November 13 Monday – H.O. Johnson wrote to Sam on Sam’s typed note of Oct. 27: “Candidly it was the autograph of ‘Mark Twain’ that I wanted and I was as disappointed as the man who after a night raid with the ‘boys’ found he had been stealing his own pork” [MTP].
November 12 Sunday – Edward M. Bunce for Phoenix National Bank wrote advising a credit from Chatto for $1,442.87 had been made [MTP].
Mary Keily wrote another “lunatic” letter from Penn. [MTP].
November 11 Saturday –Sam typed a note from Hartford to George W. Cable, thanking him for the books that came. Sam was “infinitely obliged” [MTP].
“Please send me a New Orleans directory of this or last year. I do not know the price but inclose five dollars at random” [Gribben 652].
Sam also wrote to Charles Webster:
November 10 Friday – N.I. Brockett wrote from Hartford about shirts and underwear ordered from O.B. Bassetts, who was dead. The purpose of the letter is unclear [MTP].
Mary Keily wrote from Lancaster, Penn., another “lunatic” letter [MTP].
George P. Lathrop wrote from Concord, Mass. asking if Sam might telegraph him about being in Hartford next week, since his plan was to come there as a “spy in the service of the Harpers” [MTP].
November 9 Thursday – Katie Hay wrote from St. Kilda West, Victoria to thank Sam for sending his autograph [MTP].
November 7 Tuesday – George W. Cable wrote from N. Orleans to Sam: “I’m not going to try to say anything—adequate. I am here to thank you and Mrs. Clemens for your delightful hospitality, but what shall I say. I kiss my hand. I kiss Mrs. Clemens hand. I get out my handkerchief. But all is ineffectual-insufficient. Embrace the dear little girls, Susie Clara & Jean for me. … / I sent the books to you a day or two ago, (On the 4th). Mrs. Cable had failed to find them all…” [MTP]. Note: Sam received the books Nov.
November 6 Monday – James R. Osgood wrote to Sam wanting Webster to come to Boston and arrange all the details for LM publishing [MTP].
November 5 Sunday – The New York Times, under “LITERARY NOTES” page 3:
—The announcement that a new work on American humor by Mark Twain and W.D. Howells is in the press is somewhat premature. No such book has as yet been written, and as Mr. Clemens has still in his possession two completed manuscripts, it is difficult to say when a still unwritten book is likely to appear.
Note: This may have been planted by Sam to discourage questions about what would become The Library of Humor.
November 4 Saturday – In Hartford Sam typed a note to Howells, who wrote Oct. 17 from Vaud, Switzerland. Howells tried to convince Sam to “pack up your family and come to Florence for the winter.” Sam responded:
Yes, it would be profitable for me to do that, because with your society to help me, I should swiftly finish this now interminable book. But I cannot come, because I am not boss here, and nothing but dynamite can move Mrs. Clemens away from home in the winter season.
November 2 Thursday – Karl Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy having rec’d the new letter of credit for £100, and promised that “every cent will be used to the best advantage” [MTP].