July 15 Friday – Elisha P. Bliss had arrived in Elmira and signed a contract with Sam for a book of Sam’s Western adventures to be completed by Jan. 1, 1871. Sales on Innocents were booming and Bliss wanted to tie Sam up for future books.
July 10? Sunday – Sam wrote from Elmira asking his lecture agent, James Redpath, to “puff” Thomas Fitch, Congressman from Nevada. Sam saw Fitch on July 6 in Washington and encouraged him to lecture. Redpath used such testimonials in his lecture tour literature. Sam then dropped Fitch a note about the testimonial.
July 9 or 10 Sunday – Sam left Washington and returned to Elmira [MTL 4: 170n1].
July 8 Friday – Mathew B. Brady (1823-1896) photographed Sam. Sam wrote at 10:30 PM from Washington to Livy. After summarizing the state of the bill and his dinner companions (Ex-Vice President Hamlin, Senator Pomeroy (1816-1891), Mr. Gardiner G. Hubbard, & Mr. Richard B. Irwin), Sam wrote:
July 7 Thursday – Senate Bill 1025 was reported out of committee, but no further action was taken on it [MTL 4: 168n1].
July 6 Wednesday – Sam wrote at 11:15 PM from Washington, D.C. to Livy:
“Got up at 6…went to several places. Finally, at 9, got a carriage & took Mr. Stewart to the Senate.”
Sam had some successes, got the bill approved in committee, but felt he should stay:
July 5 Tuesday – Sam arrived in Washington, D.C. and began lobbying for passage of the bill.
July 4 Monday – In Elmira, Sam wrote to Elisha Bliss. Jervis had rallied again, so much so that Sam expected him to get well. Sam disclosed his back and forth with the Appleton Co. and had been expecting Bliss to come up and discuss “books and business.” Sam was still counting on the Adirondack trip with the Twichells [MTL 4: 161-2].
July 2 Saturday – Sam’s article, “How I Edited an Agricultural Paper Once,” which had appeared in the July Galaxy, was reprinted in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 217].
July – In the Galaxy for this month—MARK TWAIN’S MEMORANDA – Included:
“How I Edited an Agricultural Paper Once”
“The ‘Tournament’ in A.D. 1870”
“Enigma”
“Unburlesquable Things”
“The Late Benjamin Franklin”
“The Editorial Office Bore”
“Johnny Greer”
“A Daring Attempt at a Solution of It”
“To Correspondents” [Schmidt].