Manitou Mansion
Manitou, Col
June 29th 1875

Dear Sam,

I suppose you will be surprised to hear from me in this part of the world, but I have been away from home now much of the time for the past three years, trying to get rid of the catarrh, and a bronchial trouble the result of the catarrh, that I am annoyed with.  I have been here since last November and although the climate is a fine one I am sure it does not suit my complaint, it is too dry and the altitude too great for catarrh.  So I am thinking some of going this fall to the Sandwich Islands, and wishing to learn something of their climate and attractions.  I thought I would write write you, knowing that you having lived there some time could and would tell me truly about them.
I have been lied to so much about the climate of different places, that as a last resort I come to you for the truth, for being aware of your great love of veracity, from the many lectures you have in times gone by given me upon lying, I am sure I shall have it.  I understand the climate is very fine and the temperature very even; I but will wait until I hear from you before forming any conclusions.
Do you know Sam, I think next to the Bible, the “Innocents Abroad” has been in America, more universally read than any other book ever published.  It don’t make any difference where I go, and I am always particular not to say any thing about it; people are always sure to find out that I am the Jack of the Innocents, and from that time forth my reputation in that place is established, and I have to spin more stories than is expected of any old salt.  I have seen the book in logging camps in Wisconsin & Minnesota, in mining camps in Colorado, in the farm houses of the North-west, and the ranches of this land of grasshoppers.  Where ever I have been during my wanderings of the past three years, the story of the trip of the Innocents, although a thing of nearly many years ago, is fresh in the minds of the people from the humblest to the greatest.  I am now at Manitou Springs, it is a beautiful spot, and much of the scenery about here is wonderfully grand.  There are three good hotels here, two of them much better in every respect than the houses at nine tenths of our eastern watering places.  The Mansion where I am stopping is an elegant house, it was built last year and this spring was newly furnished and carpet through the whole building, it is ahead of of any summer hotel that I was ever in.  I think of remaining here for a month or two longer and will then probably leave for California.  I am with a very nice party of ladies who are here for the health of two of their number, two of them are married and the whole party, five ladies and including myself three gentlemen will probably go to California and the Sandwich Islands together, it will make it much pleasanter for me than going alone, as they are real jolly nice people, and we have very good times together.  I have heard nothing of your movements lately but suppose you are living comfortably at home in Hartford with your family, and I quite envy you. I am getting heartily tired of wandering about and am looking anxiously forward to the time when my health will become sufficiently improved to enable me to return home with the hope of remaining there for a good long time.  I hear occasionally from and about different members of the old Quaker City party and it always gives me real pleasure to learn about them, taking it all together the trip to me looking back at it through seven years of time was a grand success, and I expect it will be a long long time before I pass another as pleasant a six months as those I spent on the “Grand Excursion to the Holy Land.”  But now for a time I must say good bye.  Hoping that this will find you and yours in good health and that I may hear from you before very long.  I remain
Very truly your friend

“Jack Van Nostrand to SLC, 29 June 1875 · Manitou, Colo., (UCLC 32191).” In Mark Twain Project Online. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press. 2007.

This is a transcription of a PDF copy of the letter.  The actual letter is in the possession of the Bancroft Library.