Day by Day entries are from Mark Twain, Day By Day, four volumes of books compiled by David Fears and made available on-line by the Center for Mark Twain Studies.  The entries presented here are from conversions of the PDFs provided by the Center for Mark Twain Studies and are subject to the vagaries of that process.    The PDFs, themselves, have problems with formatting and some difficulties with indexing for searching.  These are the inevitable problems resulting from converting a printed book into PDFs.  Consequently, what is provided here are copies of copies.  

I have made attempts at providing a time-line for Twain's Geography and have been dissatisfied with the results.  Fears' work provides a comprehensive solution to that problem.  Each entry from the books is titled with the full date of the entry, solving a major problem I have with the On-line site - what year is the entry for.  The entries are certainly not perfect reproductions from Fears' books, however.  Converting PDFs to text frequently results in characters, and sometimes entire sections of text,  relocating.  In the later case I have tried to amend the problem where it occurs but more often than not the relocated characters are simply omitted.  Also, I cannot vouch for the paragraph structure.  Correcting these problems would require access to the printed copies of Fears' books.  Alas, but this is beyond my reach.

This page allows the reader to search for entries based on a range of dates.  The entries are also accessible from each of the primary sections (Epochs, Episodes and Chapters) of Twain's Geography.  

Entry Date (field_entry_date)

February 4, 1907 Monday

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February 4 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: All day in Katonah. Jean was very sweet & I had a lovely time with the dear bruised child for last Friday she fell.

This morning I had a good hour with the King who read with delight a letter from a Scotchman who told a story of the disinterment of a Chinese corpse in Amoy. The King will use it as an autobiographic note covering the mail of the day [MTP TS 26-27]. Note: John C.G. Cumming wrote from Falkirk, Scotland on Jan. 23.

February 5, 1907 Tuesday

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February 5 Tuesday – The New York Times, p.9 ran this squib:

Mark Twain has consented to take part in the benefit for the Keats-Shelley Memorial in Rome, Italy, that is to be given at the Waldorf-Astoria on the afternoon of Feb. 14. He will read Shelley’s “Ode to a Skylark.”

Ross Clark wrote from Portland, Ore. to ask if Sam had written a book titled Through Dust and Foam. If so, where could he get a copy? [MTP]. Note: Lyon on letter: ‘Answd Mch 13, ‘07”; the 1876 book was written by R. Hook and G.D. Hook.

February 6, 1907 Wednesday

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February 6 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Willam Dean Howells, Finley Peter Dunne, and George B. Harvey. He wanted to form “The Damned Human Race Club”: The Human Race will meet at the above address on St. Valentine’s  Feb. 15 at 1.15 p.m. This club consists of 4 members—to-wit:

Dooley [Peter Dunne]

Howells

Harvey

Clemens

Officers:

President pro tem—Clemens

Invitation Committee—Harvey

February 7, 1907 Thursday

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February 7 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Santa home ill” [MTP TS 27]. Note: “Santa” was Clara.

Two copies of Christian Science were deposited with the copyright office [Hirst, “A Note on the Text” Afterword materials p.13, Oxford ed. 1996].  

February 8, 1907 Friday

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February 8 Friday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Samuel E. Moffett in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. (only the envelope survives) [MTP].

Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Gabrilowitsch here. / Gilders – Tom Janvier – Drake Collection” [MTP TS 27]. Note: Thomas Allibone Janvier.

Frederick Palmer wrote a card (delivered not mailed) to Miss Lyon and Sam, thanking for the consent for Sam to be at the dinner at the Brevoort Hotel on Monday, Feb. 11 [MTP].

February 8-11, 1907 Monday

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February 8-11 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam replied to the Feb. 4 of John E. Fellers.

You will be able to comment upon the book more intelligently after you’ve read it, at present you dont seem to know any useful thing about it. Of the bushel of letters from Commentators on the book that have reached me not one of them has read the book— Consequently not one of them is entitled to have an opinion [MTP].  


 

February 10, 1907 Sunday

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February 10 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Mr. North, director of census at Washington —today called to see Mr. Clemens with a personal message from the German Emperor” [MTP TS 27]. Note: Simon Newton Dexter (S.N.D.) North (1849-1924) of Boston was Director of US Census at this time.

February 11, 1907 Monday

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February 11 Monday – In N.Y.C. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Calvin H. Higbie.

M . Clemens asks me to write for him & say that within a day or so you will receive a letter from his biographer M . Albert Bigelow Paine, who is planning to make a journey out to California in the early spring to collect material for his biography…. [MTP].

