July 28 Wednesday – Elisha Bliss registered Innocents Abroad with the copyright office [Hirst, “A Note on the Text” Oxford Edition, 1996]. The book was published in a first edition of 20,000 copies. Over 100,000 copies would sell by three year’s end, for about a $19,000 royalty.
The Hartford Times was first out of the chute with a review of IA:
July 27 Tuesday – Abel W. Fairbanks, part owner of the Cleveland Herald and husband of Mary Mason Fairbanks, wrote to Sam proposing $50,000 for a quarter interest in his newspaper—a price and that Sam and Jervis Langdon thought too high for too low a share [MTL 3: 287-8n2]. (See this note for the text of Abel’s letter.)
July 26 Monday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Abel Fairbanks asking about the Cleveland Herald’s assets and the increase in Fairbanks’ asking price [MTL 3: 287-8n2].
July 25 Sunday – Sam’s LETTER FROM “MARK TWAIN” dated New York, July 1869, ran in the San Francisco Alta California. Subtitles: A First Visit to Boston; Modern Cretan Labyrinth; Boston Antiquities; Boston Politeness; Nasby [Schmidt].
Jane Clemens wrote to Sam.
July 22 Thursday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Elisha Bliss, sticking it to him for the delay in publication, excuses by Bliss about other books ahead of Sam’s, and objecting to any further delays. “I cannot think I have been treated just right.” This letter puts into question July 20 as a publication date. Bliss’ letter of July 12 promised to ship books to California on the steamer July 24.
July 20 Tuesday – Date of publication for Innocents Abroad [MT Encyclopedia, Dickinson 400]—Hirst gives this as the date the earliest copies arrived from the bindery [“A Note on the Text” Oxford edition, 1996]. By early August the book was becoming a best seller. It sold 30,000 copies within three months; 85,000 within sixteen months. Sam’s royalties on the book came to nineteen cents a copy [Willis 51]. Sam had written perhaps the greatest travel book ever penned by an American.
July 17 Saturday – Frank Bliss wrote to Sam, sending “a very few of the circulars all that we have today…we send a few to Redpath…will send more in a short time” [MTP].
July 16–20 Tuesday – Sam returned from Cleveland to Elmira during this period, after Abel Fairbanks increased the purchase price for a share of the Herald [MTL 3: 287n2].
July 15 Thursday – Sam went to Buffalo, New York and on to Cleveland to investigate and negotiate an interest in the Cleveland Herald with Abel Fairbanks. Note: Sam would purchase a third interest in The Buffalo Express. Jervis Langdon would loan Sam half of the $25,000 needed to purchase the interest.
July 14 Wednesday – David R. Locke (Petroleum V. Nasby) wrote from Toledo, Ohio .