August 2 Sunday– In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Charles M. Fairbanks.

Dear Charley— / Will you please entrust temporarily to the hands of the bearer, Mr. W. R. Ashcroft, such of my old letters and original (unpublished) MSS as your mother left in the family’s possession, so that he may have copies made of them for me. I have empowered Clara to publish a book of my letters for her bread-&-butter’s sake, (after my death.) / Sincerely Yours [MTP].

August 1 Saturday – Samuel E. Moffett, Sam’s nephew and longtime booster, “drowned in the surf off the Jersey beach,” while his wife and children (Anita Moffett, 17 and Francis Clemens Moffat, 13) watched from shore. He was 47. At the time of his death he was an editor of Collier’s Weekly [MTHHR 651n1; NY Times Aug. 2, 1908 p.1]. Note: The Times gives Normandie-By-The-Sea (now Normandy Beach, N.J. just sount of Pt. Pleasant). See Aug. 6 to Emilie R. Rogers. The New York Times reported the tragedy on the front page of its Aug. 2 issue:

August 1908 to February 1909 — Sometime during this period Albert I. Frye wrote from Brooklyn, NY to inquire of Sam a “less expensive method to insure copyright” [MTP]. Note: In the file a note by the MTP staff: “Since MLH, Mary L. Howden, is SLC’s stenographer from Aug 1908 to Feb 1909, this letter must have been written during that time”; the same note is in several letter files.

August – In Redding, Conn. Sam inscribed a photo of him seated (by Underwood & Underwood) with “best wishes” and the month/year to Jeannette Cholmeley-Jones [MTP].

Sam also inscribed a copy of JA to Mrs. Niehaus: “Truly Yours / Mark Twain / To Mrs. Niehaus, / the dear & valued friend of my daughter Jean—with my gratitude. / SL Clemens / August, 1908” [MTP].

July 31 Friday – Sam’s guestbook:

Name Address Date Remarks

Harriet E.G. Whitmore Hartford, Conn )       July 31 – Aug 3

Franklin G. Whitmore “        “ )

      Note: in the original guestbook, Franklin Whitmore was dated as Aug. 2 [Mac Donnall TS].

Isabel Lyon’s journal:  “The Whitmores and Ashcroft arrived this afternoon” [MTP: IVL TS 55].

July 30 Thursday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to daughter Clara.

I place with this a copy of a letter of today’s date which I have just written to Colonel Harvey.

July 29 Wednesday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Frances Nunnally in London, England.

Dear Francesca—

Your letter arrived to-day with picture of Interlaken. What an architectural transformation! There’s nothing of the former Interlaken left but the Jûngfraû.

I am sorry you did not catch my daughter in; & she was sorry, too. She was more fortunate with Dorothy Butes, who found her at home.

July 28 Tuesday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to daughter Jean at Eastern Point in Gloucester, Mass.  

July 27 Monday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Dorothy Quick.

Dorothy dear, I miss you. It seems a long time since you were here. Louise has been here once, for a few minutes, & we have had a five minutes’ glimpse of Frances; Frances [Paine] went back home to her father’s house the day you went away.

July 26 Sunday – Jean Clemens’ 28th birthday.

Isabel Lyon’s journal: Today when the King and Sheba and Zoe [Mr. & Mrs. Zoheth Freeman] were driving and passed a cemetery, Sheba said that the King reverently lifted his hat from his beautiful head and after a moment Sheba reached over and touched his beautiful hand in sympathy.