April 2 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Joel Chandler Harris, in Atlanta. Twichell recently returned from a trip down South where he called on Harris with a suggestion of Sam’s that Harris appear on stage with him and read the Remus stories. Trouble was, Harris was exceptionally shy.
April 1 Saturday – Schwartz Bros., New York (soon to be F.A.O. Schwartz) billed Sam $22.25 for Feb. 17, 18, Mar. 17; “dolls, bow, doll beds & bedding, 1 doz arrows, 2 pr skates 4.50; 1 pr skates” [MTP].
Park & Tilford, New York, billed Sam $5 for Mar. 16 purchase “10 Ool tea” (other bills spell this out as oolong tea); paid Apr. 9 [MTP].
March 31 Friday – Hubbard & Farmer bankers & brokers wrote two notes: sold stock and bought J. B. & Y Western @ 45 ½ [MTP].
March 30 Thursday – Sam wrote to Christian Tauchnitz, letter not extant but referred to in Tauchnitz, Jr.’s reply of Apr. 15.
March 29 Wednesday – According to the New York Times, page 8 under “PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE,” Samuel L. Clemens, of Hartford,” was at the Hotel Brunswick.
March 28 Tuesday – Sam went to New York City and was interviewed at the Hotel Brunswick. The following interview appeared on Mar. 29, 1882 in the Wheeling West Virginia Register, reprinted from an article in the N.Y. Mail and Express (mentioned in the article) probably the day before.
March 27 Monday – Sam wrote (typewritten) from Hartford to Charles Webster.
“Come come my boy, tell me what you have been doing. I may be in New York for an hour tomorrow; cannot tell yet” [MTBus 184].
Sam also wrote Howells, who wrote of his shock at Longfellow’s door upon learning of the man’s death:
March 25 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to James R. Osgood about offering the “Stolen White Elephant” to Century. Sam had sent it to Howells to review. There were also some details about letterhead and Charles Clark’s name and P.O. Box being on it [MTP].
March 24 Friday – The death of Henry W. Longfellow saddened New Englanders. He died at the age of 75 of peritonitis [MTHL 1: 398]. Note: His death particularly affected William Dean Howells, who wrote his father that he called to check on Longfellow’s health almost at the exact moment of death [Goodman and Dawson 216].
March 23 Thursday – Clara Spaulding arrived at the Clemens home after a trip through the South [MTNJ 2: 458n85].
Frank Fuller wrote to Sam somewhat apologetic for his loss in the “steam-generator” speculation of 1877. He encouraged Sam to buy shares in the Indiana, Bloomington & Western Railroad [460].