March 15 Sunday – The Sunday San Francisco Chronicle loved Huck Finn:
Anyone who has ever lived in the Southwest, or who has visited that section, will recognize the truth of all these sketches and the art with which they are brought into this story [Perry 144-5].
March 14 Saturday – In New York City, Sam autographed a banquet invitation at Delmonico’s to British actor Henry Irving. About this day Sam presented the proofs of volume one of Grant’s Memoirs to the General for his approval [Perry 166]. Note: Sam may have been in New York between this day and Mar. 20, since Perry puts this presentation of proofs as the “third week in March.”
March 13 Friday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Charles Webster about an offer made by the Rose Publishing Co. of Toronto, Canada (see also Dec. 8, 1884 entry). Sam advised Webster not to trust Rose’s word, but to draw a contract or bond that would “tie him fast to it,” such as a forfeit.
March 12 Thursday – Reginald Cholmondeley wrote having read he was “about to visit England” and asked for him to send his address. He added, “I have been reading Huckleberry Finn with delight. You appear to be inexhaustible & evergreen but is it possible that blood-feuds really existed in Arkansas within 50 years? I want to present you to the original Bilgewater” [MTP].
D.W. Howland wrote. See Mar. 13 to Howells [MTP].
March 11 Wednesday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Charles Casey. He addressed Casey as “Ex-President.” This is probably the Charles Casey Sam wrote to on May 15, 1876, president of a “Mark Twain Fan Club” in Ireland.
March 10 Tuesday – The Hartford Daily Courant, page one, printed “Grant’s War Reminiscences,” which included Sam’s comments on how he acquired the contract to publish the Memoirs.
Richard Watson Gilder for Century Magazine wrote urging Sam to come and consult with them about the Grant matter. Gilder was reacting to announcements made about Grant’s Memoirs by the Webster Co. [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Had a talk about it”
March 9 Monday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Roswell Smith, editor/owner of the Century Magazine.
All right—I’ve just written to Cable; & when he gives me the date I want him to furnish it to you & Gilder also, so you can work out the N.Y. end of the enterprise.
March 8 Sunday – Sam’s coup of Grant’s memoirs, though not widely proclaimed, had been noticed. The Brooklyn Eagle, on p. 2 reported that Sam was in New York:
March 6 Friday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Charles Webster, reporting that the furnace had not been improved, even “after spending all that money” to do so. Livy claimed it was even “less capable than it was before.” Get right on it, Charley, and let Sam know what the furnace repairman says [MTP].
March 5 Thursday – Sam reached Hartford and home in the afternoon. He wrote from there to Orion and Mollie Clemens. He thought it best to put off a reading-trip to England and Australia until the next year as he wanted to closely supervise the canvas of Grant’s biography, which Webster & Co. would publish. Upon reflection he wrote,
“Ma seems to be growing young again very fast” [MTP].