August 17 Monday – Henrietta B. Babcock wrote from Cleveland to ask Sam’s help with producing her play [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Answer — Don’t [know] anything aboutg dramatic literature”
J.E. Buerk wrote from Boston to sell a German translation of TS to Sam made by his late brother [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “No—don’t want it”
August 16 Sunday – Hjalmar Boyesen wrote to ask if Sam thought an illustrated history of Norway would pay as a subscription book [MTP].
August 15 Saturday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Robert Underwood Johnson, of the Century Magazine. He began a draft of this letter in his notebook [MTNJ 3: 172]. Webster & Co. intended to use what was purported to be the last photograph of Grant for the deluxe edition of the Memoirs, but Webster wrote Sam on Aug.
August 14 Friday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Daniel Whitford, his attorney, asking if he knew the “President of the Balt & Ohio Tel Co, or parties connected with the new Co.” Sam was touting Paige’s telegraph invention. “Any idiot can operate it. No experts required” [MTP].
Daniel Whitford for Alexander & Green wrote that the Century people had given up all claim to the picture of Gen. Grant [MTP].
August 13 Thursday – W.H.H. Daggett, Hartford awning dealer, charged Sam $2 for “putting up awnings” [MTP].
Orion Clemens wrote of checks rec’d and of work completed on the history game; Ma went to a picnic [MTP].
August 12 or 19 or 26 Wednesday – On one of these days, Sam wrote to Webster & Co. (Charles Webster was sailing to Europe). He hadn’t received a letter referred to in a telegraph from someone at the company. There were “bogus Grant books” being canvassed and Sam suggested “Mr. Hall employ detectives or trustworthy friends to write” a solicitation to canvass to be sent to “several fraudulent publishers” [MTP].
August 11 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Richard S. Tuthill, at this time District Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago). Tuthill had sent an invitation for Sam to come and break bread with some of his old Midwest friends.
“I would give anything in the world if I could go; for that is true which you have said: the boys are growing old & passing away—did not we deliver to the rest & peace of the grave the greatest, noblest, the chiefest of them all, three days ago?”
August 10 Monday – Sam left New York in the morning for the long train ride to Elmira. He telegraphed from Portland, Penn. to Theodore W. Crane: “Shall arrive at the usual / S L Clemens” [MTP]. Portland was en route to Elmira.
August 9 Sunday – Sam had arranged “business…with Hartford people” on Tuesday (Aug. 11), but moved it up to Sunday so he might return to Elmira the next day [Aug. 15 to Johnson]. The nature of his business with Hartford people is unknown. It is possible that the Hartford people referred to came to New York.
August 8 Saturday – Grant’s funeral and procession included 60,000 members of the military assigned by President Cleveland. Sam was not in the funeral, but took a place in the window of Webster & Co. overlooking Union Square. He stood for five hours watching as the procession worked its way north through the City, passing along 14th Street toward Fifth Avenue [Perry 231]. Kaplan says 40,000 military. A lot, anyway.