Day By Day Dates

January 16 Wednesday – Webster & Co. notified Sam that the stock of several old volumes had been sold to Watson Gill; also, that Gill had included an order for 50 of Mrs. Custer’s book, Tenting on the Plains [MTLTP 252n1,n3]. Hall added, “We have the daily report system running now & so far it works finely. We know precisely where we stand now daily [MTP].

January 17 Thursday – According to Sam’s Jan. 4 to Johnston, he left New York for Baltimore, Maryland at 10 a.m. He may have left Hartford on an early train, or may have gone there a day or more before. Because Webster & Co. wrote to him on Jan. 16, it’s likely he left Hartford early and continued on to Baltimore.

January 18 Friday – London’s Pall Mall Gazette reported:

…the genial humorist who is famous throughout the civilized world as “Mark Twain” is a mechanician of no ordinary kind. For several years he has been engaged in perfecting a type-setting machine of his own invention, and at last his patient toil has been, as he declares, crowned with success [MTNJ 3: 440n112].

January 19 Saturday – Mrs. T.C. Sylvis wrote from Olathe, Kansas to Sam. “I have just received your incomprehensible letter, in reply to mine [not extant], asking you for a souvenir. I am almost heart broken — I cannot believe that you would poke fun at me, by addressing me as ‘my dear baroness.’” [MTP].

Webster & Co. wrote to Sam: “We enclose herewith as requested duplicates of the Daily Report both of the Subscription Department and the Book-keeping Department” [MTP].

January 20 Sunday – The New York Press responded to a question whether Sam was “still writing” the “Funny Side” column, that he was “mostly confined to writing on checks” [Budd, Our MT 84].

Elizabeth K. Boyesen wrote to Sam inviting him to dine with them on his next visit to New York [MTP].

January 21 Monday – Sam gave a reading at Smith College, Northampton, Mass. that included the segments, “Lucerne Girl,” “Tar Baby,” “Andrea del Sarto,” “German Lesson,” “Interviewer,” “Bluejay,” “Baker’s Cat,” and “Golden Arm.” Fatout writes, “Mark Twain admitted to his notebook that this program was too long by at least a half hour”[658]. This reading was one of several Sam gave to support charitable causes; in this case he raised $200.59 for the school’s gymnasium fund [MTNJ 3: 444n120].

January 22 Tuesday – Webster & Co. wrote Sam two letters; the first typed covering several subjects, which Sam noted on the envelope, “Beecher terms all right, Root compromise ditto, Don’t want that book,” referring to a diary of Lt. Long of the Greeley expedition sent by Richard E. Burton. The second missive from Webster: “We hasten to return the $5,000 note to you. Our Gen’l Agts responded well; this morning’s mail contained nearly $7,000” [MTP]

January 23 Wednesday – Robert Underwood Johnson for Century Magazine wrote to Sam:”All right. We’ll go next week then, say Thursday or Friday. The vote will be moved (to set a day) on Monday Feb. 4” [MTP].

January 24 Thursday – Joseph H. Twichell gave a historical address at a celebration of the 250th anniversary of Connecticut’s first constitution. The Hartford Courant of Jan. 25 called Twichell’s speech “Magnificent.” Sam was not there. See Jan. 25 to Twichell.

In Hartford Sam wrote to an unidentified person, declining to comply with a request.

January 25 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Joe Twichell complimenting him on his speech of the previous evening.

January 26 Saturday – In Hartford, Sam responded to Irving Putnam’s Jan. 24 praise about P&P.

January 28 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to the editor of the London Pall Mall Gazette, a newspaper that often carried articles and notices about Mark Twain. In this case the paper had printed from Sam’s letter to an “English friend” of Sam’s, (George Standring [MTNJ 3: 440n112]) that Mark Twain had invented the typesetting machine.

January 29 Tuesday – H. Billard wrote from N.Y. asking Sam for a contribution for a book to be sold at the American Institute’s Fair Feb. 18 to 26. [MTP].

