October 25 Tuesday – In N.Y.C. Sam inscribed a copy of A Dog’s Tale to an unidentified person: “With the kindest regards of the Author, Oct. 25, 1904” [MTP: Samuel T. Freeman & Co. catalogs, 3 May 1932, Item 105].
October 24 Monday – In N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Ralph W. Ashcroft c/o The Koy-lo Co., 11 Broadway, N.Y.C. “These are the original telegrams. / S.L. Clemens” [MTP]. Note: possibly telegrams to and from John Hays Hammond (Sept. 15 and others) regarding dissension over seating Plasmon Co. new board of directors. Sam’s notebook: “All royalties & nobilities are conscious fictions & artificialities. They privately laugh at themselves; knowing that, alive they are no better than their valets; & that, dead, their meat is inferior to pork” [NB 47 TS 17].
October 23 Sunday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Susan Crane. I have been telephoning the Hoffman, dearest Susy dear (as’su), & the Stanchfields are there— so I am going up, right after dinner, to see them. Clara Stanchfield says she has made the journey from Elmira especially to see our Clara, & it is too bad, for the doctor put her under the strictest seclusion & captivity yesterday evening, & now I, with all others, am shut out for the coming months. It is best so. She will not get well on any less stringent terms.
October 20 Thursday – About this day Sam replied to Cécile Freese’s Oct. 18. Sam wrote on the bottom of Freese’s letter: “Here is Madame Freese’s address. Miss Lyon can now return the photo to her” [MTP].
October 19 Wednesday – Edumund D. Morel wrote from the Union Club, NYC to Sam. “Not a single N.Y. daily newspaper has published my open letter to Cardinal Gibbons.” Much of this letter is illegible [MTP]. Note: James Gibbons (1834-1921), of Baltimore, American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Best known for his support of labor unions, in his later years he became the face of Catholicism in America.
October 18 Tuesday – Sam wrote at least three letters which survive and carry this date’s postmark. The first, to daughter Jean and Isabel V. Lyon in Lee Mass.: “All right, Jean, you shall bring the mongrel cat” [MTP].
The second letter to Mary H. Hitchcock (Mrs. Roswell D. Hitchcock), President Entertainment Club, N.Y.C. declining an invitation to read [MTP].
The third to Isabel V. Lyon, enclosing Dr. G.W. Kirch’s bill and letter from the doctor’s attorney [MTP].
October 17 Monday – Edumund D. Morel, head of the English Congo Reform Assoc. wrote to Sam. “I send you by an express messenger a packet of Congo literature.” He closed by asking for Sam’s photograph [MTP]. Hawkins writes that Morel visited Sam in his N.Y. house on this day [148].
October 16 Sunday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam finished his Oct. 15 letter to Edmund Dene Morel. “The Senate Memorial reached me early this a.m., & I remained in bed to read it./ If anything can be done—but come & let us talk about it.” Sam wanted another copy of the Senate Memorial “& some terrible illustrations” [MTP]. Note: Gribben identifies this as Memorial Concerning Conditions in the Independent State of the Kongo. April 19, 1904. Committee on Foreign Relations. U. S. Senate. 58th Congress, 2d Session. Document No. 282 [462].
October 15 Saturday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam began a reply to Edmund Dene Morel’s Oct. 10 letter (originally Georges Eduard Pierre Achille Morel de Ville) (1873-1924) British journalist, author and socialist politician. He collaborated with Roger Casement, the English Congo Reform Associaton and others and in newspapers such as the West African Mail, campaigned against slavery in the Congo Free State. Sam would add a P.S. to this note on Oct. 16.
October 14 Friday – Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote two letters on Koy-Lo Co. letterhead to Sam. The company was connected with The International Spiral Pin Co. “In accordance with our conversation over the ‘phone yesterday, while you were in Mr. Rogers’ office, I have offered the $2,000. of shares in International Sprial Pin co. to Mr. Stanchfield, and he has accepted them. / This, therefore, cancels the option extended to you on them.”