March 21 Monday – The New York Times reported under “Literary Notes” on page 3:
—It is rumored that James R. Osgood & Co. have engaged Mark Twain to prepare a “Cyclopedia of Humor”
Western Union bill for Mar. 31 shows a telegram to New York on this date (see entry for others).
March 19 Saturday – Susy Clemens’ ninth birthday.
Wm. T. Bassett, hairdresser, billed Sam $20 “From Feb. 1 up to Mar. 19 shaving & haircuts” [MTP].
March 18 Friday – A.J. Glazier, Hartford “real estate and loan agent” receipted Sam $150 “on purch of lot from chamberlain” [MTP].
March 17 Thursday – Wm. Hudner, Hartford merchant billed Sam $22 for Mar. 17; May $27, June $29.70 for undecipherable purchases [MTP].
Thomas A. Davis pastor (& cousin of R.R. Morris above) wrote from Trenton to ask Clemens for a donation of $125 [MTP].
March 16 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to his sister, Pamela Moffett.
To-day we bought Mr. Chamberlain’s [Franklin Chamberlin (1821-1896) Hartford attorney] greenhouse & 100 feet of land adjoining our east line (to stop Mr. C. from building a dwelling house there); we have also set architect & builder to work to tear down our kitchen & build a bigger one; & at the same time the decorators will decorate the walls & ceilings of our whole lower floor.
March 15 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Ulysses S. Grant, to thank him for his influence in saving the Chinese Educational Mission in Hartford, a work close to the heart of Joe Twichell, and underway since 1872.
March 12 Saturday – R.P. Kenyon & Co., New York, billed $4 to Sam for “1 silk hat for coachman del to McLear” (Patrick McAleer); paid Mar. 18 [MTP].
March 11 Friday – Frank M. Wilson & Co. “Tailors and Gent’s Furnishers,” Bridgeport, Conn. billed Sam $96.00 for “2 Eng silk lined Sack suits” [MTP].
See SLC to OLC, 17 May 1882 · Quincy, Ill., (UCCL 02190). 2021.
Hannibal: 1882 From Life on the MIssissippi:
NORTHWARD:
6 May - departed New Orleans,LA aboard City of Baton Rouge
WE left for St. Louis in the 'City of Baton Rouge,' on a delightfully hot day, but with the main purpose of my visit but lamely accomplished. I had hoped to hunt up and talk with a hundred steamboatmen, but got so pleasantly involved in the social life of the town that I got nothing more than mere five-minute talks with a couple of dozen of the craft.