of July 13. There was a chance he might be able to come for a day, perhaps even the next day. He would telegraph if he could come.
July 18 Thursday – In Cambridge, Howells sent Sam a postcard that he could not leave home. Could Sam “run up Saturday and spend Sunday”? (July 20-21) [MTHL 2: 606].
G.P. Davis wrote from Hartford following up on Sam’s contribution to the YMCA [MTP].
William Mackay Laffan wrote to Sam asking if he would be in N.Y. all day Saturday [MTP].
July 19 Friday – In Richmond, Va., Arthur C. Thornton (1865- ) wrote to Sam, spelling his name wrong. Thornton extended “a true old Virginia welcome” for Sam to visit in his “summer rambles.” Thornton referred to himself as the “forgotten writer of the horrible conglomeration of puns, which” Sam “rec’d some two years since…” Note: He was from an old Virginia family; his comedy book is not further identified.
July 20 Saturday – Webster & Co. Sent Sam ten Daily Report slips for July 15 to 20 [MTP].
July 20 Saturday ca. † – Sam sent Thornton’s July 19th letter to Franklin G. Whitmore:
Please mail my enclosed letter to him (read it,) & put in one of those heliotype pictures of me. SLC [MTP]. Note: Sam’s letter to Thornton is not extant.
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].