Day By Day Dates

August 1 Saturday – At Quarry Farm in Elmira, N.Y. Sam wrote to Richard Watson Gilder, enclosing the July 30 from his nephew, Samuel E. Moffett, which asked for a seconding nomination for Mary E. Moffett for membership in the National Arts Club.

August 3 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Aug. 3 deposited $500 coupons, in Guaranty [Trust Co.] / [Horiz. Line separator] / The farmer sows, the broker reaps” [NB 46 TS 22]. Also, he rec’d receipt from Charles Fairchild & Co. for $16,000 in American Mechanical Cashier Co. bonds [TS 33].

August 4 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Deposited $1,000 in Lincoln for Guaranty Trust. Sent by messenger from Grosvenor” [NB 46 TS 22].

Richard Watson Gilder wrote to Sam.

August 5 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Brought away International Navigation Co. coupons for Feb. & Aug. 1904 and Feb. 1905 ($1,500), & shall leave them with Mr. Rogers. / Paid for my box at Produce Exchange Safe Deposit, in advance from March 1904 to March 1905 ($10.)” [NB 46 TS 22].

Chatto & Windus’ Jan. 1, 1904 statement to Clemens shows 2,000 2s.0d. copies of The Stolen White Elephant were printed, for a total printed to date of 14,600 [1904 Financials file MTP].

August 6 Thursday – Walter Reid of The Lincoln Safe Deposit Co. wrote a receipt to Sam for “1 Bdl. Of blankets in white condition unknown No. 27898” [MTP].

August 7 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “The comedy-tragedy visit to the Austrian Grand Duchess” [NB 46 TS 22]. Note: Sam was recollecting. Also put under Aug. 7 was a listing for Nov. 4—see entry.

August 8 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “20 Manufac / 20 commission / 30 branches & collection / 8% losses. / 7 wear & tear, clerks &c / Profit is 15%. / It is really 25% no doubt” [NB 46 TS 22-23]. Note: musings about Am. Pub. Co.’s profits?

August 9 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “A P H / As concerns Christ there are some uncertainties but for our solace we know one thing for sure—He was not a Christian” [NB 46 TS 23].

August 12 Wednesday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to daughter Jean at Quarry Farm in Elmira, N.Y.

August 13 Thursday – One of Sam’s notes to his invalid wife inform us of his activities this day at the funeral of William E. Dodge, Jr. (1832-1903), Riverdale neighbor, who died at age 71 on Aug. 9 in Bar Harbor, Maine. The funeral was held at the Presbyterian Church in Riverside at 10:30 a.m. Sam’s note, on or just after this day:

August 15 Saturday – Margaret M. (not further identified), an 11-year-old girl wrote from Portland, Ore to Sam, a letter of admiration for his works [MTP].

August 16 Sunday – In N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Samuel Merwin. “Dear Mr. Merwin,—What you have said has given me deep pleasure—indeed I think no words could be said that could give me more” [MTP: MTLP 744].

August 18 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Had to go to New York / [Horiz. Line separator] / 1896-1903” [NB 46 TS 23].

Mark Bennett of the World’s Fair 1904 wrote to Sam.

I hope you have a soft spot in your heart for Hank Monk, and all that pertains to him. It could hardly be otherwise when we consider how many millions of your readers in all parts of the world feel that they had a personal acquaintance with the man that Mark Twain made famous.

August 19 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Col. [Harvey] sprung the ’95 contract—I had never heard of it before” [NB 46 TS 23].

August 20 Thursday – On Sept. 1 Sam wrote Joe Twichell that he was “in New York the whole month under wearing & hateful compulsion of business & the races were a blessed rest & diversion for me” [MTP]. Note: This may explain the lack of letters extant this month from him. The International Yacht Races began on Aug. 20. See insert advertisement.

August 24 Monday – Joe Twichell wrote from Blue Ridge, NY to Sam, wondering about Sam’s past “invitation” forthcoming for watching a yacht race on Mr. Rogers’ yacht. A newspaper which had reached him “in the heart of the Adirondacks” told of a yacht race, and if his attendance was counted on he would like to write Rogers an apology for being unable to come. He prayed Livy was improving, whom he expressed love for. “The prospect of your expatriation, except as it means benefit to her, is to us extremely dismal.

August 27 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “A P H / Let him climb his own ears & jump off into space. Lo, we are tired of him” [NB 46 TS 23]. Note: possibly Theodore Roosevelt.

August 29 Saturday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Will Larrymore Smedley, artist in Chatauqua, N.Y., thanking him for the landscape; Sam would send to Riverdale for it [MTP]. Smedley had illustrated a newer two-volume edition of GA and would also illustrate the small volume The Dog’s Tale in 1904.

August 30 Sunday – The New York Herald ran a self-interview, “Mark Twain, Able Yachtsman, on Why Lipton Failed to Lift the Cup” [Budd, Collected 2: 1008].

August 31 Monday – Sam returned to Elmira, either this day or the next. In his account to Twichell of Sept. 1 he complained of being in N.Y. the whole month for business.

September 1 Tuesday – At Quarry Farm in Elmira, N.Y. Sam wrote to Mark Bennett of the World’s Fair offices, St. Louis.

September 2 Wednesday

September 3 Thursday – At Quarry Farm in Elmira, N.Y. Sam wrote to Will Larrymore Smedley in Chatauqua, N.Y.

“The picture has just arrived from Riverdale. It was received by the family with an explosion of Exquisite! exquisite!’ all down the line—& certainly if you ever owed me anything on benefits conferred, the account is more than squared” [MTP]. Note: Smedley had been allowed to illustrate a new edition of GA, perhaps by recommendation from Sam. See May 30 and Aug. 29.

September 4 Friday – N.Y.C.: Sam’s notebook: “Went aboard the Kanawha 6 p.m. Lay off E. 23d st” [NB 46 TS 23].