Day By Day Dates

August 26 Friday – Henry C. Robinson wrote to Sam that Paige had secured the promise of three million dollars capital by Chicago investors, allowing enough time to have at least one machine on display at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. This three-page double-spaced typed letter discloses much of what Robinson found out about Paige (his new salary $5,000 a month), the Webster Mfg. Co. (“has a good name in Chicago”); and the capitalization behind the firm [MTHHR 12; MTP].

August 27 Saturday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore. Sam noted the failure of Marshall H. Mallory to come through with his offer to buy Sam’s interest in the typesetter. He was “already content with the situation” and would keep the royalties and wait. Sam mentioned receipt of Whitmore’s and Brer R’s letters (Henry C. Robinson).

August 28 Sunday – Chauncey M. Depew wrote from London asking Sam’s autograph for Lady Ann, Chandos-Pole, a friend. Depew misspelled “Clements” on the letter and envelope [MTP].

August 30 Tuesday – In Bad Nauheim Sam responded to Chauncey Depew’s Aug. 28 note.

If you ain’t gone yet, I hope this word may catch you, for its mission is to wish you good luck, a happy voyage & a torpid conscience [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Lady Ann, Chandos-Pole, probably in London (See Depew’s request for Sam’s autograph, Aug. 28:

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September 1 Thursday – Players Club wrote to Sam that a panel had been marked with his name in the grill room, but as yet Sam had not filled the space with a mug. Sam must forward a mug marked with his name or surrender the space. The notice was forwarded to Florence. Sam wrote on the envelope, “Notified about the beer-mug at the Players.” [MTP].

September 2 Friday – In Bad Nauheim Sam wrote to his brother Orion.

Tear up the letter I wrote [not extant] about the salve, it might go astray & get into print some day.

September 4 Sunday – In Bad Nauheim Sam began a letter to Frederick J. Hall that he finished the next day. Sam discussed page rates by Harper’s and compared his pay to Charles Dudley Warner’s. He counted his work as worth double Warner’s, and expected Hall to use that idea in negotiating rates. By this letter he’d settled on the title of Tom Sawyer Abroad, and had finished “Part I — In the Great Sahara”, about 40,000 words. He also announced another book in the works:

September 5 Monday – In Bad Nauheim Sam added a PS to his Sept. 4 letter to Hall. He advised that the cholera quarantine would not stop the shipment of his Tom Sawyer MS, or so the Consul General had advised. He asked Hall to cable him “Sawyer received” c/o Drexel Harjes & Co. in Paris once the MS arrived. He added that Warner was making more than $200 a page on his current position writing the “Editor’s Study,” in Harper’s, Howells’ old post.

September 6 Tuesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam. Though the letter is not extant, from Sam’s Sept. 23 reply, some of the substance of Hall’s letter is known. He sent notes, likely from the Mt. Morris Bank for Sam to sign. These were part of the added debt needed to keep Webster & Co. afloat, and to pay for much of the publication costs on a raft of books that Hall chose to publish during the year.

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Note: Sam would see Corbett fight an exhibition in Madison Square Garden and verbally spar with him after the fight

September 9 Friday – In a letter postmarked this day but probably written a day or more before, Susy Clemens wrote from Cassino, Italy to Louise Brownell, disclosing recent family activities:

September 10 Saturday – In their last day at Bad Nauheim, Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore about the Paige royalties. He closed with:

We are breaking camp & leaving for Frankfort today, & expect to leave there for Florence next Tuesday. Our villa is equipped & the servants are in it — all except coachman & horses. With love to all of you [MTP].

Robert Graham for Church Temperance Society sent Sam a form letter soliciting funds [MTP].

September 11 Sunday – The Clemens family was in Frankfurt, Germany. They would be there until Thursday, Sept. 15, due to Livy’s worsening condition [Sept. 17 to Whitmore; Sept. 18 to Crane].

September 12 Monday – The Clemens family was in Frankfurt, Germany. Several doctors attended to Livy. Sam’s Sept. 18 to Crane related doctor visits:

September 13 Tuesday – The Clemens family was in Frankfurt, Germany, where Sam wrote in his notebook:

Frankfurt a/m. Sept. 13/92. Shall mail to-morrow 27 type-written pages of “Tom Sawyer Abroad” — 16,000 words. (113 pages; MS; The whole 280 MS pages make about 40,000 words.) [NB 32 TS 23].

September 14 Wednesday – The Clemens family was in Frankfurt, Germany.

September 15 Thursday – The Clemens family left Frankfurt, headed for Lucerne, Switzerland, a trip of some 207 miles [NB 32 TS 24; Sept. 17 to Whitmore]. Sam related that Livy’s condition forced them to stop for the night in Basel:

September 16 Friday – Sam’s notebook shows the record of travel:

Left Frankfurt Sep. 15. / Stayed over-night at Basel. / Left Basel at 2.10 p.m. Sept. 16, reached Lurcerne 5.15 [NB 32 TS 24].

Sam told of the rest of the trip to Lucerne, Switzerland, where they stayed at the Hotel Des Balances [Sept. 17 to Whitmore]:

September 17 Saturday – At the Hotel Des Balances Au Lac in Lucerne, Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore. Relating an old claim against Pratt & Whitney over a disputed $1,740 bill, Sam felt the time was right to “put in that claim” now that the Chicago enterprise under Paige had new investors. Sam added a paragraph on family plans:

September 18 Sunday – At the Hotel Des Balances in Lucerne, Switzerland Sam wrote to Susan L. Crane. Sam thanked her for a pen she sent, and teased her for going “off without filling my traveling inkstand,” which she’d given him. He told of progress made on Tom Sawyer Abroad and his “Twins” book (which became PW and also the Twins story). He also wrote of their travel woes with Livy’s condition:

September 19 Monday – The Clemenses were at the Hotel Des Balances in Lucerne.

B. Mendenhall wrote to Sam, after having received no recommendation on a book he’d written sent some 17 months before, Married the Wrong Man. “Please give me a boost,” he wrote, as he was “crippled and can’t do much but write” [MTP].

September 20 Tuesday – Sam had outlined a travel schedule for the family in his Sept. 18 to Sue Crane, Which followed their travels as related in his Sept. 30 to Sue Crane. The family left Lucerne and traveled to Milan, Italy.

September 21 Wednesday – According to Sam’s Sept. 30 to Sue Crane, the family fell behind their earlier schedule outlined in his Sept. 18 to Sue, and were forced to spend two nights in Milan. This was the second day and night. It could have only been on this second evening that Sam spoke before the Literary Congress in Milan. As reported in the New York Times, October 16, 1892, p.20. William Henry Bishop, reported:

September 22 Thursday – The Clemens family left Milan at 11:45 a.m. and traveled five hours to Bologna, Italy. According to Sam’s Sept. 24 to Phelps the family completed the schedule as outlined in his Sept. 18 to Sue Crane — The family left Bologna and arrived in Florence, Italy. In his Sept. 30 to Sue, Sam wrote: