August 31 Saturday – Sam sent a telegram to Dorothy Quick:
I tried to get some elephants for your birthday but they charge ten thousand dollars apiece or 3 for twenty-five thousand. I can get one elephant and sixteen hundreds monkeys for the same money if you prefer. Telephone answer. / S. L. C. [MTP]. Note: Cooley assigns Sept. 1, Dorothy’s birthday [MTAq 60]. He also gives a letter this date to Dorothy from Isabel Lyon, asking her to bring “one or two letters Mr. Clemens has written you since you ran away from us…” as there was “ something I want very much to see in one of them” (likely the drawings).
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Today I’m up again and just as I was about to write Ashcroft to write to the American Society in London, for another copy or so of the speeches given on July 4th, the mail came in and with it—3 copies of that very book. The King came slipping down stairs while I was at luncheon and after I’d finished we went out on the porch and stayed there all afternoon. The King talked about copyright, and figured out that the number of books that would survive the 42 year limit and there won’t be many. He talked about Dr. Lord’s lectures and the great subscription sales they had in ’79 or so—and we hunted around in the backs of our heads for the authors, the copyrights on whose books are dead, but the authors of them are living right along without the income which the publishers are gobbling now. And he told how the Grant Memoirs killed the subscription trade.
The King dined with the Ronaldses tonight. My collapse of yesterday made me stay at home but he stayed in the dining room while I ate and speaking of Mr. Whitmore he said, “How the years have sweetened Whitmore, they have humanized or dogmatized him or something.”
While he was waiting for his “jigger” he told me how he didn’t sleep last night. I knew that, for at 2:45 I heard him tapping his pipe against the chimney piece and so I knew he was wakeful. His sleepy hour passed—for he had to interrupt the beautiful pink veil all traced with fine like veins, that slips before his eyes just before he drops into sleep. He had to interrupt it because he had to scratch his white head [MTP TS 96-97]. Note: see Gribben, p.423 on John Lord, Beacon Lights of History. 8 vols. (1884-1896); see also Aug. 28 entry.
Arthur W. Barber wrote from Lake George, NY to ask Sam if he’d autograph two of his books if sent? [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote on the letter, “Answd. Sept. 4”
Thomas F. Gates for Atlantic Transport wrote to Sam that he’d be happy to look after Mrs. Nunnally and daughter Frances, include them at his table and see that Sam’s letter would be delivered to them as soon as they came on board [MTP].
Antoinette L. Morgan for Thrall Hospital, Middletown, NY to invite Sam to visit on Sept. 7 and help them raise funds for a new building [MTP].
W.H. Russe and James S. Warren for Lakes to the Gulf Deep Waterways Assoc., Memphis, Tenn. wrote to invite Sam to be their guest at a convention on Oct. 4-5 [MTP].
Clemens A.D. for this day is listed by MTP.