February 6 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Willam Dean Howells, Finley Peter Dunne, and George B. Harvey. He wanted to form “The Damned Human Race Club”: The Human Race will meet at the above address on St. Valentine’s Feb. 15 at 1.15 p.m. This club consists of 4 members—to-wit:
Dooley [Peter Dunne]
Howells
Harvey
Clemens
Officers:
President pro tem—Clemens
Invitation Committee—Harvey
February 5 Tuesday – The New York Times, p.9 ran this squib:
Mark Twain has consented to take part in the benefit for the Keats-Shelley Memorial in Rome, Italy, that is to be given at the Waldorf-Astoria on the afternoon of Feb. 14. He will read Shelley’s “Ode to a Skylark.”
Ross Clark wrote from Portland, Ore. to ask if Sam had written a book titled Through Dust and Foam. If so, where could he get a copy? [MTP]. Note: Lyon on letter: ‘Answd Mch 13, ‘07”; the 1876 book was written by R. Hook and G.D. Hook.
February 4 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: All day in Katonah. Jean was very sweet & I had a lovely time with the dear bruised child for last Friday she fell.
This morning I had a good hour with the King who read with delight a letter from a Scotchman who told a story of the disinterment of a Chinese corpse in Amoy. The King will use it as an autobiographic note covering the mail of the day [MTP TS 26-27]. Note: John C.G. Cumming wrote from Falkirk, Scotland on Jan. 23.
February 3 Sunday – The New York Times, p. SM7 ran “Mark Twain Pays His Respects to Mrs. Eddy and Christian Science,” which announced the publication this week of Christian Science.
February 2-6 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam gave instructions to Isabel Lyon to reply to the Jan. 23 from John C.G. Cumming in Scotland and “Thank him for the cheese letter” [MTP].
February 2 Saturday – Albert Bigelow Paine gave a private luncheon at the Players Club for Clemens and Eugene Fitch Ware, who wrote poetry under the name “Ironquill.” Also at the luncheon were Peter Dunne (“Mr. Dooley”), and Robert J. Collier. Paine notes that Sam had “long been familiar” with Ware’s poetry, which had a “distinctly ‘Western’ feeling….“There was in his work that same spirit of Americanism and humor and humanity that is found in Mark Twain’s writings….” [MTB 1374]. Note: see Dec. 1 incoming from Ware.
Larry Schmidt, a hydrologist whose hobby is the overland emigrant trails, and I have tossed the exact route Sam took for a long time now, while in the process of trying to get the ""Faro Table" rock area named Sam Clemens Cove. Last night, using the USGS map, he made a convincing argument that Sam went up King's Canyon to the point where it joins the Walton road. Walton charged a toll. and Sam would have wanted to avoid it. The shorter mileage and number of mountains "climbed" fits better with Twain's memory. I am left with arguments that lack strength.
This is a route first suggested by Robert Stewart for Sam's first visit to Lake Tahoe (Lake Bigler) in 1861. It follows a road laid out by William Wagner along Clear Creek. According to more recent personal correspondence with Robert Stewart, this route has been discounted in favor of the Kings Canyon route.
Mark Twain writes of the journey to Tahoe:
February 1 Friday – Anticipating the Feb. 2 Players Club luncheon with Eugene Fitch Ware, Sam spent most of the day reading The Rhymes of Ironquill [MTB 1374].
The New York Times, Feb. 2, reported on Sam’s appearance at Police headquarters:
TWAIN VISITS BINGHAM.
Delights Police Headquarters by Wearing His White Flannel Suit.