January 11 Thursday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam replied to three lists of questions about his books from Adela M. Goodrich-Freer (1865-1931), English writer-traveler active in the Society for Psychical Research in Hertfordshire, England. She wrote under the pseudonym “Miss X”. Sam directly referred to Jimmy Reagan, but didn’t remember what he was called in the book; Boggs (in HF), whose real name was Smarr (Sam Smarr was shot at close range by William Owsley—see Jan 24, 1845 entry).

“If you have any easy questions in stock I am ready to chance an examination with Lang & the others, but as regards this present list the alleged unpreparedness of the War Office is not to be mentioned in the same day with my condition” [MTP].

Note: Jim Reagan saw Sam in 1902 in St. Louis and is mentioned in Sam’s ca. July 1902 to Laura Frazer. Andrew Lang joined the Society in 1904 after a long interest in both folklore and the supernatural. He would later head the Society.

Samuel S. McClure had a personal conference with Sam and wrote out his propositions.

“He wanted, first, to obtain control of Clemens’s books published by Harper & Brothers. Then he would publish all of Clemens’s future works, for which he was willing to arrange a five-year contract at a royalty to Clemens of 20 per cent of the published price; (2) pay $150 per thousand words for sketches and stories of whatever length; (3) appoint Clemens editor of a department of miscellaneous contributions in the proposed magazine and allow Clemens 20 per cent of the annual profits of the magazine for a guaranteed profit of $25,000 over a period of five years. These terms were later revised to those mentioned above” [MTHHR 427-8n2]. Note: Sam’s response is reflected in his Jan. 13 to Rogers.