Day By Day Dates

October 31 Sunday – Howells wrote from Boston to Sam.

I have read your Hartford speech twice; and your memoranda, even, can’t put it out of my mind….I await with curiosity your result with the Scotchman [George Gebbie]. If he does not behave honorably, the question for us to consider will be how we can honorably steal his idea. But if we try to be good, we shall be helped [MTHL 1: 337].

November – An envelope without contents survives that Sam addressed from Hartford to Cornelia Ward Smith (1831-1897), care of the U.S. consul, Mannheim, Germany. Cornelia was the wife of Edward Meigs Smith (1827-1884), U.S. consul, appointed by President Grant in 1876.

November 1 Monday – Park & Tilford billed Sam for “2 doz Glen Whisky” total $28. Note: this made 5 dozen year to date. J.P. Newton, Hartford “meat, poultry, game, fish & vegetables” billed $9.16 for Oct. 5, 6, 8, 15, 16, 20, 22, 27, 29, 30: lobster, salmon, halibut, misc., paid Nov. 6; Fox & Co. $72.92 bill for pass book billed to date (monthly), paid Nov. 6 [MTP].

November 2 Tuesday – Sam gave a speech for Hartford Republicans at the Hartford Opera House. It was a celebration of the victory of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur (1839-1886) in the 1880 presidential election. Sam’s speech was title “Funeral Oration Over the Grave of the Democratic Party.” Some in attendance were taken back by Sam’s doleful presentation [Fatout, MT Speaking 146-7].

November 3 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Herbert E. Hill (1845-1895) of the Middlesex Club in Boston. Sam told of the Hartford celebration of the night before at the “Opera House till midnight” and his “Funeral oration over the deceased Democratic Party.” Hill had sent an invitation to Sam to speak at the club. Sam declined but then wrote he would “think the matter over” [MTLE 5: 193].

November 4 Thursday – The text of Sam’s Nov. 2 speech in Hartford was published in the Chicago Tribune [MTNJ 2: 377n63].

Orion Clemens wrote to his brother.

      I received your newspaper extract, and your bitter comment on the margin. They will make a good chapter in the autobiography. That great work will be complete about the first of June.

November 5 Friday – The November bill from Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co. shows a telegram sent to Boston (party unknown, see Dec. 1 entry for others).

November 6 Saturday – Wm. Wander,  pianos in Hartford, billed $200.00 for “Fischer piano style e” paid. Note in MTP 1880 financial file: “Schoolroom piano Christmas present to children.”

The November bill from Western Union shows a telegram sent by Sam to Boston, probably to Howells before leaving Hartford (see Nov. entry).

November 7 Sunday – Sam spent the day visiting with William Dean Howells and family [MTLE 5: 194].

November 9 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Edward House, who had confided what General Grant had thought about some matter. Sam was gratified that he was not offended and didn’t care “sixpence for other people’s opinions.” House accompanied Grant and Sam from Boston to Hartford on Oct. 16 for a Republican rally. Sam wrote that he was expecting a visit from the Houses [MTLE 5: 194].

November 10 Wednesday – Woolleys’ Livery Stable bill of Jan. 2? Shows use of a hack this day for one hour and $1.50; E.L. Bullock billed $2.50 for “cleaning chimney” [MTP].

November 11 Thursday – J.J. & T. Goodwin, Hartford, billed $28.87 for 2,300 lbs of hay & weighing; paid Mar. 10, 1881 [MTP].

November 12 Friday – Theodore L. Pilger, Hartford merchant for Burlington letter files, billed Sam for ten letter files @ .50 = $5 [MTNJ 2: 377; MTP 1880 financials].

November 13 Saturday – Sam purchased Common Sense in the Household: A Manual of Practical Housewifery (1880) from Brown & Gross, Hartford booksellers [Gribben 695]. See Jan. 17, 1881.

The November bill from Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co. shows a telegram sent to Elmira (party unknown, see Dec. 1 entry for others).

November 14 Sunday – Annie E. Lucas wrote a fan letter from Queensland, Australia to ask Clemens for his autograph (Leod to George Oct. 25 enclosed) [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “From an Australian girl.”

November 15 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Darwin R. Barker, thanking him for an honorary life membership in the Fredonia Library Association [MTLE 5: 197].

The November bill from Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co. shows a telegram sent to Philadelphia (party unknown, see Dec. 1 entry for others).

November 16 Tuesday – Clara Spaulding signed Livy’s visitor book [MTP]. Note: the book was not used again until June 7, 1885, when Livy changed it to her diary. She then used it through Nov. 27, 1885 and again neglected it until the stay at Florence, Italy in 1892-3. There are some late entries from Riverdale, New York in 1902 as well.

November 17 Wednesday – Sam responded to a request from the wife of David Gray, Martha “Mattie” G. Gray, sending a sketch for the Buffalo Bazaar Bulletin.

November 18 Thursday – Sam was receipted for $3 subscription to the New York Evening Post. The subscription was for the period Nov.16, 1880 to Nov. 16, 1881. It would be one of Sam’s favorite newspapers [Gribben 503].

Sam purchased a copy of Thomas Malory’s (15th Century) The Boy’s King Arthur from Brown & Gross, Hartford booksellers [448].

November 19 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Mary Mapes Dodge (1831-1905), editor of the children’s St. Nicholas Magazine, explaining that publishing Prince and the Pauper in her magazine would lose “30 or 40,000” sales. Sam added:

November 20 Saturday – In Hartford, Sam sent an autographed note to an unidentified person: “None genuine without this label on the bottle” [MTLE 5: 203].

Robert Rutledge receipted Sam $80 for lessons from Nov. 6 through Nov. 20; included with the Clemens girls were Julia and Susie Twichell [MTP]. Note: may have been violin and/or music lessons.

November 21 Sunday – Mollie Clemens wrote to Sam and Livy. Arguments over family spoons with Kate Lampton open the letter, then “No loving parents could have done more kindly or generously than you have done,” helping them financially, then more family nits. She enclosed a clipping poem from Walt Whitman for Livy, “My Picture Gallery” from The American:

November 22 Monday – Sam purchased a copy of Charles Carleton Coffin’s Old Times in the Colonies from Brown & Gross, Hartford booksellers. Sam paid $2.40 [Gribben 150].

Empire Dyeing and Cleaning Co. of N.Y. charged $1.90 to clean a shawl [MTP]. Note: This may have been left on Livy & Clara’s visit.

November 23 Tuesday – Sam drafted a humorous letter to the editor of the New York Evening Post. The letter, if sent, was not published. He wrote of his experience with obtaining a start from Shakespeare’s mulberry tree while in Stratford, England and planting it in Hartford. Sam had read of plans to plant mulberry “slips” (starts) in New York’s Central Park [MTLE 5: 204-6].

November 24 Wednesday – Sam purchased a copy of Isa Craig Knox’s (1831-1903) The Little Folks’ History of England from Brown & Gross, Hartford booksellers. Saloman & DeLeeuw, Hartford dealers in tobacco, billed Sam $2.33 for “2 & 5/12 doz corn cob pipes & 1&1/2 Biker. Durham tob[acco]”; paid [MTP].