May 31 Friday – The Boston Daily Globe, p.6. ran “MARK TWAIN’S KEEPER,” a good natured spoof about an imaginary interceptor of his invitations.
Isaac Answers His Invitations and Says Mr. Clemens is Sick.
Mark Twain once expressed a desire to attend the annual dinner of the Gridiron club of correspondents in Washington; but when an invitation was sent him, his regrets were received by return mail.
May 30 Thursday – At Quarry Farm Sam wrote to Henry M. Alden of Harper & Brothers:
May 27 Monday – The Clemens family moved from Elmira to Quarry Farm [May 26 to Rogers].
May 26 Sunday – In Elmira Sam wrote to his brother Orion. This letter is not extant but was quoted in a June 17 to Samuel Moffett from Pamela Moffett.
May 25 Saturday – In Elmira Sam wrote a short paragraph to Franklin G. Whitmore in Hartford, asking him to “look out for a package for Mrs. Clemens, & lay it away.” The package for Livy was coming from Paris addressed to Whitmore and contained “a couple of waists….made out of old dresses…& of course are not dutiable” [MTP].
Sam’s notebook reveals a response from Pond to his May 25 telegram: “His reply, by telegraph, May 25. ‘Terms accepted. See letter’” [NB 34 TS 10].
May 24 Friday – In Elmira Sam responded to James B. Pond (Pond’s letter not extant), attempting to “strike out something definite and get down to business” on the American leg of the world tour. Sam numbered eight conditions and offers: He would give Pond a fourth of the profits except in San Francisco, where Sam wanted four-fifths. Wherever he talked outside of San Francisco he must talk two nights, “so as to practice two readings & give Mrs.
May 23 Thursday – This is the probable day that the Clemens family continued on to Elmira. The May 26 to Rogers reveals they did not go directly to Quarry Farm.
Bainbridge Colby finalized the contract with Harper & Brothers for a Uniform Edition of Sam’s works. H.H. Rogers handled many of the details, and the contract bore his signature as Sam’s attorney. The contract was delivered on July 26, 1895 [MTHHR 155n1].
May 22 Wednesday – In New York Sam gave a curtain Speech for Frank Mayo’s production of Pudd’nhead Wilson at the Herald Square Theatre. The New York Times reported it on May 23. See also Fatout, MT Speaking 276-8, based upon the N.Y. Herald’s May 23 article. The former:
MARK TWAIN IN THE PLAYHOUSE
May 20 Monday – The Boston Daily Globe, p.5 ran an unsigned New York interview done with Sam at the Everett House (not in Scharnhorst):
IT PAYS TO KICK.
Mark Twain Says So in All Seriousness.
Believes in Complaining to the Responsible Head.
Cites Discourtesies in Our Every Day Life.
Approves of Reform and Tells How to Get Redress.
“I Suppose We Are Born Timid,” He Says.
May 19 Sunday – In New York at H.H. Rogers’ office, Sam wrote to Frank Mayo, asking for three tickets to the PW play. Evidently he’d asked for two prior to this, his first request not extant:
I made a mistake. I wanted to ask for 3 seats for Miss Harrison, instead of 2. If not too late, won’t you mail 3 to her, Care H.H. Rogers, 26 Broadway?