August 5 Monday – In Elmira Sam wrote to William Dean Howells. The letter reflects the degree to which Sam depended on Livy and/or Howells as social censors of his work.
Mrs. Clemens will not listen to reason, or argument; or supplication: I’ve got to get you to read the book [CY]. … The proofs, thoroughly corrected, & then revised & re-corrected, shall go to you as revises, from time to time, from the office in New York.
August 4 Sunday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore about the apprentice Fred Whitmore (one of Franklin’s sons) on the typesetter. Sam wanted Fred to practice on a dummy keyboard while the machine was down, just to keep his practice for speed up. Sam had discovered that his servant, George Griffin, was to blame for forwarding letters to him and said that he’d instructed George but he’d neglected to follow instructions [MTP].
August 3 Saturday – In Elmira Sam answered Robert Underwood Johnson’s letter of Aug. 2 about which issue of Century excerpts of CY would appear and who would be the illustrator:
Beard is the artist. As for me, I’d as soon it went into the Nov. No. as the Dec. Suppose you drop in & discuss with Mr. Hall [MTP].
August 2 Friday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Orion Clemens explaining delays on the Paige typesetter. Apprentices were striking two keys simultaneously, so the machine had been down for a week until an additional device to prevent such events was installed. Sam wanted the letter strictly private, and included the Apprentice’s Record for time and number of ems on the typesetter.
Not 5 persons in the country know that the machine is done, & no more will know it for a month yet, if we can help it. …
August 1 Thursday – Frederick J. Hall sent Sam twelve Daily Report forms and a financial statement showing 4,402 books sent out during July, LAL Vol. 8 leading the list with 301 sales. Hall also sent a letter with the reports, noting, about the Scott embezzler affair, “The Dist. Attorney writes this morning, saying the Scott matter is to go before the Governor and he wishes to know if this letter contains our present views regarding Scott” [MTP].
August – Sometime during the month Sam wrote Franklin G. Whitmore, “I can have no stoppage upon any pretext,” which most likely had to do with the Paige typesetter [MTP].
“Mark Twain’s Story” ran in Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly. Sam wrote a list of his favorite songs in his notebook, not dated but within August notes. These may not be the full or correct titles, but they were good enough for Sam:
July 31 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: [chk] #4974. EL Holbrook, $15, July 31 [3: 491].
July 30 Tuesday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Robert Underwood Johnson of Century Magazine about illustrations for CY. The note expressed Sam’s desire to closely cooperate with Dan Beard, for whom he had great respect. He also wrote that he’d sent his MS to New York to be typewritten [MTP]. Note: Sam also mentioned he’d sent his MS “off to New York” to Howells, so as to make an anticipated visit more of a vacation [MTHL 2: 607].
July 29 Monday – In Elmira Sam wrote a two-paragraph note to Franklin G. Whitmore, about the Paige typesetter rate of production and of Charles Langdon’s visit of the prior evening and his agreement to send $5,000 to the U.S. Bank on this day. Earlier this day Sam went down town and saw Charles but had forgot to ask him if the deed was done [MTP].
July 28 Sunday – In the evening, Charles Langdon visited the Clemens family at Quarry Farm [July 29 to Whitmore].
Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore, enclosing a check for Whitmore’s salary. The letter is not extant but is referenced in Whitmore’s July 30 [MTP].