December 28 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Charles Webster about the hiring of W.E. Dibble. Sam had jotted in his notebook a desire to return Webster’s salary back to $3,000 from the $3,800 that had been agreed to for the settling of $4,000, which was caused by the Scott embezzlement. Now he took the reins to the situation and suggested that Webster could donate the $800 toward Dibble’s salary:
December 27 Tuesday – Charles Webster wrote two letters to Sam; he rejected a single payment plan to settle amounts charged to his account by the embezzler Frank M. Scott. Webster claimed that Scott had charged $8,000 to Webster’s account when in fact he’d only drawn $4,000. But since Scott destroyed the cashbook holding the entry, it could not be proven. At the time the theft was discovered, Sam offered Webster $4,000. Webster said no to this idea because,
December 25 Sunday – Christmas – Sam inscribed a copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: To / F.G. Whitmore/ With the best Xmas greetings of, /The Author / ~ / Hartford, Dec. 25/87 [MTP].
George Griffin sent Sam a pipe and a note hoping he would be around in 43 years to enjoy it [MTP]. Note: Griffin was Sam’s butler/man-servant.
December 24 Saturday – In Hartford, Sam answered a letter (not extant) from Dana Estes (1840-1909), of Estes & Lauriat, Boston booksellers. Estes offered membership to Sam in a group working for copyright protection, something Sam was already involved in the Authors Copyright League of New York, and had no time to add another organization to his docket.
December 23 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to William Malcom Bunn (W.M. Bunn) (1842-1923), ex-territorial Governor of Idaho (1884-5), now a well known lawyer, after dinner speaker, clubman and art collector of Philadelphia. Evidently Bunn requested 25 lines from Sam on some subject, giving him only two days to provide them.
December 22 Thursday – Orion and Mollie Clemens wrote to Sam and Olivia. Orion: thanks for the Christmas present, Ma will buy something nice with her present; comments and wonderings about the typesetter. Mollie: thanking for the present sent — where would they be without their help? She couldn’t answer why Sam would help her “poor old father,” who was “comfortably fixed as can be” now.
December 20 Tuesday – Sam went to Boston, Mass. And gave the speech, “Patent Adjustable Speech” in reaction to a toast on “Post-Prandial Oratory” at the Congregational Club, Music Hall [Fatout MT Speaking 230-4]. The Twainian Jan-Feb 1946 p.1 reports from a Boston Globe article (Dec. 21, p.1, “Pilgrims”), that Charles W.
December 19 Monday – From The Twainian Nov.-Dec. 1951, p.1 comes this piece of history in an article by Frank M. Flack of Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa:
“The January-February, 1946, issue of The Twainian reprinted the text of ‘Mark Twain’s Patent Adjustable Speech,’ as it was delivered on Forefather’s Day, December 20, 1887, before the Congregational Club of Boston.
December 18 Sunday – In Hartford Sam wrote to H.C. Christiancy, of the Detroit Custom House who wanted to know if Sam would pay the duty on pirated books (Roughing It in this case) seized at the Canadian border. As the law then stood, Sam had the right to deny entry of pirated material, but in order to seize it, would have to pay import duties on the material.
December 17 Saturday – From Sam’s notebook: “Dec. 17 — 14,000” [MTNJ 3: 359].
Webster & Co. Wrote to Sam: “Your telegram telling us to go ahead with the book, and also the telegram about the paper, is received.” The paper was rushed to Hartford and should be there now [MTP].