Day By Day Dates

July 1 Monday – At Quarry Farm Sam wrote to Frank Bliss.

Yours of June 29 received [not extant]. I have been considering and shall not close with the offer of $12000, for 12 magazine articles until I have taken plenty of time to make up my mind. I’ve got to go to New York if I possibly can, before July 10, and if I go I will telegraph you and have a talk with you then.

Sam thought he could travel if the doctor consented [MTP].

July 2 Tuesday – At Quarry Farm Sam wrote on a series of three stones, a “Contract” with Julia J. Beecher (Mrs. Thomas K. Beecher). Stones 1-3:

If you prove right and I prove wrong 
A million years from now, 
In language plain and frank and strong 
My error I’ll avow 
To your dear mocking face.

 If I prove right, by God his grace, 
Full sorry I shall be, 
For in that solitude no trace 
There’ll be of you and me 
Nor of our vanished race.

July 3 Wednesday – At Quarry Farm Sam wrote to John D. Adams of Harper & Brothers about the proofs and location of an “ennobling scene” for the forthcoming Book II of JA in the magazine’s serial run. Sam also confided that he was “not out of bed yet.”

July 5 Friday – At Quarry Farm Sam began a short note to Robert Underwood Johnson of Century Magazine, that he finished with a PS the next day, July 6.

I am still in bed with my Pullman carbuncle (41st day), but I’ve ground out some 2,500 words of nonsense (& fact) about the bicycle. I could have strung it out indefinitely — but not with advantage, I think [MTP].

July 6 Saturday – In Elmira at Quarry Farm Sam finished his July 5 note to Robert Underwood Johnson of Century Magazine with a PS that he had no time to revise the bicycle piece as the carriage was starting for town that moment. Johnson would have to send him a proof, and best to send it to Quarry Farm before July 10 [MTP].

July 8 Monday – At Quarry Farm Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, again delayed on coming to New York.

July 10 Wednesday – Sam left Elmira without Livy for New York to be examined by attorneys for Thomas Russell the next day. His earlier plans were to stay at the Everett House.

July 11 Thursday – Sam was examined by attorneys. The Boston Daily Globe sensationalized the session, running this article on p.6, July 12, 1895.

“MARK TWAIN” IS RUINED.

Failure of Publishing House in Which He Was a Partner Involved

the Humorist’s Private Fortune.

NEW YORK, July 11 — “Mark Twain,” otherwise Samuel L. Clemens, the humorist, was examined in supplementary proceedings this afternoon at the office of Stern & Rushmore, his lawyers, at 40 Wall st.

July 12 Friday – Sam gave a reading to 700 boys at the House of Refuge, Randall’s Island, New York as a rehearsal for his tour to kick off in Cleveland on July 15 [Fatout, MT Speaking 662]. Note: The House of Refuge was a reformatory for incorrigible boys. 

July 13 Saturday – Sam left New York on the train for Elmira. In his letter of July 14 to H.H. Rogers, he described seeing Charles E. Rushmore of Stern & Rushmore, attorneys, on the train.

…told him I didn’t want any annoyance at Cleveland;…but he said I could rest easy; said he was sure Wilder [Thomas Russell’s attorney] was now satisfied that I had no concealed property & would leave me alone in Cleveland.

July 14 Sunday – At Quarry Farm, Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, declaring he’d “thrown up the Russell sponge,” meaning he was ready to compromise with Thomas Russell, printer, or pay him in full, the $5,046 owed. He reported Livy’s reaction to newspaper reports of his supplementary examination on July 11 at Stern & Rushmore’s office:

July 15, 1895 to July 15, 1896 – World Speaking Tour – Sam’s tour consisted of the northern United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Ceylon, Mauritius, and South Africa: about 140 engagements [Fatout, MT Speaking 662]. See Railton’s website at the University of Virginia for more details on the North American portion of the tour including map, letters, and reviews, many of which are quoted here. The North America portion of the world tour was under the management of James B. Pond, who, along with his wife, Martha G.

July 16 Tuesday – In the late morning (“Forenoon”) in Cleveland, Ohio, Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, describing the first Cleveland talk the night before (July 15).

July 17 Wednesday – A travel day on the World Tour. The Clemens party took the luxurious Great Lakes steamer, North Land (sometimes seen as Northland) through the Upper Michigan peninsula to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Sam called it “an ideal summer trip” [NB 35 TS 11].

J.B. Pond’s diary:

Wednesday, July 17th, S.S. Northland.

July 18 Thursday – The Clemens party arrived in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and checked into the Hotel Iroquois. Sam gave his talk at the Soo Opera House. J.B. Pond did not make a diary entry on this stop, nor did Sam mention it in any letters extant. Gaw writes,

July 19 Friday – The Clemens party traveled by steamer the short distance to Mackinaw (Mackinac), Michigan, where he gave a lecture to 400 in the Casino Room of the Grand Hotel. J.B. Pond’s diary describes:

Friday, July 19th, Grand Hotel, Mackinac.

July 20 Saturday – Sam and J.B. Pond left the ladies at the Grand Hotel in Mackinac and traveled on to Petoskey, Michigan, where Sam gave a lecture in the Grand Opera House. From Pond’s diary:

Saturday, July 20th, Mackinac to Petoskey.

July 21 Sunday – Sam’s notebook:

July 21 ’95. (Sunday.) The “Islander.” This is merely a ferry-boat — 7 ½ mile course, to Mackinac Island. Yet it is neat, nice, comfortable, convenient — neither of those words can be applied to any channel boat, those damned offal-scows [NB 35 TS 13].

From J.B. Pond’s diary:

July 22 Monday – In Duluth, Minn. Sam finished his July 20 to H.H. Rogers by adding a PS:

Had a satisfactory time at Petoskey. Crammed the house and turned away a crowd. We had $548 in the house, which was $300 more than it had ever had in it before. I believe I don’t care to have a talk go better than that one did.

Shall get to Duluth just in time to go on the platform. I shall dress before leaving the boat, then go straight to the train after the lecture [MTHHR 173].

July 23 Tuesday – The Clemens party arrived in Minneapolis, Minn. (about 160 miles from Duluth) and checked into the Hotel West.

In the evening Sam gave his lecture at the Metropolitan Opera House. In his letter to Rogers the next day (July 24) Sam thought this night went well, well enough to suit him. Fatout lists a reception and supper speech [MT Speaking 662].

J.B. Pond’s diary recorded:

July 24 Wednesday – In Minneapolis, Minn., before going to the other Twin City, Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, rather upset at the attorneys working his case.

July 25 Thursday – The Clemens spent the day in St. Paul, Minn.

July 26 Friday – Jean Clemens’ fifteenth birthday. (Jean was at Quarry Farm in Elmira.)

The train trip from St. Paul to Winnipeg was about 600 miles. The Clemens party arrived in Winnipeg, Manitoba a little after noon [Scharnhorst 163]. They took rooms at the Manitoba Hotel.

Allingham writes of Winnipeg then:

July 27 Saturday – In the evening Sam gave his “No. 2” lecture in Winnipeg, Canada, his second performance there, which ran 35 minutes longer than Sam intended, so after 90 minutes he offered to let the audience go, but cries of “go on” induced him to finish [July 29 to Rogers].

J.B. Pond’s diary shows some extra activities during the day:

July 28 Sunday – The Clemens party rested a day in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Sam was interviewed by a traveling correspondent, Marie Jousaye, who authored a book of poetry earlier in the year. Her interview appeared in the Toronto Globe on Aug. 10, p.11 “Mark Twain Interviewed,” and may be found in Scharnhorst p.168-171. From Sam’s notebook: