Day By Day Dates

September 19 Monday – In Hartford Sam responded to Chatto & Windus’ Aug. 24 notice that the Inland Revenue Department had assessed an income tax on his British book sales profits. Today, Sam might have deducted all costs of trips to England, but then Sam simply asked C&W to pay the tax on all sums paid him as “profits” for the 1885-6 and 1886-7 years. Further, he requested that they withhold and pay such taxes from his earnings in the future.

September 20 Tuesday – Almira Hancock’s Reminiscences of Winfield Scott Hancock was officially published on schedule [From Hall Sept. 21].

September 21 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Richard Watson Gilder of Century Magazine about using the artist Edward Windsor Kemble for Library of Humor illustrations.

Consound you, I want my artist. I didn’t GIVE him to you, I only lent him. ‘Course I mean Kemble. I shall telegraph him & tell him to go ahead and make my pictures…[MTP from Am. Art Assoc. catalog, May 7, 1928 Item 144].

September 22 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote what is obviously a response to Laurence Hutton, whose recent letter is not extant.

September 23 Friday – Sam and Howells’ play, The American Claimant (Colonel Sellers as a Scientist) was performed with Alfred P. Burbank at the Lyceum Theatre in New York [MTNJ 3: 300n1].

The New York Times of Sept. 24, p.5 delivered the bad news:

MR. BURBANK’S ENTERTAINMENT.

September 24 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to his sister-in-law, Susan L. Crane, thanking her for pictures sent of the cats, and of William (farm hand?) and a horse. Sam also had an idea to improve Quarry Farm life:

When you & Theo come, I will take him down town & discuss an electric light plant for the farm — make your own electricity on the premises; $700 or $1000 for the plant; after that, no expense, no wear-&-tear [MTP].

September 25 Sunday – Alfred P. Burbank wrote to Sam asking if he would be in N.Y. this week — “when and where I may see you. If you are not to come here I will run up to Hartford” [MTP].

September 26 Monday – Frederick J. Hall for Webster & Co. Wrote to Sam, forwarding information on three books they’d been approached about publishing: a revision of the Bible from Dr. Philip Schaff, head of the Board of the American Revision of the Bible; William Desmond O’Brien with an encyclopedia of Ireland; and Dr. Chalfant of San Francisco, who had stopped in to show a manuscript of a history of convict life [MTP].

September 27 Tuesday – In Hartford Sam wrote a two-line letter to his sister, Pamela Moffett, now in Oakland, Calif:

I think Sam [Moffett] was right. A body must take his promotion when it offers — it won’t do to wait [MTP].

September 28 Wednesday – Sam wrote to Richard Watson Gilder of Century Magazine, submitting Meisterschaft, a 3-act bilingual play he wrote in 1886-7 for family entertainment to. It ran in Jan. 1888’s issue with a few changes [MTNJ 3: 333n95].

I had a hell of a time reading this proof, which was set up by an Americanized Finn [MTP].

September 29 Thursday – Francis Wayland, dean of Yale Law School, wrote to Sam, forwarding a letter of application from Charles W. Johnson. “Wayland asked Clemens, who had already provided two years’ support to another Negro student, ‘to put the writer down for your kind assistance.’” [MTNJ 3: 300n2]. See Oct. 1 entry.

September 30 Friday – Henry Drummond (1851-1897), Scottish evangelical writer and lecturer, visited Hartford and spent some time at the Clemens home. Drummond assisted Dwight L. Moody in his evangelical crusades, and came to America at Moody’s request in the spring of 1887 for a Conference of Students which sought to continue a religious movement in America’s colleges like that he began in Edinburgh, Scotland. Drummond had some success at Yale.

October – about this month Sam telegraphed Alfred P. Burbank:

Dear Sir:

  Go to Sheol.

    Yours Truly.

P.S. No, don’t do it. Go to the other place. My future is uncertain & If the worst comes to the worst, it will be an alleviation to know that it isn’t as bad as it could have been, anyway [MTP].

Sam also wrote Francis Pratt a long complaint about the contract with Pratt & Whitney about lagging work schedules:

October 1 Saturday – Francis Wayland, dean of Yale Law School wrote to Sam, agreeing with Sam that Charles W. Johnson should “spend the coming year in earning & saving money, so that he might come to us, if he chose, at the end of that time, with money enough in hand to prevent him from being wholly dependent on charity” [MTNJ 3: 300n2]. See Sept. 29 entry.

October 2 Sunday – The Brooklyn Eagle ran a short piece on page 15 echoing recent negative reviews of The American Claimant (Colonel Sellers as a Scientist) play.

DOWN ON MARK TWAIN

October 3 Monday – William Mackay Laffan wrote to Sam about the Dec. 7, 1886 investment in International Telegraph and Cable Co. 

…as to the great cable invention…let me explain to you in person, when I see you next, what a Goddamned humiliating and degrading fizzle it proved to be…and how the first of experts are the cream of asses, and how I am now fully trying to get the money back [MTNJ 3: 262n117].

October 4 Tuesday – Sam wrote a note to Livy on Lotos Club stationery, so was undoubtedly in New York on business (an Oct. 6 check to the Glenham Hotel confirms). He wrote of seeing a Mr. Choate, who had lost a son and now this “infinitely heavier & awfuler disaster.”

October 6 Thursday – Several checks below to N.Y. merchants and the Glenham Hotel suggest that Sam was in the city until this day. He may have escorted Grace King to Hartford.

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3836  A.P. Burbank  229.44

3837  Tiffany & Co  0.80  N.Y. Jeweler

October 7 Friday – Grace King arrived to spend a weekend at the Clemens residence. From one of the guest rooms in the house she wrote her mother, Sarah Ann Miller King, of the visit.

October 8 Saturday – In Hartford, Grace King’s letter to her mother, written at the Clemens residence, continued:

October 9 Sunday – George C. Bidwell wrote from E. Hartford to Sam arguing on behalf of convicts unfairly charged in England. Sam wrote on the envelope, “From that d___d convict” [MTP].

October 10 Monday – Webster & Co. Wrote to Sam about the articles to be in the Library of Humor book. They’d also received “a note from Gen. Lucius Fairchild who says that Robert D. Beath…will probably write the history of the G.A.R.” — should they communicate with him? Gen.Crawford’s book status was commented on, plus the gem expert at Tiffany’s possible book, which they felt too expensive to “get up…with a number of delicate plates” [MTP].

October 11 Tuesday – Alfred P. Burbank wrote to Sam setting forth an offer of Chandos Fulton to re-write the play for $300 up front and a quarter of the profits [MTP]. Note: evidently, the play as written was not “pay dirt” at all.

October 12 Wednesday –

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3866  Michael Egan  21.11  Farmer

3867  Southern NE Telephone  15.00

3869  John A. Scolley  52.61

3870  Gilbert G. Moseley  6.00  Printers

October 13 Thursday – Nathaniel Judson Burton died of pneumonia. John Hooker, his deacon, was at the bedside. Andrews quotes Twichell, who wrote in his Journal this day,

…a dark, sad day!!…I went at once to his house and found that it was even so. There I met my other brother Dr. [Edwin] Parker. In presence of the astounding fact, which overwhelmed both of us with surprize and distress we found nothing to say, but could only embrace with tears [53; Twichell’s Journal: Yale, copy at MTP].