Germany, Summer of 1892: DBD

July 14 Thursday – On or about this day the SS. Lahn reached Bremen. Shortly, Sam continued on to Bad Nauheim to rejoin Livy. No evidence was found that he stopped along the way. His notebooks are not clear on the point, but have several pages criticizing German bookstores, a lack of newsstands, inefficient postal systems, and cheaply manufactured books that sell for $2 and that fall “to pieces when you open” them [NB 32 TS 13-15].

July 18 Monday – In Bad Nauheim (which, according to Clara in My Father Mark Twain, p.113 Sam called “Bath No-Harm”) Sam wrote to Sarah A. Trumbull (Mrs. James Hammond Trumbull), mother of Annie E. Trumbull.

July 22 Friday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall, having just received his letter of July 5 (not extant) — the very day Sam sailed. Hall had added a time limit on the option with Augustin Daly for the dramatization rights for The American Claimant. Sam approved. He also advised to give Burbank ten per cent of the profits until $2,500 was reached, as payment for his rights to the play.

July 24 Sunday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany at the Kaiserhof Hotel, Sam began a letter to Frederick J. Hall that he finished on July 27.

I have not sent that “Ship” article yet — been revising it; but I will mail it within the next six days — and will register it. Please look out for it about August 12th to 15th.

July 25 Monday – Moses S. Beach died in Peekskill, N.Y. N.Y. Times obituary, July 27, p.4 reported:

July 26 Tuesday – Jean Clemens’ twelfth birthday.

Chatto & Windus wrote to Sam of publishing matters [MTP].

W.H. Langhorne wrote to Sam, the letter going first to America and then returning to Bad Nauheim. Langhorne inquired of any connection based upon his surname in order to trace his Virginia ancestor [MTP]. Note: Sam replied the name was from a friend of the family.

July 27 Wednesday – Sam finished his July 24 to Hall by adding a PS for this date: He would mail the “Ship” article within three days. He asked Hall to send Livy the “name & numbers of the investments” that Mr. Halsey had lately added, and closed by announcing another letter about Bad Nauheim (possibly “Down the Rhone”) was finished with about six or seven thousand words; he noted it was the same length as the six Europe syndicate letters he’d done last winter [MTLTP 313].

July 29 Friday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany at the Kaiserhof Hotel, Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus:

Yesterday I began a book. Please send me one ream of this paper [MTP]. Note: Pudd’nhead Wilson was conceived in Bad Nauheim. This may be the first mention of it. More likely, this was Tom Sawyer Abroad — see Aug. 5 entry.

Chatto & Windus wrote to Sam [MTP cites C&W’s Letterbook, Vol. 26, p.219].

September 1 Thursday – Players Club wrote to Sam that a panel had been marked with his name in the grill room, but as yet Sam had not filled the space with a mug. Sam must forward a mug marked with his name or surrender the space. The notice was forwarded to Florence. Sam wrote on the envelope, “Notified about the beer-mug at the Players.” [MTP].

September 10 Saturday – In their last day at Bad Nauheim, Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore about the Paige royalties. He closed with:

We are breaking camp & leaving for Frankfort today, & expect to leave there for Florence next Tuesday. Our villa is equipped & the servants are in it — all except coachman & horses. With love to all of you [MTP].

Robert Graham for Church Temperance Society sent Sam a form letter soliciting funds [MTP].

September 11 Sunday – The Clemens family was in Frankfurt, Germany. They would be there until Thursday, Sept. 15, due to Livy’s worsening condition [Sept. 17 to Whitmore; Sept. 18 to Crane].

September 12 Monday – The Clemens family was in Frankfurt, Germany. Several doctors attended to Livy. Sam’s Sept. 18 to Crane related doctor visits:

September 13 Tuesday – The Clemens family was in Frankfurt, Germany, where Sam wrote in his notebook:

Frankfurt a/m. Sept. 13/92. Shall mail to-morrow 27 type-written pages of “Tom Sawyer Abroad” — 16,000 words. (113 pages; MS; The whole 280 MS pages make about 40,000 words.) [NB 32 TS 23].

September 14 Wednesday – The Clemens family was in Frankfurt, Germany.

September 2 Friday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to his brother Orion.

Tear up the letter I wrote [not extant] about the salve, it might go astray & get into print some day.

September 4 Sunday – In Bad Nauheim Sam began a letter to Frederick J. Hall that he finished the next day. Sam discussed page rates by Harper’s and compared his pay to Charles Dudley Warner’s. He counted his work as worth double Warner’s, and expected Hall to use that idea in negotiating rates. By this letter he’d settled on the title of Tom Sawyer Abroad, and had finished “Part I — In the Great Sahara”, about 40,000 words. He also announced another book in the works:

September 5 Monday – In Bad Nauheim Sam added a PS to his Sept. 4 letter to Hall. He advised that the cholera quarantine would not stop the shipment of his Tom Sawyer MS, or so the Consul General had advised. He asked Hall to cable him “Sawyer received” c/o Drexel Harjes & Co. in Paris once the MS arrived. He added that Warner was making more than $200 a page on his current position writing the “Editor’s Study,” in Harper’s, Howells’ old post.

September 6 Tuesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam. Though the letter is not extant, from Sam’s Sept. 23 reply, some of the substance of Hall’s letter is known. He sent notes, likely from the Mt. Morris Bank for Sam to sign. These were part of the added debt needed to keep Webster & Co. afloat, and to pay for much of the publication costs on a raft of books that Hall chose to publish during the year.

September 9 Friday – In a letter postmarked this day but probably written a day or more before, Susy Clemens wrote from Cassino, Italy to Louise Brownell, disclosing recent family activities: