August 24 Friday – In Elmira Livy and Sam wrote a short letter to Mrs. David Billings of Elmira, with Sam inserting and finishing her first sentence and she finishing his next to last. Livy thought there was a similarity between the two handwritings [MTP]. Note: The envelope was marked “Mrs. Daniel Billings.”
Sam also wrote to Richard Watson Gilder.
August 22 Wednesday – Franklin G. Whitmore wrote Sam of progress selling his stocks and bonds. Sam wrote on the envelope, “Yes, it is all right” [MTP].
August 21 Tuesday – Webster & Co. wrote to Sam that “business has picked up marvelously. We shall be surprised if we do not sell considerable oer 100,000 sets of the Sheridan” [MTP].
Dr. Clarence C. Rice, N.Y., receipted $105: “115 E. 18th St; for professional services rendered; Mrs Clemens 40; Mr Clemens 30; Miss Susie 35” [MTP] Note: unusual office hours 9 a.m. till noon & 5 p.m till 6 p.m. This allowed for 18 holes in the afternoon.
August 20 Monday – Sam wrote to Joseph Hall for Hartford Public High School ostensibly to ask if one of his daughters might take two languages at the same time. His letter not extant but is referred to in Joseph Hall’s Aug. 24 response [MTP].
Sam’s notebook: [Chk #] 4317 Aug 20 Twichell, $135 [3: 477].
Mary C. MacDonald wrote a longish letter from Arch Spring, Penn. for Sam’s help [MTP].
August 19 Sunday – Olivia Lewis Langdon’s 78th birthday. Sam and Livy left a calling card (probably with their gift), and Jean Clemens inscribed Mark Twain’s Library of Humor: To / Grandmamma / with the love / of / Jean Clemens / 19th August 1888. [MTP]. Likely other gifts from Clara and Susy did not involve writing or were lost.
August 15 Wednesday – Grace E. King wrote to Sam: “What a pleasure your letter gave me!” [MTP]. Note: unfortunately, reading Grace’s handwriting is not a pleasure.
August 14 Tuesday – Robert Underwood Johnson of Century Magazine wrote Sam, asking to use segments of Gen. Sheridan’s Personal Memoirs in the book version of the Century’s “Battles and Leaders of the Civil War” series. In turn, Johnson offered to consider “autobiography of a slave” which had been offered to Sam by Mary Duncan, a poor sick Tennessee woman [MTNJ 3: 387n296]. (See also Aug.
August 13 Monday – Sam wrote check # 4313 to Theodore Crane for $30, likely part payment for summer expenses. For some reason he entered this in his notebook in May 1889.
August 12 Sunday – In Elmira Sam wrote to the three editors of the Century Magazine: Richard Watson Gilder, Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence C. Buel, addressing it to “whichever Hellion is in command.” Evidently Mary Duncan had been pestering him about her manuscript and Sam claimed he’d written her “about thirty-five times” about the needs of an “honest autobiography or journal of an intelligent slave girl.” (See also Aug.
August 11 Saturday – Mary C. MacDonald wrote to Richard M. Johnston of the Century Co., who passed it on to Sam — her point is as unclear as her handwriting, but she was soliciting her artwork [MTP].
Arthur H. Wright for Webster & Co.: Bank balances total: $2,244.13 [MTP].