Day By Day Dates

December 24 Saturday – Sam’s article, “A Sad, Sad Business,” which also appeared in the January 1871 edition of the Galaxy, was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 277].

December 25 Sunday – Christmas – In Buffalo, Sam wrote a Merry Christmas note to Eunice Ford about her great-grandson, Langdon [MTL 4: 285].

December 26 Monday – In Buffalo, Sam wrote a letter of regret to decline an invitation from Alfred B. Crandell and Other Members of the Farmers’ Club to speak at a Jan. 5, 1871 dinner at the Metropolitan Hotel in New York City [MTL 4: 286].

December 28 Wednesday – Elisha Bliss wrote to Sam.

December 29 Thursday – Wrote to Sam: Elisha Bliss wrote: “I send the contracts, one a copy of the one you signed, the other a short one for sketch book—comprehensive enough for all purposes. … I mention your altering the old sketches a little to secure a new copyright on them. Would it not be a good plan. You know best, but if you don’t do it some scallawag may run us opposition you know… [MTP].

December 31 Saturday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Whitelaw Reid sending an article Sam wrote on the controversial John H. Surratt (1844-1916), son of the woman who was hanged for her part in Lincoln’s assassination (engaging in the conspiracy and running the boarding house where John Wilkes Booth planned the crime). Sam argued that by persecuting Surratt, his lecture managers would use that to increase his fame.

Bored with Buffalo – Bret Harte on Top – Elmira Stay – Joe Goodman Boost - New York & Washington – Hartford House Hunting – Nook Farm Rental - Eastern Lecture Tour – Thomas Bailey Aldrich –Elastic Garment Strap - “Sociable Jimmy”— Roughing It Published

January – In the Galaxy for this month – MARK TWAIN’S MEMORANDA – Included:

“The Portrait”
“The Facts in the Case of George Fisher, Deceased”
“A ‘Forty-niner’ ”
“Doggerel”
“Goldsmith’s Friend Abroad Again, Letter VII”
“Mean People”
“A Sad, Sad Business”
“Concerning a Rumor”
“Agassiz” [Schmidt].

January 1 Sunday – James T. Fields announced his retirement as editor-in-chief of the Atlantic. William Dean Howells took over the job of the faltering publication. From a peak of 50,000 circulation, the Atlantic fell to 35,000 in 1870 after the publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s attack on Lord Byron for adultery.

January 2 Monday – Laura E. Lyman (Kate Hunnibee) wrote on NY Tribune notepaper [MTP].. She wrote the “Home Interest” column. Basically a fan letter in praise of IA.

January 3 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Joseph Twichell, praising Charles Dudley Warner’s new book, My Summer in a Garden [MTL 4: 294].

He also wrote to Elisha Bliss about the proposed pamphlet, the sketchbook and Roughing It, which Sam planned to be out by August. It wasn’t published until Feb. 1872 [MTL 4: 295].

January 4 Wednesday – Elisha Bliss wrote to Sam:

Have not heard from you for some time—am anxious for your safety—let us know how you are. &c—& how goes the latter. Have looked for advt. of your pamphlet also. Your brother & myself have expected to see it advertised. What is the trouble? Did you get my contracts sent? / Our paper gets on now just perfectly, & will be out by & by, in good shape I think [MTP].

January 6? Friday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to John M.

January 7 Saturday – Clemens was elected to membership in the elite Buffalo Club. He resigned his membership two months after leaving Buffalo [Reigstad 187-188]. Note: William G. Fargo was president of the club.

In “The Literature of the United States in 1870,” the Athenæum, p.15, briefly mentioned IA, but gave higher plaudits to Bret Harte for The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Sketches [Tenney 3-4].

January 9 Monday – John M. Hay wrote from the Astor House in NYC to Sam; the letter was sent with another of Jan. 14.

“My Dear Mr Clemens / I owe you many thanks for your kind letter. I think the pilot is a much more appropriate and picturesque personage and should certainly have used him except for the fact that I knew Jim Bludso and he was an engineer and did just what I said…” [MTL 4: 299]. Note: see the rest of the letter in source.

January 11 Wednesday – Cleveland, Ohio. Sam attended the evening wedding of Alice Fairbanks and William H. Gaylord at the Fairbanks’ home [MTL 4: 302n1].

January 12 Thursday – Sam wrote at 1 AM from Cleveland, Ohio to Livy about the Fairbanks-Gaylord wedding. “About four to six or seven hundred people have asked after your & the cub’s health & the latter’s progress” [MTL 4: 301].

January 13 Friday – Sam visited the new Fairbanks’ home, which had been built after the two fires in 1869. The new place was called “Fair Banks” [MTL 4: 302n5]. He left Cleveland to return home to Buffalo.

January 14 Saturday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Charles Henry Webb.

“I dissent. I made up my mind solidly day before yesterday that I would draw out of the Galaxy with the April No. & write no more for any periodical—except, at long intervals a screed that I happened to dearly want to write” [MTL 4: 302].

January 15 Sunday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to the Editor of Every Saturday, Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836-1907), setting him straight that the poem “Three Aces” run in the Express Dec. 3, 1870 over the byline “Carl Byng was not Twain’s. Aldrich complained in the Jan.

January 18 Wednesday – Isaac E. Sheldon wrote to Sam: “Yours of the 15th just at hand / We will get out the book just as soon as possible. The stereotypers have delayed us.” He included more publishing details for A Burlesque Autobiography [MTP].

January 19 Thursday – Isaac E. Sheldon wrote to Sam: “I send you by this mail 8 or 10 pages of print. / I think that you will like the page” [MTP]

January 21 Saturday – Isaac E. Sheldon wrote to Sam: “Why do you not return the proof sent to you some days since? I fear that it may not have reached you” [MTP].

C.F. Sterling wrote from Birmingham, Conn. to Sam.

January 22 Sunday – Sam wrote from Buffalo, again to Thomas Bailey Aldrich, asking that he not print the paragraph sent on Jan. 15. Aldrich replied on Jan. 25 that it was too late; that the note and his apology had been printed on 42,000 copies of the next edition [MTL 4: 305].

January 24 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss.