December 16 Friday – Richard W. Gilder for Century Magazine wrote to Sam arguing against proposed legislation (the Pearsall Smith matter) he felt would be strongly opposed and unconstitutional [MTP].
December 15 Thursday – Webster & Co. Wrote to Sam that his telegram was received asking for a certain kind of paper, which the mills were urged to rush. The prospectus of the Library of Humor was ready, save the bios and the preface; other details discussed about the book [MTP].
George Walton Green wrote from N.Y. to Sam thanking him for taking part in the Nov. 28 Authors’ Readings in Chickering Hall [MTP].
December 14 Wednesday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam, evidently responding to Sam’s veto on the interview with the St. Louis Republican. Orion agreed the man would “get nothing contraband out of this oyster.”; Ma hacked all night; Orion enclosed a waybill for hickory nuts sent; he never got the Pope book [MTP].
Eva G. Goddard wrote a “begging letter” from Terrell, Tex. Asking for a book with a picture [MTP].
December 13 Tuesday – Funk & Wagnalls wrote offering Sam $1,000 for ten articles (1500 words each) on “The People I have Met,” or “Several Chapters From my Life” [MTP].
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
3936 E. Steger & Co. 0.80
3937 Estes & Lauriat 3.60 Boston Bookseller
3938 Mr. A.A. Welch 4.00
December 12 Monday – Charles J. Devlin on Spring Valley Coal, Ill. letterhead acknowledged receipt of Sam’s letter and that they were transferring the books “over to the K. of L. Library” [MTP].
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
3935 Mrs. J.H. Barton 30.00
December 10 Saturday – From the New York Times of this date, p.4 (See also Nov. 7)
KNIGHTS OF THE ORDER OF PIUS
December 9 Friday – From Sam’s notebook, another co. bank balance: 15,076.79. Draft & notes due, $554 [MTNJ 3: 359].
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
3933 Mr. James Quin[n] 40.00 RR Agent
December 8 Thursday – In Hartford Sam answered Orion Clemens’ Dec. 5 letter. Sam felt he’d never given an interviewer or biographer any information that he wanted to someday put in his autobiography; he hated “all mention of my private history, anyway.
December 7 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Webster & Co. Outlining an offer to Dr. J.H. Douglas for a book “of not less than 200,000 words,” paying seventeen and a half cents per copy for the first 10,000 sales after plate costs [MTP]. Note: This book was noted as rejected on Dec. 5 [MTLTP 236n1].
December 6 Tuesday – Frederick J. Hall for Webster & Co. wrote to Sam asking how many engravings were required for Nathaniel J. Burton’s Yale Lectures on Preaching [MTLTP 238n5].