October 26 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss asking if he thought his articles in the Galaxy had hurt book sales. He had notified Frank Church at the Galaxy that his year would be up with April’s edition. Even though Sam had expounded firmly that he was done lecturing, now he said, “I half expected to lecture a little next year” [MTL 4: 212]
October 22 Saturday – Francis P. Church of the Galaxy wrote:
“Dear Twain: / The portrait is all right. I will give it to the engraver immediately.
We wont talk about your giving up at the end of the year. It is something not to be even thought of for a moment” [MTPO]. Note: a doodled portrait of King William of Prussia; see Oct. 18.
October 21 Friday – An article attributed to Sam, “The Libel Suit,” was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 246].
Mortimer Neal Thomson (Q.K. Philander Doesticks, P.B.) wrote from NY.
I don’t believe you’ve forgotten me, and I don’t want you to put on airs and pretend you have, just because I’m going to remind you of a promise.
October 20 Thursday – An earthquake struck Buffalo at about 5 p.m., and “lasted only thirty or fourty seconds. Church steeples and chandeliers swayed. Walls of buildings shook, windows shattered, and furniture moved across floors” [Reigstad 171].
October 19 Wednesday – In Buffalo, Clemens wrote to Francis P. Church:
I am so stupid. I forgot that it will be two or three weeks before I can see whether you are going to want that portrait & burlesque or not—so you must sit right down & write me even if you have to delay your dinner a minute or two. Will you?
October 18 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Frank Church, editor of Galaxy. Sam sent a doodled “portrait” of King William of Prussia, parodying the use of portraits in the magazine [MTL 4: 210].
October 15 Saturday – “Mark Twain – His Map and Fortifications of Paris” was reprinted in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 238].
October 13 Thursday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Mary Mason Fairbanks. Mary’s daughter Alice (“Alie”) was engaged. Sam wanted Mary to visit. Charles Langdon had married Ida B. Clark on Oct. 12, but Sam was too busy to go and Livy was unable [MTL 4: 208-9].
Sam also wrote Elisha Bliss:
October 11 Tuesday – Robert Shelton Mackenzie (1809-1881), editor of the Phila. Press wrote: “You will see by the enclosed, which I had much pleasure in writing, as far as your book [IA] is concerned, that you are somewhat appreciated in our Quaker City. / Yours…” [MTP]. MacKenzie’s review is in the file; it praises Twain as “one of the three great living American prose humorists” the others being Harte and Oliver Wendell Holmes.
October 10? Monday – Sam wrote to Ainsworth R. Spofford, on his “Fortifications of Paris” map which ran in the Buffalo Express Sat. Sept. 17:
Mr. Spofford, could I get you to preserve this work of art among the geographical treasures of the Congressional Library?
Yrs Truly
Mark Twain.