First half of year – The Clemens family moved to their third house in Florida, Mo. Wecter says “probably before the birth of their youngest child, Henry Clemens, on June 13” [Wecter 49]. They sold their second Florida house to John Quarles for a sum that reflected settlement of unpaid debts from the dissolved store partnership [49].
February – Big plans were afloat for developing the area. The Missouri Legislature appointed John Marshall to head a commission of six members to promote a Florida & Paris railroad. The same Legislature also encouraged John Marshall, together with John Adams Quarles (1802-1876), Dr. Hugh Meredith and others to found a school to be called The Florida Academy [Varble 125]. An educational foundation was set up with Marshall and Quarles as trustees.
Births of Margaret, Benjamin, Pleasant and Samuel Clemens – Move from Tennessee to
Florida, Missouri – Financial Panic and Hard Times – Henry Clemens Born
Sister Margaret Died – John Marshall Clemens Became Judge – Moved to Hannibal Sammy
Survived Infancy
November 5 Thursday – In Redding, Conn. Sam sent a telegram to President of the Pilgrims, N.Y. chapter.
President of the Pilgrims:
New York
November 4 Wednesday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Berlin, Germany.
November 3 Tuesday – On or about Nov. 3 Sam sent the library notice with receipt for $1 to Mai Rogers Coe (Mrs. William R. Coe) [MTP]. Note: see Sam’s new guestbook below:
Name Address Date Remarks
Wm. R. Coe
L. Lanier Winslow
Mrs. Mai Rogers Coe ) New York City November 3
Clemens acquired another case of Queen Anne whisky [L-A MS]. Note: see June 8, 1907 for the full list of acquisition dates of whisky , intended as ammunition against Isabel Lyon.
November 2 Monday – Gribben gives us a nugget from Sam’s A.D. for the day regarding George Bernard Shaw: “Mark Twain was aghast that Shaw’s biographer ‘wildly imagined a lot of resemblances’ between Shaw’s philosophy and Twain’s ‘What is Man?’ (2 November 1908 AD, MTP)” [638].
November 1 Sunday – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Margaret Blackmer.
You sweet Margaret, I have been trying to get Ashcroft shot & I went to Police Commissioner General Bingham about it, but he was full of objections & lame excuses & said it would make too much talk. I have known Bingham ever since he was our military attache at the German Court 18 years ago, & yet the very first time I ask a little favor of him he hunts up excuses.
November 1908 [not defined by Fears as November]
Harper’s Weekly published an article, “From Hawaii to Mark Twain’s Billiard-Room,” p. 27. Tenney: “Photograph of a koa-wood mantelpiece donated by friends in Hawail, for his home in Redding, Connecticut” [Tenney, ALR Second Annual Supplement to the Reference Guide (Autumn, 1980) 175]. Note: the mantel piece was a gift from Franz (“Frank”) Nickolous Otremba, woodcarver in Hawaii. See insert; & discussion of in Nov. 30 entry.
October 31 Saturday – In Redding, Conn. Sam finished his Oct. 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 to Frances Nunnally.
[written in the side margin of page 1:] Oct. 31. I haven’t finished this letter yet, but Ashcroft wants to play billiards; so I will start it along & finish it another time. With very much love. SLC
[caption on an enclosed photograph] Affectionate greetings from this triangle, or trilogy, or whatever its right name is.
[caption on an enclosed photograph] Posing—for admiration. SLC