March 5 Tuesday – In the morning Sam signed the lease for William Voss’ house in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. (about 30 miles from N.Y.C.) from May to October, 1907 [Mar. 5 to Jean; Hill 164]. The house was near Harry and Mary Rogers. Trombley writes that Sam carried on “an extended negotiation” with Voss reducing the rent from $2,400 to $1,500 [MTOW 133]. Note: the gated community was built in 1886 by Pierre Lorillard IV (1833-1901), the tobacco magnate, as a retreat for his rich New York friends. Bruce Price (1845-1903) was the architect for the gatehouse and the first thirteen houses. He had a daughter, Emily Post (1872-1960), who later became famous for her etiquette. The formal tuxedo was first worn at Tuxedo Park.
At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Clara at the Hotel Johnsonia, Fitchburg, Mass.
Clara dear, it is very very splendid news, from Katy to Catherine last night. You are in the swing at last, dear child, & now you will GO. Remember, the audience most surely & powerfully stirred is the small audience, when you’ve learned all the deep arts of your trade. They rise in their might when you let them see that theirs are welcome faces & that you are not ashamed of them for being a small house. I’m not talking about your North Adams house, but only about small ones.
I dined with a lot of people at Robert Collier’s, Sunday night, & was conspicuous; for I wore full evening dress of white broadcloth—just stunning! To-day we took the Tuxedo house & signed the lease. So that’s off our minds.
By the occasional letter which drifts in I have come to be quite entirely satisfied with my Shelley Skylark of the other day, much as I was depressed about it at first. Privately I knew there wouldn’t be any other readings there that could come up to it, but I was troubled because I didn’t hear any one say so. It’s all right, though—plenty have said it since. More than that—I saw more than fifty women crying, but I had forgotten about that.
Sometime I must recite it & you play a soft accompaniment. I hope you will look in on us soon, dearheart—meantime I enclose hugs & kisses— [MTP].
Sam also wrote to daughter Jean.
Oh dear me, child, what are you talking about? I didn’t fall on the ice, I only said I did. It is a great difference. You ought to be more careful about imputing to people’s statements interpretations which they cannot properly bear.
Apparently—as per telephone from Katy to Catherine right after the concert—Clara had an enthusiastic good success at North Adams last night.
I’ve told Miss Lyon to remind you & Clara that when you want any jewelry-tinkering done, to send it to us & we will get it well done for half the money you pay Tiffany’s clumsy blacksmiths to do it ignorantly & assfully.
This morning we took the Tuxedo [Park] house from May 1 to November 1, & signed the lease & sent the check.
I am taking life easily & comfortably these days. I dictate only an hour or an hour & a half, mornings, & am busy the rest of the day at luncheons, matinès & private dinners—& get to bed by eleven.
Sunday Night I dined with a dozen other guests at Robert Collier’s & was “de queen o’ de Magazines,” as aunty Cord used to call your mother; for I was in full evening dress of white broadcloth, & was as white as a ghost. It is a very beautiful costume—and conspicuous.
Jerome sat opposite, at the table, & I asked him if he heard the stupendous dynamite explosion at 12 minutes after midnight. He said no—& added:
“Yesterday (Saturday) when I got up in the morning my wife asked me if the mighty explosion woke me at midnight, —& I said no.—which surprised her, for she said it was an awful noise & ought to have wakened a bronze image. We examined the morning paper—there was no explosion in it. So she had dreamed it. But the odd thing was, that she dreamed it exactly 24 hours before it actually happened.” It is a very striking incident, certainly.
Take care of yourself, dear, & don’t slip on the ice. I never do. With lots of love & kisses— / Father [MTP].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Tuxedo lease signed.* Billiard match.
There is a billiard match going on at the Liederkrantz Hall & after the King canvassed around among his friends & didn’t find anyone to go up with him, he took a cab & went alone to watch the game. We had music after dinner, & just as the King was slipping off to bed Mr.
Loomis came & we went to the billiard room where they played—the King playing 3 strings to Mr. L’s one. The points just dripped out of the tip of the King’s cue; for the afternoon’s watching had given him ideas & he was just the game itself as he tripped like a spirit around the table.
* Mr. Voss, the owner of the house, dropped from $2400 to $1500 & so now we are going to spend the summer in Tuxedo [MTP TS 33-34].
In the evening Sam attended another billiards match in the concert hall of the Liederkranz Club, and his appearance was cause for the New York Times to report on p.7:
WON AT BILLIARDS BY SINGLE POINT
Gardner Beat Conklin in National Tournament Game 300 – 299.
MARK TWAIN WAS THERE
Night Winner Made Highest Average and Run of the Series at Liederkranz Club.
Dr. Leonidas L. Mial and Edward W. Gardner were the winners yesterday in the continuation of the National amateur billiard championship tournament at 14.2 balk line. Dr. Mial worked a reversal of form by defeating J. Ferdinand Poggenburg 300 points to 200 in the evening contest, while Gardner, the present champion, defeated Charles F. Conklin 300 to 299 at the matinee session. The former’s average was 13 1-23, while Gardner, in a long-drawn-out game, fell to 6 24-46.
Mark Twain, attired in a pearl-colored sack suit, witnessed the greater portion of the Gardner- Conklin match, in the concert hall of the Liederkranz Club, Fifty-eighth Street, near Park Avenue. He arrived while Gardner was at the table, and the cheering so disconcerted the champion that he missed an easy carrom. Mark Twain waved his hands and smilingly acknowledged the greeting. He watched the play, and at the good shots puffed furiously at a big black cigar.
J.E. Art for the New Life Society, Phila. wrote to solicit Sam to be on their “regular list of attractions,” in other words, speak on their circuit [MTP].
Miss Isabel Florence Hapgood (1851-1928), writer and translator of Russian texts, wrote to solicit Sam’s authograph in an album for hypnotist Dr. Osip Feldman [MTP].
John Mead Howells wrote to Lyon concerning details of the construction of the Redding house, and how payroll was to be made during construction [MTP].
George Mayr wrote from NYC to invite Sam to a private viewing of a painting by Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruysdael (c. 1628-1682) an Old Dutch Master landscape painter [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote: “Thank him while it’s not likely that can get the opportunity, should be glad to see it.” Card in the file shows Mayr as “Private Secretary to C. Oliver Iselin” 36 Wall St. James A. Renwick wrote to receipt Sam for March rent, $291.67 [MTP].
Walter K. Williams wrote from Lincoln, Nebr. Sending a poem about dress fashion and “Dear old adolescent Mark Twain in ‘full dress’ made of white ducking / the humorist joking again” [MTP].