January 6 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Osgood & Co., with directions for sets of plates, dies and printed copies of LM. Sam was anxious for success:
“We must sell 100,000 copies of the book in 12 months, and shan’t want him complaining that we are the parties in fault if the sale falls short of it.”
Sam also relied heavily on Livy’s editorial and censorship eye:
January 8 Monday – A short article ran in the New York Times on Jan. 9 about Sam losing a Chicago lawsuit (Circuit Court, N.D. Illinois) on this day, based on trademark infringement. Sam was represented by Thomas W. Clark, while Belford & Clarke by Hutchinson & Partridge.
MARK TWAIN LOSES A SUIT.
January 9 Tuesday – George W. Cable wrote a postcard from N. Orleans asking if there was a 2nd volume by a man named Stuart in the books he’d sent. “Made a speech last night—50 minutes—audience made no complaint” [MTP].
January 10 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Edmund C. Stedman (1833-1908) American poet, critic, and essayist, Hartford born. He studied two years at Yale; became a New York journalist on the Tribune and World, as Civil War field correspondent. He later studied law and was for a time private secretary to Attorney General Bates at Washington. He was also a member of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street from 1865-1900.
January 11 Thursday – Charles J. Langdon wrote on the bottom of a stockholders meeting result for the Susquehanna and S.W. R.R. Co. and calls for stock subscriptions: “Dear Saml / I will pay these calls as they fall due from your funds here if you will authorize me to do so…$3000 is due. Please advise” [MTP]. Sam wrote on the note: “You are hereby authorized to take the $3,000 from my funds in J. Langdon & Co’s hand”
January 12 Friday – With others named below, Sam signed a menu at Young’s Hotel, Boston. This gathering, not formerly reported, was likely a celebration of James R. Osgood’s publishing of P&P and The Stolen White Elephant. The names on the back of the menu are: James R. Osgood, SL Clemens, Wm. S. Draper, Chas. Fairchild, C.H. Colburn (publisher), G. Osgood, Eben Sumner Draper (1858-1914) Governor of Mass., A.V.S.
January 14 Sunday – In Hartford, Sam wrote a long letter to Karl & Hattie Gerhardt about art that Karl was working on; about ideas on the movement of a planned statue of Paul Revere; and of Susan Warner’s desire for Karl’s bas-relief portrait of her husband which Sam wanted to give her but Livy would not.
January 15 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster about being overcharged on a bill for work on the alarm system at the Farmington Ave. house. Sam added that he liked Webster’s “circular,” which was probably for LM, scheduled to be published in May [MTBus 208].
Sam also wrote to George W. Cable:
January 18 Thursday – George W. Cable wrote a postcard from N. Orleans: “Never mind the book. I have it. I found it last night where I have found a great many books—to wit, in my bookcase” [MTP].
January 21 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood. Sam had read all the proofs for LM and Livy had read nearly all of them. Sam related the family’s ills and Susy’s false alarm for scarlet fever. Sam wrote of Stedman being a guest for the following night [MTP].
January 22 Monday – Sam hosted the Monday Evening Club at his house at 7:30. Charles Dudley Warner presented an essay about modern fiction. Edmund C. Stedman had accepted Sam’s invitation of Jan. 10 and came to Hartford, staying the night at the Clemens’ home [Jan. 21 to Osgood, MTP].
January 23 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Louise A. Howland, wife of his old Nevada mining buddy, Robert M. Howland. Evidently the Howlands had been in New York and Sam apologized for being laid up with rheumatism.
January 24 Wednesday – Sam wrote an aphorism to an unidentified person: “None genuine without this signature on the label: Yours Truly, SL Clemens Mark Twain Jan. 24, 1883” [Profiles in History, eBay item 230401504958, Nov. 19, 2009]. Note: Sam used this one several times, including Jan. 26, 1885.
Phillip Robinson wrote from Wisconsin “after a struggle with” his “better nature” sent Sam some sort of writing (the writing is quite illegible) [MTP].
January 25 Thursday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Karl & Hattie Gerhardt, beginning the letter this day and finishing it on Feb. 6.
January 26 Friday – Edmund C. Stedman wrote from NYC.
My two days’ journey in Connecticut, and the winter idyl of twenty-four hours in your beautiful home [Jan. 22], seem already like an aurora borealis—or like a fire-light dream, & about the only cheerful dream I’ve had this season.
January 27 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster about details of remodeling work at the Farmington house [MTBus 209].
January 29 Monday – Orion Clemens wrote, Orion stories enclosed [MTP].
January 30 Tuesday – John Russell Young wrote from Wash. DC to relate his trip to Japan and a visit with Edward House, “jaunty, cheerful, wise and gracious as usual.” He talked of politics: “Arthur seems to be an exceptional president—safe, conservative and patriotic…Gen. Grant writes the people are tired of paying war taxes in time of peace,—an explanation that is new” [MTP].
February – Sam inscribed The Stolen White Elephant to William M. Clemens [MTP].
Sam wrote to Francis Hopkinson Smith, returning his coat and apologizing for the used handkerchief he left in the pocket [MTP].
February 2 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood asking for proofs of LM and a chapter (52) containing the convict’s letter to Twichell [MTP].
Karl Gerhardt wrote with his needed expenses for Feb. He was “anxious to finish Mr. Warner’s Medallion” [MTP].
February 5 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells:
February 6 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to C.L. Fleck thanking him for the honor from the “Philo Society” (unidentified) [MTP].
Sam finished the letter of Jan. 25 to Karl and Hattie Gerhardt. Sam ordered a letter of credit for the Gerhardts to continue his patronage of their training in Paris [MTP].
February 7 Wednesday – Christian Tauchnitz, Jr. wrote hoping to soon receive proofs of LM from Chatto—he could pay Chatto or Twain direct, as Sam pleased. Seeing that they had not yet published all of Sam’s works in their Continental Edition, he sent a list of those they had [MTP].
February 8 Thursday – Mary A. Riley wrote to Sam, with the news that her late brother, John Henry Riley (d. Sept. 1872) wished Sam to have some opal studs. Her other brother had hoped Clemens would come to Phila. where he might give the studs; could she mail them? [MTP]. Note: she waited 11 years!
February 10 Saturday – At about 8 PM, Sam went to the Hartford home of ex-Governor Marshall Jewell, three times governor, minister to Russia, and also Postmaster General in the Grant Administration. Sam stopped by to “beguile an idle hour for him with a yarn or two,” but was “received at the door with whispers, and the information that he was dying.” Jewell “died that night two hours after” Sam left.