Submitted by scott on
January 23 Tuesday – Virgil Rule wrote as chairman of a committee for the Pike County Colony in St. Louis to invite Sam to their annual dinner on Mar. 3, 1906 [MTP]. Note: Allowing for five days postal service, Sam’s reply to Isabel V. Lyon to “Decline,” would have been approximately Jan. 29

Clemens’ A.D. for this day included: About the meeting at Carnegie Hall, in interest of Booker Washington’s Tuskegee Institute—Leads up to unpleasant political incident which happened to Mr. Twichell—ends with “The Character of Man” [AMT 1: 302-315].

Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Mr. Clemens was in wonderful shape last night. Mr. Paine said of him this morning that he was King—yes—he was far and away the King above all the others. Take all the distinguished company together and in it you couldn’t find the wonder that there was in his personality as he stepped lightly out before his applauding audience. He doesn’t ever seem to walk, and yet I wonder often how he can kick up the rugs as he does.

Tonight Mr. Clemens had a letter from Mrs. Ella Howland. She had read the “King Leopold’s Soliloquy” and after she had paid her tribute to the power of the pamphlet she wrote—“Money have I none, but I’ll work like ‘Hell’ to help the cause.” Her zeal moved Mr. Clemens almost to tears. He shouted with joy & then read it all over again—and said he’d “take that letter to Washington next week” [MTP TS 17; also Hawkins 168 in part]. Note: Ella M. Howland not further identified.

Frederick Upham Adams (1859-1921), inventor and author wrote from Hastings-on-Hudson, NY to Sam.

I was much interested and amused over your address of last evening, and take the liberty of enclosing a copy of an ‘open letter’ which I have written to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and which will be the first in a series which will be syndicated by McClure, Phillips & Company. I hope it will prove more serious than humorous.

I had the pleasure years ago of helping try to entertain you in the old Whitechapel Club of Chicago, along with Peter Dunne (Mr. Dooley) and other good friends, and have met you many times formally and informally since. With very best wishes… [MTP].

Sebastiano Cecchi of Haskard, Bankers wrote from Florence, Italy to Sam, announcing the death of Senator Odoardo Luchini at age 61 from nephritis. He advised a balance in Sam’s account of 2,004.45 in Sam’s favor [MTP]. Note: the amount likely in Lire, but not specified.

Day By Day Acknowledgment

Mark Twain Day By Day was originally a print reference, meticulously created by David Fears, who has generously made this work available, via the Center for Mark Twain Studies, as a digital edition.