Day By Day Dates

April 21 Wednesday — Sam’s new guestbook:

In his copy of Letters of James Russell Lowell, Ed. by Charles Eliot Norton (2 vols.; 1893), Sam wrote a note about his own suicidal impulse in 1866 and dated it this date, 3 a.m.: In part:

April 22 Thursday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Elizabeth Wallace.

Dear Betsy: / It is not conveyable in words. I mean my vanity—rotten joy in the dear and pleasant things you say of me, and in my enviable standing in your class, as revealed by the class’s answer to your challenge. So I shall not try to do the conveying, but only say I am grateful—a truth which you would easily divine, even if I said nothing at all.

April 23 Friday - On a page of notes in the Lyon-Ashcroft MS, Sam wrote under the heading “Eavesdropping,” “Apl. 23 Clara went to Mr. Rogers. (His letter)” [L-A MS XIV]. Note: the letter from H.H. Rogers in the source as follows:

My dear Clemens:

I had a call this morning from Clara, when she told me of her troubles, and after she had said you knew of her coming to me, I ventured to say that I would be very glad to take up the matter, if you desired it, and see if I could straighten it out to your entire satisfaction.

April 24 Saturday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Robert J. Collier.

Dear Robert:-—

If in my time I shall have your good and dear father’s happy fortune, be glad for me, as I am glad for him; but grieve for those I leave behind, as I am grieving for yours.

With my love,

S.L. Clemens

(MTP: Peter F. Collier, In Memoriam 1910).

Sam’s new guestbook:

April 25 Sunday - In Redding, Conn. Sam replied to the Apr. 23 from James M. Beck.

April 26 Monday — In Redding, Conn. Jean Clemens finally came home, signing into the guestbook and giving her address as “Stormfield” [Hill 226; guestbook below]. Note: Hill further points out that Jean would never leave again; that an adjoining 125 acreage with barns and livestock, called “The Italian Farm,” became hers. The purchase had been arranged in Feb. for $4,200, and was one of his final acts as Twain’s business manager.

April 27 Tuesday — Clemens went to New York City and spent the night with the Rogers family [Apr. 26 telegram to HHR]. Note: the nature of the visit, whether personal or business or both, is not known.

April 28 Wednesday — Sam likely returned to Redding from NYC this day.

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April 29 Thursday — In Redding, Conn.

April 30 Friday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote a note, “How to get to Stormfield” to an unidentified person [MTP].

Pali (not further identified) wrote from Hawaii to send a contribution for Mark Twain’s Library and related his tales of being in Redding and of various personages there. He expressed regret that Hawaii had not been able to see Twain during his 1895 world tour (The Warrimoo was quarantined) [MTP].

May -— Sam noted in his after Sept. 25, 1909 letter that during this month, “Discovery of evidence proving Lioness a thief,” referring to Isabel Lyon.

May 1 Saturday — The New York Times reported on Sam’s latest work, Is Shakespeare Dead?

IS SHAKESPEARE DEAD?

May 2 Sunday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Emilie R. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers).

Dear Mrs. Rogers: / I shall arrive at noon next Friday, & go at once down town on business, & back to No. 3 for dinner, provided there will be a bed for me & no extra charge. I return home next day. I’m due at the Jerome banquet Friday evening at 10.

If there’s no vacant bed, or if you are to be away Fairhavenward, will you please telephone me here when you receive this?

My telephone address is

May 3 Monday - Sam paid a bill dated Feb. 1, 1909 for $13.95 for “Fit Mdse” to B. Altman & Co., Fifth Ave. 34th  and 35th Streets, NYC [MTP: L-A MS XVII]. Note: See May 25 entry.

May 4 Tuesday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers.

Dear Mr. Rogers: / The check-books & vouchers which Ashcroft will have to place before your expert are my property, & I would be glad if you will keep possession of them for me, when the inquiry is finished. I don’t want them to go back into Ashcroft’s hands.

