Day By Day Dates

June 17 Sunday – Livy wrote to Grace King (in a letter not sent until Aug. 7 from Elmira):

June 18 Monday – W.W. Bierce on Memphis Gas & Light letterhead wrote to Sam (Bierce to Charter Oak Co. June 18 enclosed): “I like you! But I’m damned if I like everybody in Hartford.” Bierce had inquired around about the defunct Charter Oak Insurance Co and brought his complaint to Mark Twain [MTP].

Chatto & Windus wrote to Sam, advising they’d accepted Tauchnitz’s offer of £40 “for a selection of about one third of” the Library of American Humor [MTP].

June 19 Tuesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to O.E. Dunlap of Niagara Falls, N.Y., who evidently notified him of someone impersonating him on a lecture platform.

I always hear of these frauds a day or so too late.

Sam wanted to hear about someone impersonating him 24 hours ahead of time for a change [MTP]. Note: Dunlap was an editor who would assemble books on the history of Niagara Falls.

June 21 Thursday – Sam’s notebook suggests a planned New York meeting between himself and Charles Scribner at the Murray Hill Hotel at 2 p.m. [MTNJ 3: 392]. Scribner demanded compensation for a book contract from Philip H. Sheridan that was unfulfilled. James B. Pond had represented Sheridan in the matter. Late in June, Webster & Co.

June 22 Friday – Webster & Co. wrote to Sam: “I called at the hotel about 9 o’clock this morning, and found you had gone out. I went yesterday to Alexander & Green and saw Mr. Alexander personally, together with Mr. Whitford.

June 23 Saturday – The Brooklyn Eagle, p.3 under “Notes” ran a squib about a bio of Mark Twain

Literature, John B. Alden, has a portrait of Mark Twain, with much matter about him and about the popular and the democratic in literary art.

June 25 Monday – Joe Twichell notified Sam as the Clemenses were preparing to leave for Quarry Farm that “the Corporation of the Yale University, now in session, have just decreed you the honorary degree of Master of Arts (M.A.)” [MTNJ 3: 299].

June 26 Tuesday – In New York City Sam wrote to Timothy Dwight (1828-1916), president of Yale.

June 27 Wednesday – The Clemens family probably left New York for Elmira this day. Yale University conferred an honorary Master of Arts degree upon Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Sam could not go to New Haven for the dinner and ceremony.

The New York Times, June 28, 1888, editorial article 7, p.4 ran notice of Sam’s honorary degree, among others.

June 28 Thursday – In Elmira Sam walked to the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Corp. (Charles Langdon’s new firm name) and wrote a letter to Joe Twichell on their letterhead.

June 29 Friday – Sam’s notebook records check #:

4147. June 29. Mme H.M Abry — $462.50 [MTNJ 3: 392&n317]. Note: Many checks and bills in this range were for Livy’s outfits.

June 30 Saturday – Arthur H. Wright for Webster & Co. wrote to Sam of the bank balances total, $5,242.76 [MTP].

Meyrowitz Brothers, Opticians, N.Y. billed $1 for “1 Burgess spray atomizer” paid July 6 [MTP].

July – Henry C. Robinson wrote to Sam (enclosed in Orion July 9) [MTP].

J.G. Rathbun & Co. Pharmacists, Hartford billed $103.05 paid July 10:

Apl 2 toothbrushes .70 soap .55 El? Bark .20

Apl 4 Friedrichshall .30 Apl 9 200 cigars 8.00 Oiled silk .125 tot 9.55

Apl 10 carbolic acid, chlorides, 1/2 alcohol, &c 2.55

July 1 Sunday – James L. Cowles for the Reform Club (New Haven) wrote to Sam, inviting him to join the newly formed tariff club. Sam, as one of…

…the mugwumps of 1884 [should join in support of Cleveland’s tariff policies]. We shall need a great deal of money and shall be compelled to perform an immense amount of labor to insure success but we shall succeed [MTNJ 3: 392n318]. Note: See July 9 entry for check Sam sent in support.

July 2 Monday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Charles H. Clark, associate on the Library of Humor and editor of the Hartford Courant, thanking him for his “initiation intentions” about his recent honorary masters degree.

I am the only literary animal of my particular sub-species who has ever been given a degree by any College in any age of the world, as far as I know [MTP].

July 3 Tuesday – Webster & Co., per Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam that Mr. Burlingame had been there for Scribner’s, examining the Sheridan manuscript, but had not finished; Rollin M. Daggett had sent “rather a sharp letter” from Vacaville, Calif. complaining about his Hawaii book’s delay [MTP].

July 4 Wednesday – Sam inscribed a copy of P&P to their New York physician, Clarence C. Rice:

To/ Dr. Clarence C. Rice / with the kindest regards of / The Author. / ~ / July 4, 1888.

July 5 Thursday – Beginning this day through Sept. 5, Sam and Theodore Crane engaged in a “summer pastime,” probably cribbage (the MTP has Sam’s cribbage board) or a card game, for which Sam kept notebook scores; this day 36-9 for Sam [MTNJ 3: 475-6].

J.C. Burkholder, Baptist minister, wrote Sam seeking a donation. Sam wrote on the envelope, “Funny little prim Minister who wants church donation” [MTP].

July 6 Friday – Sam 20 and Theo Crane 4 in a contest, probably cribbage or cards (see July 5) [MTNJ 3: 475].

July 7 Saturday – Franklin B. Dexter for Yale University wrote to Sam enclosing his honorary M.A. degree. Sam wrote on the envelope, “Answer this Yale Secy” [MTP].

Clarence C. Rice wrote to Sam thanking him for the autographed copy of P&P received this evening. Also, would Sam send his atomizer and Rice would “have it put in shape” [MTP].

July 8 Sunday – Ira Bell wrote from Southville, N.Y. asking for $15,000. Sam wrote on the envelope, “Prohibitionist crank” [MTP].

S.A. Heckethorne wrote from Los Angeles to Sam of a “financial proposition” based on an idea he had for publishing houses to realize “a few cool millions.” He wanted Sam’s promise he wouldn’t be “out in the rain” should he disclose his secret [MTP].

July 9 Monday – Sam’s notebook check #: 4307 — July 9. Schoenhof, $2.80 [See July 25 entry]. Under this entry for July 9 was dittoed a check #: 4308 for Cowles, secy. 25.00. [MTNJ 3: 392]. Note: James L. Cowles was secretary of a tariff “Reform Club” newly formed in New Haven. See July 1 from Cowles.

July 11 Wednesday – Franklin G. Whitmore wrote Sam:

I ordered 12 Memorandum books of the Plimpton Cy. for you at a cost of $11. This is about as cheap as they can be gotten up & made first class as per your own as sample [MTNJ 3: 390]. Note: Sam’s style of notebook was one he developed. Here the maker was the Plimpton Manufacturing Co., Hartford.

July 12 Thursday – Sam wrote a letter of introduction “To whom it may Concern” for Miss Lilly Gillette Foote, who in 1880 became the Clemens children’s governess. On a separate card Sam wrote that it was a “General letter of introduction for Miss Foote to any known or unknown foreign friends of mine who may have read my books” [MTP]. Note: Though this letter is inscribed and labeled from Hartford, it is not clear whether Sam was actually in Hartford at the time.

July 13 Friday – Probably in Elmira or on the train headed back to Elmira, Sam began a letter to William Kennedy he did not finish until Oct. 31. He may have misplaced it in the meantime, as this was not usual for him to do. The letter is enlightening as to Sam’s thoughts about humor and American humor in particular.