June 16 Saturday – Budd reports that the “short-lived, now scarce Literature: An Illustrated Weekly Magazine” ran a biographical sketch by Charles Hopkins Clark “respected political editor of the Hartford Courant,” “Samuel Langhorne Clemens,” followed by reprintings of four other Mark Twain items. Clark’s glowing article announced that Sam “has taken a leading place in literature, in society, and in business in America.” Budd points out that Clark exaggerated “his climb by grossly lowering the starting level” to age 12 [Our MT 83 and 250n6].

G.S. Fellows for Washington High School, Washington, D.C. wrote to Sam: “As your testimonial to the value of the Loisette Memory System brought him more pupils here in Washington (myself among the number) than all the rest of his recommendations together, you will perhaps pardon me for asking your reasons for its withdrawal” — was it a lack of confidence in the man or the system or both? [MTP].

Joseph D. Carnegie wrote a barely legible letter to Sam, who noted, “Theological Crank” [MTP].