February 18 Monday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam sent his decline-to-lecture form letter (see Feb. entry) to Wallace E. Mason, attorney and principal of the High School in Leominster, Mass. Note: (pronounced by natives and the editor’s daughter who lives there, as “Lemon stah”—displaying a native eschewing for the letter ‘R’) [MTP].
February 17 Sunday – Edwin L. Godkin wrote compliments of Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article [MTP].
Charles Erskine Scott Wood of Portland, Ore. wrote complimenting the “Sitting in Darkness” article— “it’s a great work. It’s effective, do it some more.” He would be in N.Y. around Mar. 8; was there a chance of seeing him? [MTP]. Note: Wood was a partner in the law firm of Williams, Wood & Linthicum.
February 16 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Dine—7.30 Leigh Hunt, Holland House” [NB 44 TS 6]. Note: Leigh S.J. Hunt. See Jan. 1.
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam replied to Paschal H. Coggins (Sidney Marlow), who wrote on Feb. 13.
February 15 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Doubleday, 7 pm 111 E. 16th” [NB 44 TS 6].
Sam was unable to attend the Feb. 14 annual Sheriff’s Jury dinner at the Hotel Savoy, and so wrote a letter declining shortly before. The New York Tribune ran Twain’s letter on p.6:
SHERIFF’S JURORS DINE.
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MARK TWAIN’S LETTER OF DECLINATION
AROUSES LAUGHTER.
February 14 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “E.P. Clarke, 10.30. Yankee at Arthur / Paschal [sic Pascal] Institute 576 Lexington Ave—N.W. cor. of 51st. Say 9 p.m. Dine at Mr. Rogers” [NB 44 TS 6]. Note: See NB entry of Mar. 29, 1901 for same address and a Boys’ debate he attended and named the President of the group, Margaret Pascal. A Sept. 25, 1901 NY Times article, p.5, “Pascal Institute Plans” indentifies officers and also the involvement of Miss Grace Dodge.
February 13 Wednesday – [date in a PDF box]
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam replied to retired General Oliver O. Howard’s Feb. 12 letter. “You are a busy man, and I thank you cordially for taking the time to say those pleasant and welcome words” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to the editor of the N.Y. Tribune . (This letter ran Feb. 15 in the paper on p. 3. Many other letters to the editor were printed about Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article.
February 12 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Harvey, 7.00. He will send carriage for me” [NB 44 TS 6].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Albert Simmons.
“I wish I could be of service to you, in which case I should gladly avail myself of the opportunity, but I am unable for the reason that I have not written anything about the club, at any time so far as I remember” [MTP: Swann Galleries catalogs, Sept.14, 2000, Item 249]. Note: Simmons and the club are not identified.
February 11 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Carnegie Hall, Lincoln’s birthday. School of citizenship & patriotism” [NB 44 TS 6].
The New York Times, Feb. 13, p.1, reported on this evening’s tribute to Lincoln and Sam’s speech at Carnegie Hall.
BLUE AND GRAY PAY TRIBUTE TO LINCOLN
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Celebration at Carnegie Hall in Aid of Memorial University.
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HOW TWAIN SAVED THE UNION
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February 10 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Maybe the Welchs from Hartford” [NB 44 TS 6].
Charles Johnston of Flushing, N.Y. wrote compliments of Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article; he mentioned the pleasure of meeting him at Mrs. Boudinot Keiths’ Studio a few weeks ago [MTP]. Note: Mrs. Boudinot Keith was Dora Wheeler Keith, daughter of Candace Wheeler and longtime friend of the Clemenses.
February 9 Saturday – Harper’s Weekly ran an article to answer the question, “Is the Philippine Policy of the Administration Just?” John Kendrick Bangs answered in the affirmative, while Mark Twain took the opposition. See Bigelow’s Feb. 19 reference to the argument.
Edward Peterson wrote from Stratford, Iowa with compliments of Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article, which made him want to shout “Hurrah for Mark Twain” [MTP].