April 25 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Augustin Daly, who had sent him “a beautiful book” — probably the “book printed from the prompter’s copy of the play, [Taming of the Shrew] adorned by photogravures of Miss, Rehan, Drew, and the supper scene in the last act” [N.Y. Times, Apr. 14, 1887 p.5 “Shakespeare at Daly’s”]. Sam wanted to be remembered to the actors Miss Ada Rehan and Mrs.
April 24 Sunday – The Brooklyn Eagle ran a long article on page 6, “COMMON SCHOOL LORE – Vouched for by Twain, But Probably Edited by Spirits.” In response to “English As She Is Taught,” the paper asked, “Is it a Juvenile or an Adult Joke Book?”
April 23 Saturday – Charles Webster wrote to Sam of the disposition of the Frank M. Scott embezzlement case, and of liquidation of old stock.
Scott was sentenced by Judge Gildersleeve to six years at hard labor in Sing Sing States Prison yesterday.
April 22 Friday – In Hartford “laid up, for a day or two,” Sam answered Webster’s Apr. 21 note.
You asked Fred Grant, before the contract was three months old, & he agreed that legal expenses should be a charge upon all concerned. [¶] You told me this. The amount is small, but we must stick to our position [MTP].
April 21 Thursday – Charles Webster wrote that he now thought the amount due Mrs.Grant would turn out to be about $33,000 instead of $38,000; Fred Grant “seems disposed not to allow legal expenses,” but Webster argued those were clearly an “expense of publication”; McClellan was selling well and the Pope’s book was “picking up”; he would write when the 2-year accounting was ready [MTP].
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
April 20 Wednesday – In Boston, William Dean Howells wrote to Sam:
April 19 Tuesday – Sam wrote to Rev. John Davis of the Trinity Rectory, Hannibal, Mo., enclosing a form letter he’d written six weeks prior explaining his experience with the Loisette memory “system.” Sam was still sold on the method, and among the remarks he added to the form letter was this:
April 18 Monday – Sam went to New York, where he wrote a brief note to Edmund W. Gosse (1849-1928), English poet, author and critic, who evidently had requested a photograph. Gosse at this time was an important critic of sculpture, writing for the Saturday Review. Sam owned a copy of Gosse’s Thomas Gray, English Men of Letters Series (1882), which was purchased Apr. 28, 1884:
April 17 Sunday – In Hartford Sam telegraphed Augustin Daly that he would be there [MTP]. Just where he did not say.
Sam also wrote to Charles Webster. Even after Webster’s “demands” of Apr. 1, Sam was happy with the way things were going:
April 16 Saturday – Jackson P. Singleberry, editor and proprietor of the Horse Head county Boom wrote to Sam, the humorous letter cajoling a contribution from Twain being in The Arkansas Traveler of this date [MTP]. Note: This looks suspiciously like a spoof.