Day By Day Dates

June 23 Thursday – Sam spent the day with Frederick J. Hall looking over Webster & Co. Sam had written to Hall back on June 11, asking for help to keep away from reporters. The less publicity about his arrival the better. Evidently these efforts were not successful, for the Brooklyn Eagle, Jun. 23, 1892, p.4 under “Personal Mention” included, “Mark Twain has returned from Europe.” The New York Times ran a paragraph of passengers on p.8, “Arrived on the Havel,” which led off with,

June 24 Friday – Sam took the train to Hartford. His letter of June 28 to Orion says he spent “Friday & Saturday in Hartford on business” [MTP].

June 25 Saturday – Sam spent the day in Hartford on business, and likely left for Elmira, a nine or ten hour train ride, sometime during the day, since he was there the following day, June 26.

June 26 Sunday – Sam was in Elmira principally to meet with those who had purchased Paige royalties (See June 27 to Livy below). He mentioned them in his letter to Livy the following day. Also in that letter he wrote that he’d seen Katy Leary this evening, “& had a long talk. She is well & hearty & sent many messages to the family” [June 27 to Livy].

June 27 Monday – In Elmira Sam wrote on North German Lloyd letter head to Livy.

Sweetheart, I am still here, but shall be taking the train for Chicago very soon, now, for it is already 2 p.m.

June 28 Tuesday – Sam arrived in Chicago and wrote his brother Orion Clemens three hours after his arrival.

June 29 Wednesday – Sam left Chicago by train for New York and Hartford [Aug. 13 to Daly].

Sam’s notebook, likely written on the train.

June 29 Thursday – Sam’s notebook:

29th. Breakfast toward 10. Called on Mrs. Rottenberg. [Marian Phelps, recently married] Lunched at Mrs. Willard’s at 2 p.m. Called at the Embassy & saw Coleman, then called on Excellenz von Versen (Mauerstr 36) then left a card on the British Ambassador, then to Jackson’s.

Berlin is a wonderfully fine city, & its government is a model. / The “Victory” statue is wretched only from behind [NB 33 TS 20].

June 30 Thursday – Sam was in transit by train to New York and Hartford.

July – Sam’s notebook included a memo of The Art of Teaching and Studying Languages, by François Gouin, translated by Howard Swan and Victor Bétis, London (1892) [Gribben 269; NB 32 TS 12].

Also in the notebook: “After July 1, ’92, my royalties are to be sent to me by check, a few hundred dollars per month” [NB 31 TS 58].

J. Stuart’s article, “Mark Twain,” ran in Literary Opinion [The Twainian, Dec. 1940].

July 1 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote on the Law Offices stationery of Henry C. Robinson to Marshall Mallory.

I concluded I would not visit Paige. I am about to sail tomorrow for Germany & when I get there I will cable Mr. Robinson whether to take up the matter of the option again or not, upon the terms proposed last March …. M.H. Mallory / Why not take half — / Mrs. C. would consent to that. [MTP].

July 2 Saturday † – At the Glenham Hotel in New York, Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall. Though the letter is given July 1 by MTP, it is labeled by Sam “Saturday” and Sam advises he was going to Elmira “to-morrow (Sunday) but shall be back here Monday evening.” Thus it is labeled July 2. Also, Sam may have sent a letter to Hall while in N.Y. due to an office closure for the weekend. He did not make the trip.

Sam also wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore.

July 3 Sunday – For some reason Sam did not go to Elmira, his intention probably to finish acquiring typesetter royalties there.

July 4 Monday – Sam was in New York. See July 3 for some activities this day.

Gribben quotes Sam’s NB 31, TS 58, that Sam spent the night in New York: “Clemens rose at the Union League Club in New York City, breakfasted, read the newspaper, ‘wrote a letter or two,’ and ‘began” A Window in Thrums (1889) also by Sir James Barrie, author of Peter Pan [49]. Note: the letters he wrote are not extant. Sam read the N.Y. World.

July 5 Tuesday – In the afternoon, Sam sailed again for Bremen, Germany on the S.S. Lahn. Just before boarding he received a note from Sarah A. Trumbull (see July 18). The trip over took eight days; the return trip would, at that rate, reach the destination about July 13 or 14.

July 6 Wednesday – Sam was en route to Bremen, Germany on the S.S. Lahn. Paine writes:

“He returned on the Lahn and he must have been in better health and spirits, for it is said he kept the ship very merry during the passage. He told many extravagantly amusing yarns; so many that a court was convened to try him on the charge of “inordinate and unscientific lying” [MTB 947] See July 12.

July 7 Thursday – Sam was en route to Bremen, Germany on the S.S. Lahn. While at sea Paine claims Sam wrote the 8,000 word sketch, “About All Kinds of Ships.” Paine refers to this article as “All Sorts and Conditions of Ships” [MTB 947-8]. It was first published in The £1,000,000 Bank Note and Other Stories (1893) [Budd, Collected 2: 1001]. See June 19 letter to unidentified doctor which shows he worked on the article during the trip to the US on the S.S. Havel.

July 8 Friday – Sam was en route to Bremen, Germany on the S.S. Lahn.

July 9 Saturday – Sam was en route to Bremen, Germany on the S.S. Lahn.

July 10 Sunday – Sam was en route to Bremen, Germany on the S.S. Lahn. Sam’s notebook:

July 12 Tuesday – In the S.S. Lahn, at sea en route to Bremen, Sam gave a reading. In a mock trial, Mark Twain was accused and convicted of “inordinate and unscientific lying.” Paine writes,

July 13 Wednesday – Sam was still at sea on the S.S. Lahn.

July 14 Thursday – On or about this day the SS. Lahn reached Bremen. Shortly, Sam continued on to Bad Nauheim to rejoin Livy. No evidence was found that he stopped along the way. His notebooks are not clear on the point, but have several pages criticizing German bookstores, a lack of newsstands, inefficient postal systems, and cheaply manufactured books that sell for $2 and that fall “to pieces when you open” them [NB 32 TS 13-15].

July 18 Monday – In Bad Nauheim (which, according to Clara in My Father Mark Twain, p.113 Sam called “Bath No-Harm”) Sam wrote to Sarah A. Trumbull (Mrs. James Hammond Trumbull), mother of Annie E. Trumbull.

July 22 Friday – In Bad Nauheim, Germany Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall, having just received his letter of July 5 (not extant) — the very day Sam sailed. Hall had added a time limit on the option with Augustin Daly for the dramatization rights for The American Claimant. Sam approved. He also advised to give Burbank ten per cent of the profits until $2,500 was reached, as payment for his rights to the play.