January 2 Monday – London Pall Mall Gazette, p.4 ran a paragraph about the recent exchange between Sam and Brander Matthews over copyright. Items from London writers often lend a different perspective on events in Sam’s life.
January 1 Sunday – In Hartford a first issue of the first edition of Mark Twain’s Library of Humor, Illustrated by Edward Windsor Kemble, was signed, “Mark Twain, Hartford, Jan. 1, 1888.” This edition contained the first appearance of “Warm Hair” by Sam, but his name was erased from the heading of the sketch in later editions, as if he was not the author. Inserted in this edition was a facsimile of the “Compiler’s Apology”:
January – Die Meisterschaft, a 3-act bilingual play Sam wrote in 1886-7 for family entertainment ran with a few changes in Century Magazine [MTNJ 3: 333n95].
December 31 Saturday – In the morning, Sam left Hartford for New York, and “another troublesome dinner,” which he referred to in his Dec. 28 letter to Webster.
In the evening, Sam read a story (unknown) at the Author’s Club, Watch Night [Fatout, MT Speaking 657].
New York newspapers, including the Brooklyn Eagle, p.2 announced the January Century Magazine would contain,
December 30 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to James B. Pond, calling himself the “burnt child” who “shuns the fire” — he didn’t want the “remotest thing to do with a Hartford entertainment again.”
I think too much of the profession to help it hurt itself here [MTP].
December 29 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Webster & Co. That it would be best not to bind the Custer book just yet as it could not be canvassed; the better use of the money was elsewhere [MTP].
Meanwhile, Charles Webster answered Sam’s suggestion of Dec. 28 that he take a $800 hit on his salary to hire W.E. Dibble:
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.