September 27 Friday – Sam also wrote two letters to J.E. Edmonds, of the Daily State Times of Baton Rouge. A trip down the Mississippi was planned by Theodore Roosevelt, with a suggestion that Mark Twain be the chief pilot. Sam turned down the offer; Edmunds wrote an editorial about it. Sam then wrote these letters, the first a cover letter and the second a blast: “I am often against [President Roosevelt] politically, but this has not affected the friendship existing between us these twenty years.” [MTP].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: Tonight the King went to dine with the Poors & others. When the King goes out you wander around through the empty rooms & stand with your head to one side to listen if there is a bearable sound to be heard. And there isn’t any perfume of his pipe & some of your senses seem quite quite gone [MTP TS 107].

Arthur W. Barber wrote from Orange, NJ to ask Sam where he should send the books Sam had “kindly consented to autograph” [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote on the letter, “Answd. Sept. 30, ‘07”

Frances Nunnally sent a telegram to Sam: “Note received will leave her twelve forty train Saturday” [MTP].

John B. Stanchfield wrote to Sam offering stock in a “bath establishment” by Fleischman, the florist [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote for Sam on the letter, “If I were situated to do that I would take the stock, but that all my stocks are down & I have to buy those stocks now that they’re down”