Day By Day Dates

July 20 Tuesday – Date of publication for Innocents Abroad [MT Encyclopedia, Dickinson 400]—Hirst gives this as the date the earliest copies arrived from the bindery [“A Note on the Text” Oxford edition, 1996]. By early August the book was becoming a best seller. It sold 30,000 copies within three months; 85,000 within sixteen months. Sam’s royalties on the book came to nineteen cents a copy [Willis 51]. Sam had written perhaps the greatest travel book ever penned by an American.

July 22 Thursday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Elisha Bliss, sticking it to him for the delay in publication, excuses by Bliss about other books ahead of Sam’s, and objecting to any further delays. “I cannot think I have been treated just right.” This letter puts into question July 20 as a publication date. Bliss’ letter of July 12 promised to ship books to California on the steamer July 24.

July 25 Sunday – Sam’s LETTER FROM “MARK TWAIN” dated New York, July 1869, ran in the San Francisco Alta California. Subtitles: A First Visit to Boston; Modern Cretan Labyrinth; Boston Antiquities; Boston Politeness; Nasby [Schmidt].

Jane Clemens wrote to Sam.

July 26 Monday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Abel Fairbanks asking about the Cleveland Herald’s assets and the increase in Fairbanks’ asking price [MTL 3: 287-8n2].

July 27 Tuesday – Abel W. Fairbanks, part owner of the Cleveland Herald and husband of Mary Mason Fairbanks, wrote to Sam proposing $50,000 for a quarter interest in his newspaper—a price and that Sam and Jervis Langdon thought too high for too low a share [MTL 3: 287-8n2]. (See this note for the text of Abel’s letter.)

July 28 Wednesday – Elisha Bliss registered Innocents Abroad with the copyright office [Hirst, “A Note on the Text” Oxford Edition, 1996]. The book was published in a first edition of 20,000 copies. Over 100,000 copies would sell by three year’s end, for about a $19,000 royalty.

The Hartford Times was first out of the chute with a review of IA:

July 29 Thursday – Sam’s article, “A Mystery Cleared Up” ran in the Cleveland Herald. An unsigned article attributed to Clemens ran in the Buffalo Express: “To the Velocipede” [Camfield, bibliog.].

July 30 Friday – Elisha Bliss replied to Clemens’ July 22 about the delay in publication.

July 31 Saturday – The Hartford Times ran a review under the heading “The New Pilgrims’ Progress / Mark Twain on His Travels,” p.1:

August – “Personal Habits of the Siamese Twins” was published in Packard’s Monthly [Camfield, bibliog.]. Sam inscribed a copy of Innocents Abroad: Miss Ida Clark/ August 1869/ Compliments of The Author [McBride 7].

James Redpath’s journal, The Lyceum, listed Mark Twain at a $100 price among dozens of other  speakers [Lorch 101].

August 1 Sunday – Sam, apologetic for his letter of July 22, wrote again from Elmira to Elisha Bliss. “I have been out of humor for a week. I had a bargain about concluded for the purchase of an interest in a daily paper & when everything seemed to be going smoothly, the owner raised on me” [MTL 3: 287]. Note: the owner referred to was Abel W. Fairbanks; the paper the Cleveland Herald.

LETTER FROM “MARK TWAIN” dated Hartford, July 1869, ran in the San Francisco Alta California. Subtitles: Romance in Real Life; the “Overland Monthly”; Blind Tom; How is your Avitor? [Schmidt].

August 4 Wednesday – Sam and the Langdons took a three day trip to Niagara Falls and stayed at the Cataract House Hotel. Also along were Charles J. Langdon and his fiancée Ida Clark, he parents, as well as Livy’s friend Fidele Brooks and husband Henry Brooks and son of New York, and neighbors of the Langdons, Dr. Henry Sayles and wife Emma Sayles. Cousin A. Langdon was also in the hotel. The trip allowed Jervis to inspect the finances of the nearby Buffalo Express.

August 5 Thursday – At Niagara Falls, NY. Sometime during the 3 day stay Jervis Langdon and Sam made a side trip to Buffalo, where Jervis likely visited the branch of his coal company at 221 Main Street, as well as a waterfront coal-yard operation. The pair also searched records in the Buffalo Express office to “confirm the soundness of their upcoming investment.” A few days later (Aug. 14), Twain complained about ‘the bore of wading through the books & getting up balance sheets’” [Reigstad 60-61]. Note: the Aug. 14 letter was to Mary Mason and Abel W. Fairbanks: “As soon as Mr.

August 6 Friday – The last day of the business/pleasure trip to Niagara Falls.

August 7 Saturday – Sam accompanied the Langdon family on a return trip to Elmira. By Sunday AM he was back in Buffalo [Reigstad 62].

The San Francisco Evening Bulletin, p.1, ran a positive review of IA, observing that “America has, within the past few years, developed a new type of humor.”

August 8 Sunday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Livy, apologizing for hurting her and finishing the letter at 9 PM. During this period, Sam was shuttling between Elmira and Buffalo, scrutinizing the books and balance sheets of the Express. Sam wrote “my obligations to him [Jervis] almost overshadow my obligations to Charley, now…” Jervis Langdon had advanced half of the purchase price for the Express and guaranteed the balance [MTL 3: 289-91]. Following this letter, ten letters (Livy’s numbers 91-100), probably daily from Aug. 9 to 18, are lost [MTL 3: 290n1].

August 11 Wednesday – Sam was in Elmira and first saw the published book, Innocents Abroad. He
signed a gilt-edge copy for Livy [MTL 3: 291-2].

The Buffalo Period

August 12 Thursday – The first date showing Sam living in Buffalo. Sam replied from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss’ of July 30.

August 13 Friday – Sam received a letter from John Slee, agent for the Anthracite Coal Association in Buffalo, informing him that Jervis Langdon’s check was on the way, and that Slee would add another check totaling $12,500. The papers might be exercised that day [MTL 3: 294n2]. Note: Jervis Langdon’s check for $12,500 plus Twain’s $2,500 went toward the down payment with Langdon guaranteeing the balance.

August 14 Saturday – At the law offices of Bowen & Rogers, 28 Erie Street, papers were signed on the purchase of Sam’s one-third interest in the Buffalo Express, 14 East Swan Street [Reigstad 37]. Note: see pictures of the Express building in Reigstad 40-41.

August 15 Sunday – Sam officially became a writing editor of the Express, offering sketches and editorials. This began a period of eighteen months in Buffalo that marked a transition from sometime journalist to celebrated author.

Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss, and Whitelaw Reid about his new book:

August 16 Monday – Lydia Thompson’s Blonde Burlesque Troupe opened this evening at the Academy of Music in Buffalo. “A standing-room-only throng at the opera house waited three hours for the featured sparring exhibition between Ned ‘The Irish Giant’ O’Baldwin and Mike McCoole to finally begin” [Reigstad 35]. Did Clemens attend this performance of the Blondes? Perhaps. He must have seen it sometime because he published a story on the act in the Express on Feb. 28, 1870.

August 17 Tuesday – “Removal of the Capital,” attributed to Sam, ran in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 7]. Note: see also Feb. 16, 1864.

August 18 Wednesday – “Lady Byron – Mrs. Stowe’s Revelations,” attributed to Sam, ran in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 8].

August 19 Thursday – “Inspired Humor,” attributed to Sam, ran in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 9].

From the Buffalo Express “People and Things Columns” by Mark Twain:

·       One of those venerable parties, a pre-Adamite man, has been dug up from a depth of ninety-eight feet, in Alabama. He was of prodigious stature, and is supposed by savans to have existed twelve thousand years ago. Life was entirely extinct when they got him out.