Day By Day Dates

April – In Rome, sometime during the month, Livy wrote an undated letter on Sam’s behalf to Daniel Willard Fiske (1831-1904), librarian and professor at Cornell, who was in Rome at the time. After the 1881 death of his wife, Jennie McGraw, Fiske spent a great deal of time in Italy collecting manuscripts. He bequeathed a large collection to Cornell, known now as the Fiske Collection.

April 1 Friday – In Rome, Sam sent a cable to Henry C. Robinson:

Keep me posted by cable [MTP; also NB 31 TS 35].

Note: their communication during this period had to do with the Paige typesetter, and its move to Chicago, and Sam’s rights.

April 2 Saturday – From the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, p.13, “Brief Mention of New Books”:

Mark Twain’s humor isn’t always of a delicate sort, but one forgives that fault for the laughs with which every page of his work is sprinkled. It is the intention of the publishers to bring out in this series all the popular little classics in the French, Spanish and Italian as well as the English language [Budd, Contemporary 323].

April 3 Sunday – A shorter reprint of Sam’s Europe letter, “German Chicago” ran in the Boston Daily Globe, p.23 under the title, “CITY WITHOUT NEWSBOYS.” See Oct. 13, 1891.

April 4 Monday – In Rome, Sam wrote two letters to Frederick J. Hall, relating the entire history of the aborted play Colonel Sellers as a Scientist (The American Claimant), including A.P. Burbank’s efforts, Howells and his loss of money and a past proposal of Alfred Arnold to dramatize the story for “Crane the comedian” (William H. Crane (1845-1928) actor/comedian).

April 5 Tuesday – In Rome Sam sent a cable to Henry C. Robinson:

Do they offer no modification of the proposition? [MTP; also NB 31 TS 36].

Sam’s notebook : “Ezekiel’s Studio — 4 p.m. Tuesday” [NB 31 TS 37]. Note: placement in the NB suggests this day or Apr. 12.

Ben W. Austin wrote from Oak Cliff, Texas to Sam, asking for the autographs of John Raymond and Charles S. Webster [MTP].

April 6 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook : “Harriet Hosmer’s Studio — 4 p.m. Wednesday” [NB 31 TS 36]. Note: placement in the NB suggests this day or Apr. 13 Harriet Goodhue Hosmer (1830-1908).

April 7 Thursday – Horace Rutherford wrote from Trenton, Ky. He enclosed under another cover, a “genuine Kentucky Meerschaum. It has been in training for two or three weeks, and I trust it is ancient enough for you. I saw an article several weeks ago,by Luke Sharp in the Louisville Times in which it stated that you were very fond of smoking an old Kentucky cob pipe, and as you could not stand a new pipe, you hired some old tough to flavor it for you, etc.” [MTP].

April 8 Friday – At the Grand Hotel Sud Tirol In Trient, Austria en route to Florence, Italy, Susy Clemens wrote her “beloved,” Louise Brownell. Joseph Verey and Susan Crane escorted the Clemens girls. The letter was postmarked Apr. 16, but this is the date assigned by the MTP.

April 9 Saturday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam of the need for Webster & Co. to close ranks:

…that after next year, instead of making it our policy, as we have heretofore, to push forward and enlarge the firm in all directions, it would be wiser to commence at that time to concentrate; to bend our efforts…in keeping what we have, doing it with less expense, and making it more profitable [MTLTP 300].

April 10 Sunday – From the San Francisco Chronicle, p.9, “Literature”:

Merry Tales is a little volume of old stories and sketches by Mark Twain, published in a new form. The volume includes among others that terribly tedious sketch called “Meisterschaft,” which the author may have thought funny, but which no one else ever did. If Mark Twain wants to “turn the barrel” he should exercise better judgment in making his selections for republication [Budd, Contemporary 323].

April 13 Wednesday – The Hartford Courant divined that some of the stories in Merry Tales were reprints, p.6, “Mark Twain”:

There are seven of these funny stories, not all here presented for the first time….a very various assortment of tales, some funny and one or two not so droll (as the Fort Trumbull story of New London). But they are all more or less enjoyable, and some are particularly humorous [Budd, Contemporary 324].

April 15 Friday – A.L. Bancroft for Bancroft & Co., Pianos and Subscription books of San Francisco, wrote asking what Sam thought of “the ten-block system of numbering country houses,” or the “Contra Costa Plan” for numbering country houses (clippings encl. Jan. 10, 1891 and others from Contra Costa Gazette) [MTP].

April 18 Monday –In Rome Sam sent a cable to Henry C. Robinson:

See letter March 28. Trade must include fair share of that interest [MTP; Also NB 31 TS 37].

April 19 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook reveals a likely telegram, not extant, to Henry C. Robinson:

Apl. 19, wrote Robinson I would take ¼ million & 1/6 of Paige’s interest, but would prefer ¼ [NB 31 TS 37].

April 20 Wednesday – In Rome Sam sent a cable to Webster & Co.:

Close with Arnold if you like [MTP; also NB 31 TS 37].

Note: this relates to Alfred Arnold’s desire to acquire dramatization rights for AC. See Apr. 4 entry. Evidently, negotiations had concluded favorably.

Susy wrote to Louise Brownell on or about this day:

April 21 Thursday – At the Hotel Molaro in Rome, Susy Clemens wrote to Louise Brownell.

April 23 Saturday – Alice Von Versen (nee Alice B. Clemens) wrote to Sam advising that an invitation had arrived for “Breakfast at the Castle as the Empress was so anxious to meet you!” She advised she’d answered that the Clemenses had left Berlin weeks before [MTP].

April 24 Sunday – In Rome Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall. Sam was “glad to see that the business” had “gone to rushing again,” and also that McClure’s list was “so nearly squared up.” Sam signed and returned the five notes for $3,000 each to the Mount Morris Bank. This additional loan was necessary to pay off W.E. Dibble and immediately issue 3,000 sets of LAL. See MTLTP 308n3 for full account.

April 25 Monday – In Rome Sam wrote to Joe Twichell, having received his letter (not extant). Sam wrote of an “adventure which was vouchsafed to two Englishmen in the Campagna yesterday.”

April 27 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook in Rome: “Dine with sculptor Greenough 243 Via Nationale, Wednesday, Apl. 27 — 7.30 p.m.” [NB 31 TS 37].

April 28 Thursday – May Cline wrote from Harmony, N.J. questioning Sam’s evidence for “Mental Telegraphy” [MTP].

Agnes V. Kelley wrote from N.Y. for permission to write an essay on Sam’s life, accompanied by his picture, for use with her upcoming book, “Sons of the Bright Brigade,” which was planned as a sequel to her nearly-finished “Daughters of the Bright Brigade.” Agnes asked for a few biographical facts [MTP].

April 29 Friday – At the Hotel Molaro in Rome, Susy Clemens wrote again to Louise Brownell.

April 30 Saturday – Sam’s notebook in Florence:

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