May 20 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “2 p.m. Stenographer / John Mackay after 2. 253 B’way” [NB 44 TS 11].
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
114 Whitmore 110.00
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote on Frank Bliss’ May 15: “Dear Bliss: You have correctly stated the situation (above) as I understand it” [MTP]. Note: See May 15.
May 17 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Judson Smith has an impediment in his veracity. / Paraphrase the E.G. Cable make Ament a young lady who publishes her own unchastity. Because she does it in only one cablegram it isn’t worth noticing” [NB 44 TS 11].
May 16 Thursday – Adirondack Park Co. per George V. Duryee wrote to Sam acknowledging his check for $150 and a signed copy of the lease for the camp cabin [MTP].
May 15 Wednesday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote a PS to an unidentified person, that in reading a form he found the person would have to have his signature notarized; “That’s putting you to too much trouble; therefore I will come down & we will get up some other arrangement” [MTP]. Note: the prior letter that goes with this PS seems to be lost, since it does not fit with recent letters by Twain.
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
210 Self 300.00
May 14 Tuesday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Frank Bliss, including his May 4 to George B. Harvey and Harvey’s reply of the same date: “This is Col. Harvey’s reply. I will ask about the Californian’s Tale—otherwise you must leave it out, for I don’t want it in the book before it appears in the magazines” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote “The Californian’s Tale” in late summer, 1892; the germ of the story was his stay at Angel’s Camp in 1864-5.
May 13 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Story of the Coward who did one stupendously brave deed—& then had to go on all his life in like manner to live up to his reputation. His monument ‘To the Bravest of the Brave’ moves his old friend to reveal his secret to me a stranger. / Satan says, ‘Proud of being a King? Why? He was born to it—he didn’t earn it. Why not be proud of being a coward—it is a talent due wholly to birth’ Put into this Satan’s mouth all that was to have been put into the other Satan’s” [NB 44 TS 10].
May 11 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “See Jan. 7 . Will send carriage 1.45 the Sherman, 159 W. 48th. Dr. Elizabeth Jarrett. Normal College Chapel along aobut 3—68th & Park Ave. Read or talk. German Lesson” [NB 44 TS 10].
Mark Twain spoke at Normal College (renamed in 1914 Hunter College , after its founder Thomas Hunter) and spoke to 1,500 alumni of the school. The New York Times, May 12, p.21 reported his talk:
May 10 Friday – At Princeton University, Sam made a few remarks at the Harvard-Princeton debate [Fatout, MT Speaking 669].
May 9 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Read in Princeton. See Jan. 7. Evening. I read: Watermelon/ Dead Man—sash / Mexican Plug / Old Ram / German Lesson” [NB 44 TS 10]. Note: Sam compared with Jan. 7 readings at H.H. Rogers.
Sam wrote a postcard to Dr. Elizabeth Jarrett: “I shall be ready at 1.45./ Very Truly Yours / SL Clemens” [eBay Mar. 16, 2006, Item 6612597385; Valley Auctions 15 Apr. 2007, Lot 792].
May 8 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Dora [Wheeler] Keith the whole day” [NB 44 TS 10].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Laurence Hutton in Princeton, N.J.. to announce he was “coming down all alone per 3.55 train to-morrow. The rest of the tribe have to stay here” [MTP].
Hiram Stevens Maxim wrote from London to Sam having received his letter of Apr. 26 (not extant).