November 7 Saturday – James Fraser Glück (1852-1897) for Young Men’s Assoc. Buffalo wrote to ask for the HF MS for display in their library [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Sent what was left of Huck Finn / Buffalo Library”
George E. Waring wrote on Union League Club notepaper, NYC that he’d come “near invading you last week. I shall have that pleasure soon” [MTP].
November 8 Sunday – Sam entertained an old Virginia City friend, landlord, and editor of the Territorial Enterprise, Rollin M. Daggett (see Jan. 24, 1878). Daggett had been U.S. Minister to the Sandwich Islands. He stayed two days and showed Sam a manuscript he’d written with the King Kamehameha V of the Islands; Sam was interested in publishing it [Nov 11 to Webster, MTP].
November 9 Monday – Henry Ward Beecher wrote scolding Sam and assured that the pages of Grant’s Memoirs he had were safe “and will soon be on their way home” [MTP].
James Redpath telegram: “Would like to see you tonight or tomorrow morning. Will be at the Allen House” [MTP].
November 10 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, directing him to send William Hamersley a check for $3,500—“it finishes the type-setter business in a very satisfactory fashion,” Sam wrote. Sam also instructed Webster to gather information regarding “General Grant’s literary powers—his happily proven ability as an author…” [MTP].
November 11 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Frank Fuller, advising him not to pay Literary Life a cent to advertise for him. Sam wrote he’d “dropped that scheme I wrote you about” (on Sept. 26.) realizing it would take all the time from an “idle man.”
November 12 Thursday – Sam wrote from Hartford to James Fraser Glück, a Buffalo lawyer and rare book collector, who had written asking Sam to donate the original manuscript of Huck Finn to the Buffalo Library [MTP]. Note: this is the half that survived and was re-discovered in early 1991.
November 13 Friday – Orion Clemens wrote: “I enclose replies from the mint, and will send you extracts from Macaulay’s Life & Letters next week.” And, “Ma treated me to a dog and pony show at the opera house last Saturday afternoon” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “What a ton of gold and silver is worth”
Rollin M. Daggett wrote from Wash. DC with his travel plans back to San Diego, and the book of legends he was preparing with the Hawaiian King [MTP].
November 14 Saturday – Lizzie C. Grant (Mrs. Jesse Grant) wrote to thank Samfor an article she’d rec’d from the Philadelphia Ledger about the portrait of Gen. Grant [MTP].
November 15 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Pelham Ogle.
November 16 Monday – Sam referred to “12 hours’ cast-iron sleep,” going to “bed at 6” in his Nov. 17 to Livy. “…was asleep at half-past. I woke up twice for ¾ of an hour in the night…” [MTP].
George W. Elliot for American Rural Home Weekly wrote hoping that Sam “might be induced to write a few lines.” Elliot was a fan of Clemens’ efforts for a monument to Adam [MTP].
November 17 Tuesday – Sam wrote from New York City to Livy.
Livy darling, another solid day’s work on proofreading, two hours of it at Mrs. Grant’s house, & the rest at the office…
November 18 Wednesday – Sam wrote from New York City to Livy on Western Union form as stationery:
“Livy dear, I suppose I shall leave for Washington at 8 in the morning, arriving at the Ebbitt House there about a quarter before 2 in the afternoon.”
Sam wrote about the dinner the night before, only three courses but “a marvel”—raw oysters, very small, fresh, terrapin stew:
November 19 Thursday – Sam left New York City for Washington, D.C.
Sam wrote to Rollin M. Daggett, letter not extant but referred to in Daggett’s Nov. 28 reply.
Sam sent a full morocco copy of Grant’s Memoirs to Philip H. Sheridan (1831-1888) [Gribben 640].
From Sam’s notebook:
November 20 Friday – Sam wrote from The Normandie Hotel, New York City to an unidentified person, and gave his plans, thinking he might return to Hartford for the weekend then return on Monday for the entire week.
“Dear Sir: When & where can I see you for a moment—meaning an hour—on business?” [MTP].
