January 25, before – Sam wrote a line to the Tarboro, N.C. Literary Club, celebrating its eleventh anniversary on Jan. 25 with a “Mark Twain Evening” where quotations from eminent American humorists were read by each member of the club. He wrote: “I wish I could be there. Sincerely…” [MTP: Baltimore Sun, Jan. 29].
January 25 Thursday – At 11:45 a.m. Sam left for Washington, D.C. with George Harvey He would stay until Jan. 30. Fatout lists him giving a dinner speech this evening at an unidentified club, and in his Jan. 23 dictation had entertained the idea of using his old Whittier dinner speech of 1877. He evidently did not do so [MT Speaking 674; IVL TS Jan. 25, 1906].
During his Washington stay Clemens would again confer with Secretary of State Elihu Root and/or Asst. Secretary Robert Bacon about the Congo situation. During this trip he would be informed that the U.S. had not ratified the Berlin Act of 1885, which put down rules for the governing of Africa: “that of the fourteen Christian Governments pledged to watch over Leopold and keep him within treaty limits, our Government was not one. Our Government was only sentimentally concerned, not officially, not practically, not by any form of pledge or promise” [Hawkins 163, 168]. Note: Sam had assumed the U.S. was a party to the Berlin Act. See previous entries. See also Feb. 10 to Barbour.
Isabel Lyon’s journal:
Today Mr. Clemens started off with Mr. Bowen (Col. Harvey’s secy.) at 11:45 for Washington.
He was nervous and excited because his clothes weren’t ready and then he flew off to buy a new hat—a derby which he finally didn’t wear, but crushed his old soft hat in a bunch and stuck it in his overcoat pocket & put his silk hat on. Col. Harvey has taken him and he may be back on Sunday or perhaps not until mid-week.
Last night we had music—a steady lovely stream for nearly two hours. Aeolian [Co.] gave of its best. Often and often Mr. Clemens doesn’t hear the music, he couldn’t for his wonderful brain is singing melodies all its own with the music that the Aeolian is making for accompaniment. He has said that often it will start a train of thought that will rise and fall and go on and on with the strains of the music, but he doesn’t know that I am there, it is just disembodied sound, and that’s what I like best—to minister, but to have my ministrations received unconsciously [MTP TS 18-19].
Harry J. Clinton wrote from Dobbs Ferry, NY to send three photos for Twain’s autograph, one for Roy D. Chapin, one for James H. Hare, and one for himself [MTP].
Lowell C. Frost wrote to Sam, enclosing a check (unspecified) to pay for an autograph [MTP]. Note: See Jan. 31 for Sam’s unique answer.
Dorothy Scarborough, English teacher at Baylor, Univ. wrote from Waco, Tex. to Sam. “… you have an unlimited number of friends down here, unknown to you.” One-third of her class had written about Mark Twain during a 20-minute impromptu writing lesson on “appreciation of some living writer” [MTP].