October 6 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam responded to a letter from Orion Clemens.
Yes, buy Pamela’s ticket & glasses, & use the money in any other ways you please for her, & when the “fund” runs low notify me so that I can re-supply it.
October 5 Tuesday – In New York, again at the Murray Hill Hotel, Sam wrote to Charles Webster, just returning (or about to return) from his trip to Europe.
October 2 Saturday – The Brooklyn Eagle, in a page two article, “American Humor – From Artemus Ward to Max Adeler,” (citing the Cincinnati Enquirer) concluded that “American humor is becoming rather scarce.” Reflecting perhaps a popular belief that Sam’s slowing of literary output and immersion in business marked the end of his career as a humorist, the article offered:
October – Sam’s notebook: Eliz Cady Stanton & daughter gone to Europe to write “Woman’s Version of the Bible” [MTNJ 3: 261]
September 30 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall, employee of Webster & Co., asking that $6,000 be sent and charged to his account. Hall, who wrote Sept. 29, informed Sam that 418 satisfactory answers had been received from the 1289 circulars sent to daily newspapers asking for compositor rates. P.B.
September 29 Wednesday – Dr. John Nutting Farrar, New York orthodontist, wrote to Sam with an estimate of $350 to $400 for work to straighten Clara Clemens’ teeth. The doctor wrote that the work was “among the most difficult in the profession and must be done right or, no good” [MTNJ 3: 258n103; MTP]. Clara was examined by the doctor sometime between Sept 18 and 24.
September 28 Tuesday – Samuel Sidney McClure (1857-1949) wrote from New York to Sam asking for “such facts as you would be willing to have published in the syndicate” relating to his early literary career. McClure was writing a paper showing how “a number of well known writers earned their first money by their pens.” Sam wrote on the envelope, “Puh!”[MTP].
September 27 Monday – By this day the Clemens family were back in Hartford after a ten-day stay in New York. Sam responded to James Redpath, who wrote Sept 23-5 offering Donn Piatt’s book for publication. Redpath was now editor of the North American Review.
September 26 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: the Tribune contains a page of leaded minion done on a machine. So they’ve at least 2 sizes of matrices, whether they’ve 2 machines or not [MTNJ 3: 259].
September 25 Saturday † – James Redpath wrote to Sam enclosing a Sept. 20 letter from Donn Piatt. Redpath wanted to know where to send Piatt’s book for evaluation [MTP].