Day By Day Dates

August 15 Saturday – In Marienbad, Germany Sam wrote to Andrew Chatto, responding to questions Chatto formed from a newspaper article.

Yes, the newspaper items stated the idea of the novel correctly. Title, “The American Claimant.” Chief character, Colonel Mulberry Sellers….Yes indeed, we shan’t go home without a run over to England first. That will be a year hence [MTP].

August 16 Sunday – In Marienbad, Germany Sam wrote to Clarence C. Buel of the Century Co., explaining his cable of the previous day.

August 17 Monday – In Marienbad after a few days Sam took part in the baths.

The crowds that drift along the promenade at music time twice a day are fashionably dressed after the Parisian pattern, and they look a good deal alike, but they speak a lot of languages which you have not encountered before, and no ignorant person can spell their names, and they can’t pronounce them themselves.

August 18 Tuesday – In Marienbad:

August 19 Wednesday – In Marienbad:

August 20 Thursday – In Marienbad:

I went up to the Aussichtthurm the other day. This is a tower which stands on the summit of a steep hemlock mountain here; a tower which there isn’t the least use for, because the view is as good at the base of it as it is at the top of it. But Germanic people are just mad for views — they never get enough of a view — if, they owned Mount Blanc, they would build a tower on top of it.

August 21 Friday – In Marienbad:

August 22 Saturday – In Marienbad:

August 23 Sunday – In Marienbad:

One of the most curious things in these countries is the street manners of the men and women. In meeting you they come straight on without swerving a hair’s breadth from the direct line and wholly ignoring your right to any part of the road. At the last moment you must yield up your share of it and step aside, or there will be a collision. I noticed this strange barbarism first in Geneva twelve years ago.

August 24 Monday – In Marienbad, Germany Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall.

I am mailing you to-day in separate envelopes, 3 letters for McClure. He may publish them in any order he prefers.

August 27 Thursday – Erasmus Wilson for Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette wrote to Sam attaching a small clipping which reported Mark Twain consumes over 3,000 cigars in a year and could not work well without continuous smoking. Wilson had been cured of the habit by one Mr. Keeley and recommended Sam get the remedies directly. “Maybe you don’t want to quit. If so this does not count” [MTP].

August 31 Monday – The Clemens family returned to Nuremburg. Sam’s notebook referred to it as “the City of Exquisite Glimpses” [NB 31 TS 1; also MTB 923].

September – Sam’s notebook memo, “Henry James’s Summer trip through Provence,” referred to Henry James’ A Little Tour in France (1885) [NB 31, TS 5; also Gribben 350]. Another memo for this month: “Sepet. Jeanne d’Arc gr. in — 8° M. 20 fr” referred to Marius Sepet’s Jeanne d’Arc (1887) [Gribben 621; NB 31, TS 6].

A copy of Walter Scott’s Anne of Geierstein (1871 ed.) inscribed: Jean Clemens/Ouchy/Sept. 1891 [Gribben 614].

September 1 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook:

On Sept. 1 all the flags in Nurnburg were flying—the Germans persist in considering Sedan a German victory instead of the most priceless victory that ever France gained in the world [NB 31 TS 3].

September 2 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook:

Sept 2. Came to Heidelberg. 47 car-changes in 7 hours hot day, too, & crowded cars

Went up to Königstuhl & recognized old “gelogen”—the two girls seemed to recognize me (gave me hopes) but didn’t; 2 red-headed children I attributed to the younger (fat) one. I was a skittish young thing of 42 in those days.

We have our old room now, No 40.

Albert is gone—he was a brute & hammered the servants.

We carried away Burke (porter) & he got drunk first night.

September 3 Thursday – Sam wrote of this week’s travels once he’d arrived in Interlaken, on Sept. 10:

September 4 Friday – Sam’s notebook: Sept. 4. Heidelberg. Drove in a storm over Philosphen Weg. Sept. 4 French Republic came of age [NB 31 TS 3]. Note: Philosphenweg = Philosopher’s path in Heidelberg.

Frank H. Green for State Normal School, West Chester, Penn. wrote to Sam enclosing photographs of dramatic presentations at the school of some of Mark Twain’s works [MTP].

September 5 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: Sept. 5. Left for Lucerne 8.50 a.m. [NB 31 TS 3].

Albert L. Wilson wrote from Cherryvale, Kans. to announce that on Feb. 18 his wife and he named their only boy “Mark Twain,” and enclosed a photo [MTP].

September 8 Tuesday – From Sept. 1 to 10 the Clemens party spent part of the time traveling through Nuremburg, and part of the time at Heidelberg at their old apartment in the Schloss Hotel. Willis writes, “They stayed a few days in Heidelberg for Livy to show Katy the town she had long admired as a picture hanging on Livy’s wall.

September 9 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook:

Wed. Sep. 9. Left Lucerne by boat, 9.45 a.m. Left Alpnach in two carriages at 10.45. Lunched at the Lion d’Or, at 1. p.m.; passed through Brienz mid-afternoon; glimpsed a small white peak of the Jungfrau at 6.10; at 6.30 the vast pile was in full view & from then till 7.10 it was richly tinted with pink, the other mountains very dark, nearly black. Meantime, reached Victoria Hotel, Interlaken 6.30 [NB 31 TS 4].

September 10 Thursday – In Interlaken, Sam wrote the fifth letter for McClure’s Syndicate, “Switzerland — The Cradle of Liberty.”

September 11 Friday – Sam’s notebook (31 TS 5) reveals a side trip to Grindelwald, possibly on this day:

3 hours afoot. 2 ½ zu Pferd, from the Hotel de l’Ours to the Gletcher, looks 300 yards. (Grindelwald). Shrines all the way — what you want is cussing places. Re-name them…Want milk, but dasn’t have it — would be too conspicuous not to drink wine. The wine increases my rheumatism, too…48 fr[ancs] for food for 6 persons at the Bear Tavern, Grindelwald . A swindle… [Also in part in Rodney 136].

September 12 Saturday – Sometime during his stay in Interlaken, Sam “stumbled on the whole lovely Dawson family one evening” [Oct. 1 to Twichell]. During the 1878 tramp with Joe, they had met John Dawson and wife on the train from Leukerbad, Switzerland to Locchi-Suste (Visp). See Aug. 26, 1878 entry.

September 13 Sunday – In Interlaken, Switzerland Sam wrote to Francis Dalzell Finlay, his longtime friend in Belfast, Ireland.

We leave tomorrow for Berne & later for Geneva. For a day or two. Beyond that the WILL OF GOD has not been signified to his servants. Therefore we must wait for a sign for we are personally conducted. All the family are with me.

September 14 Monday – The Clemens party left Interlaken and traveled back to Geneva, reaching there in the evening [Sept. 15 to Hall].

Joe Cone of East Cambrige, Mass. wrote a bad poem and thought it worth Sam’s autograph [MTP].