Paine quotes from his notebook for this day about memory: February 11, 1907. He said to-day:

February 12, 1907 Tuesday

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February 12 Tuesday – In N.Y.C. Sam wrote instructions for Isabel V. Lyon to reply to Rev. Dr. Henry Blanchard in Portland, Maine—thank him for confirming statements made in a letter seven years before by Rev. Mr. Wiggin when Clemens was in England; he’d lost Wiggin’s letter long before [MTP].

February 13-19, 1907 Tuesday

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February 13-19 Tuesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to Brander Matthews.

This came to me some time ago & I didnt reply to it—it seemed to me a most strange thing if it was sent by a sane person. And now he has called in person—L[yon] has seen him appeasable wanted to know who selected him the King president pro tem—” [MTP]. Note: a draft.


 

February 14, 1907 Thursday

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February 14 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Katonah, N.Y.

I am very very glad, Jean dear, that you are having such wholesome & healthful good times & are so contented & happy. Poor little Clara isn’t so fortunate; she has been laid up with a bad throat & hoarseness, but she went to Atlantic City yesterday & will soon be in shape again she thinks.

February 15, 1907 Friday

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February 15 Friday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Chinatown” [MTP TS 29].

I.P. Moore wrote from London, England to inquire if Sam was his first cousin, since Moore’s mother was a Clemens [MTP]. Note: After Feb. 15 Sam replied that he knew nothing about his family tree before his father, who was born in Virginia in 1799; genealogical sources give Aug. 11, 1798 in Campbell Co. Va for the birthdate of John Marshall Clemens. www.accsolinc.com/familyroots/RobertClements.pdf

February 16, 1907 Saturday

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February 16 Saturday –Witter Bynner offered box seats to Clemens on Feb. 1 for an unspecified performance for this day. No record was found of Sam’s attendance to a performance for this day or evening. Lyon made no entry in her journal for Feb. 16, so it is unlikely Sam took Bynner up on his offer.

February 17, 1907 Sunday

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February 17 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “A dear & lazy day. The dear King has been fussing a lot in these days over the auto instalments, but now he has nearly enough for the full year” [MTP TS 29].

Mrs. M.F. Cunningham wrote from Salt Lake City to Sam, thanking him for the pleasure his stories had given her and her son [MTP].


 

February 18, 1907 Monday

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February 18 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Thompson brought 2 beautiful pictures, & I think the King will buy the moonlight one” [MTP TS 29]. Note: on Mar. 12 Frederic L. Thompson wrote to thank Clemens for buying two of his paintings. See the strange case of Thompson-Gifford. Thompson was a goldsmith who “suddenly and inexplicably seized with an impulse to sketch and paint pictures”:

http://www.aspsi.org/feat/life_after/tymn/a089mt-e-Thompson-Gifford_Case.php

February 19, 1907 Tuesday

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February 19 Tuesday – Clara Clemens left for another concert tour, with stops of: North Adams, Elmira, Hartford, Bangor, and Utica. She would return on Mar. 25 [Hill 165, 170; IVL TS 30].

Gallantz J. Bishop wrote from NYC to invite Sam to a banquet of the New Club of America, Hotel St. Regis, Mar. 14, and hoped Sam would “favor” them with “a few comments” [MTP].

February 20, 1907 Wednesday

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February 20 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam replied to the Feb. 19 of Robert Fulton Cutting and Others. Declining an invitation sent on Feb. 19: “I do not go out this winter when I can avoid it” [MTP].

Sam also replied to the Jan. 17 from George Iles.

February 21, 1907 Thursday

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February 21 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Katonah, N.Y.

Jean dear, Ashcroft’s people have added another spiral-pin device: it is to secure jewels in the hair without having to wire them in, as at present. The next time Anna comes down, I want her to remember to ask us for one of these & carry it to you.

February 23, 1907 Saturday

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February 23 Saturday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Joan of Arc” [MTP TS 31].

George J. Helmer, the family’s NY osteopath, wrote to ask Sam for his continued support “just by speaking the word” for the bill on Osteopathy in Albany. On this day Sam replied on Helmer’s letter: “gave 2 or 3 days of time without object[.] Did for the cause once what wouldn’t have done for any other cause for 10000—Didn’t do any good & doesn’t care to repeat that experience” [MTP].

February 24, 1907 Sunday

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February 24 Sunday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Clara, now at the Hotel Worthy in Springfield, Mass. on a singing tour.  

I shall watch with interest for your code-signals, Clärchen dear, & shall hope that they will bring good news from my self-banished exile.

I like Mr. Wark & his honest blue eyes ever so much. I think you are fortunate to be in his guardianship.

February 25, 1907 Monday

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February 25 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Katonah, N.Y.  

Your news about yourself in your letter of yesterday is exceedingly welcome, & tallies with what Anna said when she was here the other day.