July – The Idler IX p.901-6, “Mark Twain Up-to-Date,” was a brief, general discussion of Mark Twain without new information but with fourteen photos of Sam at various ages and an excellent photo of his birthplace at Florida, Mo. before restoration [Tenney 24].
June 30 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook:
June 30, Tuesday. Left Cradock 7 p.m. [June 29] Cold night. 10 hours without a urinal. Damnation! [Parsons, “Travelers in S.A.” 32].
June 29 Monday – The Clemens party spent the day in Cradock. Parsons writes that the town was the “home off and on of ‘the best-known woman in Africa’,” Olive Schreiner. The lady’s book, Story of an African Farm was more successful in the U.S. and greatly influenced Sam’s idea of the Boer. Parsons claims, “In some measure Mark Twain saw South Africa through her eyes as he had seen India through Rudyard Kipling’s” [“Traveler in S.A.” 32]. Note: Sam wrote the name of this book in his notebook on Nov.
June 28 Sunday – In Hartford the Clemenses old neighbor and Nook Farm saint, Harriet Beecher Stowe, died at age 85. Her funeral was held on July 2, at 73 Forest Street (see entry).
At 11: 40 a.m. in Grahamstown, the Clemens group were bound for Kimberley. Parsons writes,
June 27 Saturday – In Grahamstown, S. Africa, with a poor night of sleep due to hotel staff, Sam changed his accommodations to the Grahamstown Club. In the evening at the Albany Drill Hall, Sam gave his “At Home” (No. 2) talk. Grocott’s Penny Mail reviewed the performance on June 29 and reported that one man traveled 400 miles to hear Mark Twain [Philippon 22].
June 26 Friday – In Grahamstown, S. Africa, Sam and Carlyle Smythe were admitted to the Grahamstown Club, and entered in the visitor’s book along with their two proposers (sponsors):
1896, June 26 S Clemens (Mark Twain) U.S.A. [proposed and seconded by:] W.A.H. Holland B.L.W. Kitching [Parsons, “Clubman in S.A.” 251]. Note: Holland was the Town Clerk and Treasurer of the Club; Kitching was Rev. [Parsons, “Traveler in S.A.” 30-1].
June 25 Thursday – The Clemens party and agent Smythe left Port Elizabeth on the train at 11:50 a.m. and traveled the 106 miles to Grahamstown, arriving at 7 p.m. Their average speed was but fifteen miles an hour. On the way Sam noted a lot of ostriches in the fields. On their arrival they were “most pleasantly welcomed by the Irish parish priest,” unnamed [Philippon 22; Parsons, “Traveler in S.A.” 29].
Parsons writes,
June 24 Wednesday – In the evening in Port Elizabeth, Sam gave his “At Home” (No. 3) performance to a full house at Town Hall. Newspaper reviews were decidedly negative on his three talks in the town.
June 23 Tuesday – In Port Elizabeth, S. Africa Sam wrote to his nephew, Samuel Moffett. He referred to a prior cable (not extant) by William Randolph Hearst, publisher of the San Francisco Examiner since 1887. Moffett was an editor on the paper, and no doubt Hearst wanted Sam to write about the political machinations in S. Africa concerning Jameson’s raid and the aftermath. Sam’s letter to his nephew is obviously a response to another letter not extant.
June 22 Monday – In Port Elizabeth Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, who had not cabled the actual date of his marriage (June 3), though Sam knew of his plans to marry Emilie Hart.