January 30 Wednesday – The major portion of Sam’s Dec 27, 1888 letter about plagiarism to Baroness Gripenberg was translated and ran in the Stockholm, Sweden newspaper, Göteborg Handels-och Sjöfarts-Tidning [Moyne 377].

January 31 Thursday – At 10 a.m. in New York, Sam left for Washington joined by Robert Underwood Johnson of Century Magazine [MTNJ 3: 445]. The men aimed to lobby for passage of a copyright bill. Sam also referred to a “prospectus” to take to Washington, probably investment promotion for the typesetter as the prospectus for CY was not completed until Oct. 1889 [n125].

February – Sam’s notebook entry concerns Margaret Wade Deland’s first novel, John Ward, Preacher (1888) about the struggles of a Calvinist minister and his wife who does not share his faith. Sam wrote a criticism similar to that he would use against Jane Austen:

February 1 Friday – Sam’s notebook carries a list of names indicating the order in which he planned visits before leaving Washington. Some have addresses (not included below). They are:

Mrs. President Cleveland; Gen. Joseph R. Hawley; Mrs. Ralph Cross Johnson; Mrs. Secretary Whitney; William D. Cabell Sat. Eve. 8.30. 9; Mrs. Hitt ; Mrs George Hearst; Mrs. John Hay; John Hay; Mr. S.G. Ward & Miss Howard; Z.C. Robbins [MTNJ 3: 447].

February 2 Saturday – Sam gave a speech at Prof. William D. Cabell’s residence on Mass. Ave., Washington, D.C. for the Norwood Ladies’ Literary Association. This was reprinted by Louis J. Budd in “A Rediscovered Mark Twain Speech: New Laws and Old Yarns,” Essays in Arts and Sciences 23 (Oct. 1994): 59-66, and is also contained in a Washington Post article for Feb. 4, 1889, p.2, “‘Mark Twain’s’ Speech.”

February 3 Sunday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam: “All right. I will leave Loisette alone. / We are greatly pleased to learn that there is no abatement of confidence in the machine. / There has been no leak of information here. / Glad to hear Mr. Crane is improving. / We are pleasantly engaged in planning for the new house. We are to get possession on the 15th of this month….” More Ma delusions — she thought at times that Orion was “her deceased Uncle Green Casey” [MTP].

February 4 Monday – In Washington, the House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on a motion to take up the international copyright bill. “A filibuster by opponents of another bill prevented this vote and effectively killed the proposed international copyright legislation” [MTNJ 3: 445n123]. With this development, Sam returned home [446n131].

February 5 Tuesday – H.B. Wetzell of Knoxville, Tenn., wrote to Sam on Wetzell & Co. Timberlands letterhead after hearing from one Mr. Risden who claimed to have played hookey with Sam as a boy in Tennessee — was this true? Sam wrote on the envelope, “Will dictate answer” [MTP]. Note: this man may have confused Orion with Sam.

February 6 Wednesday – The Hartford Alumni of Yale gave an annual banquet. This year’s took place at Foot Guard Hall in Hartford at 6:30 p.m. Sam gave what was “apparently” an impromptu and humorous dinner speech based upon his recent honorary MA degree from the school. He spoke of his recent trip to Washington and support for international copyright legislation. His notebook [MTNJ 3: 456-7&472] carries what may be drafts for this speech. Livy and Susan L.

February 7 Thursday – Webster & Co. wrote to Sam they had $12,167.75 on hand with another $7,000 due from agents within the next two weeks [MTP].

February 8 Friday – Thomas Frazer Reddy wrote to Sam asking for “the name & address of the person to whom you gave authority to dramatize & produce the ‘Prince & the Pauper’”[MTNJ 3: 451n149].

February 9 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote a short paragraph to Alexander Badlam, confirming that it was indeed Nelson Page’s wife who suddenly died, 24 hours after feeling ill. Sam confirmed he’d taken Page’s place and read with Johnston on Jan.