March 4 Wednesday – General Grant had resigned his commission rather than wait till retirement, which left him without retirement income. Upon failure of Grant & Ward brokerage firm on Wall Street, the General was bankrupt. Chester A.
March 3 Tuesday – The New York Times printed a small announcement paragraph on page 5:
Messrs. Charles L. Webster & Co, publishers of this city, have been engaged by Gen. Grant to publish his forthcoming book entitled “Personal Reminiscences.” The book is in two volumes of about 500 pages each, and is to be sold only by subscription. The manuscript of the first volume is ready for the press and will be issued soon. Gen. Grant is engaged every day upon the second volume, which is well advanced toward completion.
March 2 Monday – Sam wrote from Washington, D.C. to J. Chipchase, who evidently solicited information on Feb. 23 from Sam about the American Bank Note & Co. stock, and called Sam “shrewd.” The stock was down, no doubt, as Sam answered he was:
March 1 Sunday – Washington, D.C.: George W. Cable wrote home that he spent the day with friends “Carrie Henderson & her husband Lieut. Wadhams.” Cable wrote: “Clemens was with us. I got him out to church at last!” [Turner, MT & GWC 114].
From Sam’s notebook:
In October, I will go to Pittsfield & read “Mental Telegraphy” to the Young Ladies Club—a promise made to Miss Dawes. Mch 1/85 [MTNJ 3: 99 & n106].
March – Sam inscribed a copy of Huckleberry Finn to Edith Beecher: To Edith Beecher with the very best wishes of Mark Twain March 1885 [MTP].
Sam made many day trips to New York during the month, as General Grant’s strength waned. From Perry:
February 28 Saturday – Sam and Cable read at the Congregational Church, Washington, D.C.
Note: Fatout gives figures from Pond’s cashbook, listing $789 as the take from this reading [Circuit 218]. Thus ended the “Twins of Genius” tour: total gross receipts, $46,201, from which Cable’s salary and expenses took more than $20,000. Cable earned $6,750, Sam approximately $15,000, and Pond’s commissions “a modest $2500 to $3000” [228].
February 27 Friday – Sam wrote from Philadelphia to William Dean Howells:
To-night in Baltimore, to-morrow afternoon & night in Washington, & my four-months platform campaign is ended at last. It has been a curious experience. It has taught me that Cable’s gifts of mind are greater & highter than I had suspected. But—
February 26 Thursday – Sam saw Nat Goodwin, actor and vaudevillian, on the train going to Philadelphia. Goodwin told Sam he was “very anxious to play” the Sellers as Scientist [Feb. 27 to Howells].
February 25 Wednesday – Cable’s Feb. 26 letter home:
Had a great time in Newark last night; one of the finest nights we have had for some ten days. Orange [NJ] was very poor—i.e. the audience was slim; which was a great surprise to us & not to be accounted for [Turner, MT & GWC 113]. Note: Although not listed in Railton or Schmidt, it seems from this letter that the men read in both places, probably a matinee and an evening performance.
February 23 Monday – Sam and Cable gave a reading at the Opera House in New Haven, Conn. [New Haven Evening Register for Feb. 18, 21 and 23].
J. Chipchase wrote from Baltimore about losing money on an offer by Bissell’s [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Bissel’s victim & my reply”