November 21 Saturday – In New York City Sam wrote to Livy after telling Webster to send her a telegram that he was planning on spending Thursday and Friday (Nov 26-7) at home, taking “the 11 oclock train, reaching Hartford at 2.21.” Sam thought he might be able to stay home until Monday (Nov. 30) but was unsure. He was just on his way to Fred Grant’s and would “stop in & hurry up Mrs.
November 23 Monday – While Sam was in New York on business he ran an errand for Livy’s friend, Fiedele Brooks (Mrs. Henry Brooks); he inquired about curtains from Candace Wheeler for Mrs. Brooks [MTNJ 3: 212n85]. Candace “at once telegraphed Mrs. Brooks to come & get the curtains & instructions” [Nov. 25 to Livy; MTP].
November 24 Tuesday – Sam read proofs early and made the rounds of newspaper offices, talking up the Paige typesetter. He called it a “wild day” in a letter to Livy the next day. He accompanied Charles A. Dana, editor of the New York Sun home…
November 25 Wednesday – Sam wrote from New York City to Livy, describing the “wild day” he’d had the day before (see Nov. 24 entry) [MTP].
Sam also wrote to Ross R. Winans, letter not extant but referred to in Winan’s Nov. 27 reply.
Joseph Jefferson scrawled awfully that he’d telegraphed Sam yesterday that they would not come till late in the day; he could see him from 4 to 5 pm. He’d be at the US Hotel at 3 [MTP].
November 26 Thursday – Thanksgiving – Sam returned to Hartford.
Twichell’s journal:
“We dined—nine of us –ie all but the two youngest children with our dear friends Mr & Mrs C. D. Warner. / In the evening we passed a couple of delightful hours at M.T’s. where there was dancing and charade actings for the young folks” [Yale, copy at MTP].
Livy’s diary entry:
November 27 Friday – Livy‘s 40th birthday. Sam wrote Livy his sentiments on her 40th:
We have reached another milestone, my darling, & a very very remote one from the place whence we have started; but we look back over a pleasant landscape…And here we have company on the journey—ah, such precious company, such inspiring, such lovely & gracious company!…our old love grows & never diminishes…Your husband [MTP].
From Livy‘s diary:
November 28 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Orion, enclosing letters he had received from and for Mary Timberman, asking him to use his influence in gaining her a position with the Boston Museum Theatre or any other theatre, as she wanted to early a “livelihood” in the “dramatic profession.”
November 29 Sunday – Sam wrote to Frank R. Stockton, thanking him for his good wishes [AMT 2: 576].
The Critic ran affectionate essays by Charles Dudley Warner, Oliver Wendell Holmes (a poem), Joel Chandler Harris, and Frank P. Stockton on the eve of Sam’s 50th birthday. These were reprinted in many newspapers, even in the London Pall Mall Gazette of Dec. 12, 1885.
November 30 Monday – Sam’s 50th birthday. Two volumes of Francis Parkman’s Montcalm and Wolfe (1885) were inscribed: “Saml. L. Clemens/ Hartford/ Conn./ Nov. 30th 1885” [Gribben 534].
Frederick D. Grant wrote that “two mistakes have been made in the placing of maps and notes in the II volume” [MTP].
E.J. Hamersley wrote birthday wishes [MTP].
December – Sam wrote from Hartford to an unidentified person:
“There is not a copy to be had. I bought the plates & stock 4 years ago & destroyed them” [MTP]. Note: Sam may have referred to The Jumping Frog book or Mark Twain’s Burlesque Autobiography.
December 1 Tuesday – Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, Vol. 1 was officially published [MTNJ 3: 210n81]. Note: Powers [504] and Perry [233] each give the publication date as Dec. 10. However, the Library of America edition of Grant’s Memoirs gives these statistics: “The first volume was published December 1, 1885, in five bindings: cloth at $7.00 a set; sheep, $9.00; half-morocco, $11.00; full-morocco, $18.00; and tree calf, $25.00.”