Day By Day Dates

June 30 Friday – Karl Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy about a dinner enjoyed though he was intimidated somewhat by men of “world wide fame.” More on his art progress [MTP].

July – Sam inscribed P&P to Ellen C. Taft, wife of Dr. Cincinnatus A. Taft: “This is the book which I had intended to give my friend Mrs. Taft, but the book agent arrived first. / S.L. Clemens / (Mark Twain) / Hartford July 1882” [MTP].

July 2 Sunday – Hattie J. Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy, clipping enclosed listing Karl as “Mentions honorables” for the Beau-Arts, Lettres school. Hattie told about the dinner to M. Jouffroy that they’d attended [MTP]. Note: François Jouffroy (1806–1882) was a French sculptor and teacher at the school Gerhardt attended but he died on June 25. M. Jouffroy was likely “Monsieur Jouffroy"

July 3 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to his Hannibal host on the recent trip West, John Garth, responding to his letter.

Next, I myself was stretched on the bed with three diseases at once, and all of them fatal. But I never did care for fatal diseases if I could only have privacy and room to express myself concerning them.

July 4 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to R. Christie, who evidently had asked Sam what his first book was. He answered that his first was now out of print, The Jumping Frog, and that it was “sharply criticised” [MTP]. Sam’s remark fits with his continued belief that the book had not sold (see Apr. 29 to May 2, 1867 entries for Webb’s swindle).

July 5 Wednesday – From Hartford, Sam typed a letter to Frank Fuller.

“WE HAVE SCARLET FEVER PATIENTS TO TAKE CARE OF, AND THE HOUSE WILL BE UNDER STRICT QUARANTINE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS YET…WILL NOT BE ALLOWED OUTSIDE THE NURSERY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS…I HAVN’T ANY LITERARY INSPIRATION” [MTP].

July 6 Thursday – James R. Osgood wrote to Sam: “I am glad to learn that you are likely to get off so easy. . If possible I will go down…Monday or Tuesday and see you” [MTP].

July 7 Friday – Sam sent a telegram to James R. Osgood in Cohasset, Mass. not extant but referred to in Osgood’s July 8 reply.

Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co. bill of July 31 shows a telegram sent this day to Cohassett, Mass., recipient not specified but Osgood was in Cohassett (see entry for other telegrams) [MTP].

July 8 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, perplexed how the American Publishing Co. could have declared $7,500 in three dividends when they’d only sold “10 or 15,000 books” after he’d dumped his stock, when in “over nine years they paid no dividend; in which time they sold” 300,000 books total.

July 9 Sunday – In Toronto, Canada, Howells wrote to Sam asking for a line about the health of the Clemens family while he still had a week left visiting his father [MTHL 1: 410].

July 10 Monday – Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co. bill of July 31 shows a telegram sent this day to Hoboken, N.J., recipient not specified (see entry for others) [MTP].

Karl Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy that they’d seen Twichell and daughter Julia “and what a cordial heartfelt greeting we had from them” [MTP]. Note: Twichell and daughter were in Europe.

July 11 Tuesday – Sam wrote (typed) from Hartford to Charles Webster about a bill on the remodeling work for the Farmington Avenue house. The Clemens family would leave for New York “Thursday [July 13] evening, and leave for Elmira after a very early breakfast” [MTBus 190]. 

July 12 Wednesday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam suggesting he might be of some use to Webster in NY, at least “by saving him from yielding to temptation, and to you by saving you from the results of such yielding.” (transcript of Orion to Webster July 11 enclosed) [MTP].

Fox & Co., Hartford grocers, billed Sam “To Mdse as per Pass Book” $35.04 [MTP].

July 13 Thursday – Sam wrote to William H. Gillette, letter not extant but referred to in Gillette’s July 18 reply.

The Clemens family was finally able to leave Hartford for Elmira. They made the first leg to New York, and, as was their custom, stayed the night [MTNJ 2: 90n198].

July 14 Friday – The Clemens family boarded a special railroad car and left New York for the ten-hour trip to Elmira [MTNJ 2: 490n198]. They had to make a “hurried & abrupt” meeting with Charles and Annie Webster at the hotel before leaving, due to Jean’s needs and Livy’s backache [July 16 letter to Webster].

July 16 Sunday – Sam wrote from Elmira to E.R. Holden of the Erie, Lackawanna Railroad

“I & my family wish to thank you after a limitless fashion for your good offices in our behalf. Mr. Reasoner furnished us a new sleeping car which was the perfection of comfort & cleanliness. (I wore a white Irish-linen suit all day, & did not smut it.)” [MTP].

July 17 Monday – Jane Clemens wrote to Sam and Livy: “Dear Children / Sam said I was going to bury Jean before she was dead. I was just as near burying Sam as I was Jean, for I thought lumbago & other diseases were very dangerous. The Dr’s have dismissed me, some time ago. I am taking towel baths at night” which gave red splotches. She sent love to the children [MTP].

July 18 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Charles Webster.

DEAR CHARLEY —

Don’t forget to send me Bliss’s check

Please send me ½ dozen of my small scrap-books—size of this page or somewhat larger.

Mrs Moffett offers me her Watch stock at par. I suppose it is well enough to take it, isn’t it? [MTBus 191].

July 19 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to James R. Osgood:

July 20 Thursday – A piece ran in the Elmira Daily Gazette that was reprinted on p. 2 of the New York Times for July 23:

MARK TWAIN AS STRONG AS MR. TILDEN

July 21 Friday – In Elmira, Dr. Thaddeus S. Up de Graff made a visit on “East Hill with 2 office treatments” likely following, where he examined Susie Clemens’ eyes and fit her with glasses [Sept. 1 bill from Dr. Thaddeus S. Up de Graff]. See entry.

July 22 Saturday – After a pleasant visit with his father and siblings in Canada, William Dean Howells and family boarded the S.S. Parisian in Quebec, bound for England [Goodman and Dawson 223].

James R. Osgood wrote to advise they were sending by Am. Express a bunch of books and articles Clemens wanted [MTP].

July 24 Monday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Charles Webster.

   Yes, I received & banked both of those checks—and then forgot it.

   Damn that Bliss statement. I forgot to return it to you—I wish you had sent me only a copy. I have left the blamed thing in my portfolio of business letters under the table in the billiard room at home. If you shall find that you need it, write George Griffin, “(with S.L. Clemens”) & he will find it in the pocket marked “K.”

July 25 Tuesday ca. – Shortly after his letter of July 24 to Howells, Sam followed up with a P.S.

“O, I forgot to say, that I forwarded the biography, & that it reached the Century all right. Jean’s well at last!” [MTP].

July 26 Wednesday – Jean Clemens’ second birthday.

Sam wrote from Elmira to Charles Webster, about a variety of business matters—Sam had received the “expert’s report” [auditor] of American Publishing’s books, but Sam still didn’t know “whether 50,000 ‘Sketches’ have been sold or not?”—as the man did not specifically mention that book [MTBus 192].