July 28, 1897

July 28 WednesdaySam’s notebook:

July 28. There was no hot weather for breakfast this morning. When we looked out over the lake we found that three great mountain forms along the range that is back from the water were draped down to their shoulders in snow. This royal ermine reveals their rank. They are much higher than Pilatus. We had not supposed that. Pilatus has not a flake on him [NB 42 TS 22].

Andrew Chatto wrote to Sam, letter not extant but referred to in July 30 to Chatto.

July 27, 1897

July 27 Tuesday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam telegraphed Frank Bliss, evidently finally arriving at the title for his new book “Following equator” [MTP]. Note: in England, More Tramps Abroad,.

Sam also wrote to Wayne MacVeagh.

July 26, 1897

July 26 MondayJean Clemens’ seventeenth birthday.

Chatto & Windus wrote a card to Sam that they’d rec’d “two repaired wine glasses with a bill for 8d, which we paid” (this note is a fragment) Sam wrote on their card to send the glasses to 23 Tedworth

[MTP]. Note: how does one “repair” a broken wine glass?

July 25, 1897

July 25 Sunday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote again to Chatto & Windus:

“I give it up. These printers pay no attention to my punctuation. Nine-tenths of the labor & vexation put upon me by Messrs. Spothiswoode & Co consists of annihilating their ignorant & purposeless punctuation and restoring my own.”

July 24, 1897

July 24 Saturday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam finished his second July 22 letter to Chatto & Windus. Five additional detail items (fixes on the book) were listed and the letter dated at the end, so it’s not possible to tell which were added on July 23 and which this day. Among these was this jewel:

July 23, 1897

July 23 Friday – In Weggis, Switzerland added a PS to his second July 22 to Chatto & Windus: “Send sheets to Bliss up to the MIDDLE of the book—then don’t send any more without first writing me about it” [MTP].

July 22, 1897

July 22 Thursday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote two letters to Chatto & Windus, the second not finished till July 24. In the first:

Let us drop this impossible thing. Cable Bliss for sheets.

It will not answer to try to produce the book from the original MS. It cannot be done. It is perfectly lousy with errors and foolishnesses which are not in Bliss’s copy. I can’t endure to read another chapter of it. I must go straight & telegraph you.

July 21, 1897

July 21 WednesdaySam’s notebook:

Took a room at the Villa Tannen as a writing-room. Price 20 francs a month.  Paid the first month in advance, & shall move in tomorrow.

———

Our landlady offered me a room in the next house below ours at 60 fr a month.

———

July 20, 1897

July 20 Tuesday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to John Y. MacAlister, apologizing for not hearing the doorbell on the night of July 7. Evidently MacAlister was going to urge Sam to take Pond’s lecture offer:

July 19, 1897

July 19 Monday – In Weggis, Switzerland a rented piano arrived for Clara to use during their stay.

Locher writes,

Clara still played the piano (though she would later be persuaded that her real strength was her voice), and her father rented an instrument for her in Lucerne. It arrived July 19th, one day after the family settled in Weggis. The transport was arranged by the firm of E.H. Roth- Naf, of Lucerne, who also supplied the bicycles, for Clemens had noted their address and he watched the delivery [Locher 10-11].

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