I shall spend Thursday & Friday in New York, with Robert Collier, for I think you are all in Fairhaven & your city house closed for the season.

May 5 Wednesday — William Dean Howells wrote from N.Y.C. to Sam

“Dear Clemens: / Pilla is away at Kittery Point, and I can’t leave the old lady alone. But I do want to see Stormfield with its clothes on, and I’ll come sometime before June. Yours ever / W.D. Howells” [MTHL 2: 846]. Note 1; “Howells did not come before October (letter 668, note 2).”

Karl Gerhardt wrote from N. Orleans to Sam.

May 6 Thursday — Arthur Bennett for the Denver Post wrote to ask Sam to come to Denver for a lecture [MTP]. Note: “Ans’d May 18, ‘09”

May 7 Friday — In the evening Sam attended and spoke at a dinner for District Attorney William Travers Jerome at Delmonico’s. The New York Times, May 8, reported on page one:

JEROME REVIEWS HIS OFFICIAL YEARS

District Attorney Tells of What He Has Done at a Dinner Given Him by Friends.

NO HINT OF FUTURE PLANS

Speaker Says he Still Has Faith In Reform and Wishes to Work for Civic Betterment

May 8 Saturday — H.N. Allen wrote from Seaford, Del., relating on a recent trip to NYC he and his sister were often mistaken for Mark Twain and daughter Clara. He’d heard the same thing in Virginia City, Nevada and San Francisco. He sent his photo (not in file) and asked for one in return ]. Note: “Ans’ May 18, “09”

May 9 Sunday — Sam recorded learning on May 9 or 10 of Lyon’s use of his funds to renovate her house, before his $1,500 loan:

About the 9th or 10th Paine & I started to New York on business, & Lounsbury drove us to the railway station. On the way, reference was made to the cost of the rehabilitation of Miss Lyon’s house—$1500, Lounsbury said—

“Fifteen hundred? Why, it cost thirty-five hundred!”

May 10 Monday - Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote to Sam, enclosing a bill from Altman for $13.95 and a list of purchases and payments to Wanamaker’s Dept. Store—neither in the MTP file. He closed with mention of a “Scarlet Taniger Guest Coat” saying it did not belong to him: “It was ordered at your request for the use of guests, and the buttons are stamped S.L.C.” A second page with this date, also on Ashcroft’s NYC letterhead details “extra work in the preparation of data covering the financial affairs of S.L.

May 11 Tuesday — Katharine I. Harrison for H.H. Rogers wrote to Sam: “Just a line to let you know that I have the signatures to both certificates of the Mark Twain Company, so your mind can be easy on this point” [MTP].

C.H. Gould for American Library Assoc., Montreal wrote to ask Sam for “an address, a reading, a paper—in any way you choose” for their Annual Conference June 28-July 5 [MTP]. Note: “Ans’d May 18, “02”

May 12 Wednesday — Sam’s new guestbook:

John F. Bernard wrote from Grafton, W. Va. to Sam.

My dear “Indolent” Friend; —

May 14 Friday — James M. Beck for Shearman & Sterling (Attys.) wrote to Sam, not having a reply for his May 10 letter canceling the engagement, as he was purchasing a house at Sea Bright and wished “to take possession at an early date” [MTP]. Note: “Ans’d May 18, ‘09”

Belle V. Elliott for the Saturday Club of Brunswick, Maine wrote to ask Sam to come speak in November or sometime in the winter [MTP]. Note: “Ans’d May 18, ‘09”

May 15 Saturday — Sam’s original guestbook, since replaced by the newer, more elegant gift from Mary B. Rogers, for some reason lists this date for Clara Ashcroft, and Lucy Ashcroft [Mac Donnell TS 7]. Note: any connection to Ralph W. Ashcroft of these two is unknown. Sisters?

Sofia Haag and Charles Haag wrote from Norwalk, Conn. to invite Sam to a Whitman fest on May23 [MTP]. Note: “Ans’d May 18, 09”