December 30 Monday – Kingsland Smith of the St. Paul Roller Mill Co. wrote to Sam about dividends forthcoming and a reorganization of the company. Sam would stand to get about $5,000 in stock of the new company. Smith wrote, “Please advise if you wish to withdraw entirely or if you would like to continue” [MTP] Note: Sam would not have received this notice until after the new year, since it was postmarked from St. Paul, Minn.
The Boston Daily Globe, Dec. 31, 1889 ran an article datelined New York, Dec. 30, p.8 “Dan’s Firm Fails Again – Sheffield & Son Break Blank Book Concern. Mark Twain’s Friends, Slote & Co., Make an Assignment.”
Daniel Slote & Co., manufacturers of blank books at 119 and 121 William street, suspended today, on account of losses through the failure of J.B. Sheffield & Son of Saugerties. … The firm has been in existence for 30 years. It was originally known as Slote, Woodman & Co. Under this title it failed in 1878 with liabilities of $200,000. The firm subsequently paid 30 cents on the dollar.
Daniel Slote, who died a few years ago, was the “Dan” of Mark Twain’s “Innocents Abroad,” and the firm for many years past have made a specialty of Mark Twain’s scrap book.
In New York, Sam inscribed a copy of CY to Augustin Daly: My dear Daly. Read at least one chapter of this book, & be higher & holier than before. With warm regards, Yours sincerely, Mark Twain, New York, Dec. 30, ’89. On the flyleaf Sam wrote: “Bind it in full Morocco & send it to Augustin Daly, S.L.C.” [MTP].
Andrew Chatto wrote to Sam that “not a word of yours has been cut out or altered, except as regards keeping the title to your original wording, ‘A Yankee at the Court of King Arthur’” [MTLTP 255n2].
Frank B. Darby, Sam’s Elmira dentist, wrote to thank Sam for the book sent [MTP].
Katherine K. Walker wrote to Sam, commenting favorably on CY and pointing out a typo on p.241, line 24 of an apostrophe unneeded, “it’s”. Sam wrote “Perversity of inanimate things” on the envelope [MTP].
E.T. Ryan receipted for $43.20 in deliveries of apples, chickens, duck, vinegar, pigeons, lard, eggs deliveries on: Oct 10, 17, 19, 23, 26, 31; Nov 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 16, 21, 26, 27 Dec 13, 14, 19, 21, 23, 26 [MTP].