March 7 Monday – At the Hotel Metropole in Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.

The copies of the letters from creditors arrived to-day—first in the list the Mount Morris release, and I was very glad to see that. Mr. Dodd clothed it in boiler-iron! All right, I shall be very glad to “let you raise questions” with the Mt. Morris when it comes to further payments. I believe you will find that there are some quite legitimate questions to raise.

March 6 Sunday – In Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote to Eduard Pötzl also in Vienna

We were very sorry you did not come in, that evening. There were no strangers present—only friends. My daughter is going to the ball tomorrow night with some friends, & if Mrs. Clemens’s health is meantime quite restored I mean to be there myself a while [MTP]. Note: the “daughter” mentioned was likely Clara who attended many such events. Dolmetsch claims Eduard was Sam’s closest Viennese friend [37].

March 5 Saturday – The New York Times ran “English Praise Mark Twain,” p. 7 datelined Mar. 5, likely from the London Times:

ENGLISH PRAISE MARK TWAIN

Dr. McAlister Eulogizes his Conduct

In Paying His Webster & Co. Debts.

LONDON, March 5.—The English press has universally printed praises of the statement that Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) has paid the last of his Webster & Co. debts. Dr. McAlister, writing to The Times on the subject, says:

March 4 Friday – Sam also wrote to an unidentified person “Truth is stranger than Fiction; but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth is not” [MTP]. Note: was also in “Pudd’nhead Wilson’s New Calendar,” FE ch. 15.

March 2 Wednesday – Berta Tucholsky wrote from Vienna to Sam, congratulating him on his success and telling “how dearly I should like to translate your books into German” [MTP].

In Vienna, Austria, Sam inscribed a picture to Katy Leary: “To Katy Leary, with the affectionate good wishes of S.L. Clemens” [MTP].

March 1 Tuesday – Sam also replied to a non-extant query from Charles F. Mosher, a journalist with the Cincinnati Post and later an auditor with the Scripps newspaper network; he was now in Covington, Kentucky.

Oh, no—I can’t have that. Obviously the story has but one purpose, one intention: to so place Brown that he can not be saved.

February 28 Monday – At the Hotel Metropole in Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote a short note, per Livy, to William Grieg, thanking him “for the compliment in wishing to read from my books.” Permission granted [MTP].

February 27 Sunday – At the Hotel Metropole in Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote to Frank Bliss, noting an omission of money from Bliss’ Jan. statement for “the advance-matter furnished to the magazine” (McClure’s). Sam figured the sale should have netted him $1,000 since the Century Co. would have paid that. “& that is where it should have gone.” Sam scolded Bliss for acting on his own to give the piece to McClure’s and not the Century Magazine:

February 26 Saturday – At the Hotel Metropole in Vienna, Austria, Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus, having resolved the Gordon-Cumming matter in his own mind after seeing the original and subsequent revisions.

“I guess we’ve ‘got’ the late Cummings’s [sic Cumming’s] sensitive relative. I have sent your letter to him, & written him…”

February 25 Friday – Katharine I. Harrison wrote to Sam, enclosing copies of creditor letters of thanks. Katharine thanked him for sending FE which arrived “a few days since” [MTHHR 323 and n1]. Note: more creditor letters, dated Mar. 4 to Apr.16, 1898 would follow; a prior batch of these had been sent on Jan.7 and another would be sent on Apr. 26.

James Whitcomb Riley wrote from Indianapolis to Sam, complimenting him on FE: