June 15 Tuesday – John Russell Young had resigned from the New York Tribune, and Whitelaw Reid (1837-1912) took on Young’s duties in mid-May 1869. Sam wrote from New York to Reid.

June 16 Wednesday –Sam left New York for the Hooker-Day wedding in Hartford.

June 17 Thursday – Sam, Livy and Jervis Langdon attended the wedding of Livy’s childhood friend, Alice Hooker to John Calvin Day [Willis 50]. Livy and her parents left Hartford on June 21 and New York on June 22. Livy spent three days visiting with Fidele Brooks [MTL 3: 267n5].

June 21 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Livy the day she left Hartford with her family.

“I don’t think I shall accomplish anything by tarrying here, & so I shall be in New York tomorrow evening” [MTL 3: 265-6]. Note: Sam had talked to Charles Dudley Warner about part ownership of the Hartford Courant, but the results were negative.

June 22 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield, (Mass.) Daily Republican asking if he would sell part interest in the paper. Sam went to New York and arrived at 5 PM. He then went to Fidele Brooks’ home, where Livy was visiting and stayed until 10 PM [MTL 3: 268].

 June 23 Wednesday – Sam wrote from the Everett House in New York City to Livy’s mother, Olivia Lewis Langdon. Sam told Livy’s mother all was well with her daughter. He spent from 11 AM until 2 PM at the Brooks’ home [MTL 3: 268-9].

June 24 Thursday – Sam and Livy probably spent the day together, shopping and visiting the Academy of Design.

June 25 Friday – Sam and Livy returned to Elmira [MTL 3: 277n2].

Sam’s mother wrote him hell about sending his trunks but not yet visiting [MTL 3: 277n4].

June 26 Saturday – Sam wrote from Elmira to his mother, and sister Pamela. Sam notified them that he’d shipped his trunk and valise from New York on June 24. Between June 23 and 26 Sam had received word from Abel Fairbanks raising the amount for only one quarter of the Cleveland Herald, and Sam expressed doubts that he would work out a deal with them.

July – Sam’s article, “Mark Twain’s Eulogy on the Reliable Contraband” ran in the July issue of Packard’s Monthly [Camfield, bibliog.].

July 3? Saturday – Sam wrote from Elmira to his brother Orion Clemens. Sam conveyed Jervis Langdon’s offer to buy the Tennessee Land for $20,000 cash and $10,000 canal stock [MTL 3: 279-80]. (See July 7 entry).

July 5 Monday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Mary Mason Fairbanks with excuses why he had not yet come to Cleveland. He was writing next winter’s lecture; he “unexpectedly got aground here,” etc. [MTL 3: 280-1]. Sam had been away from Livy for a few weeks, and it’s most likely that he simply did not want to leave again so soon.

July 7 Wednesday – Orion replied to Sam’s July 3? Letter:

[Jervis Langdon] must not buy blindfold, or until he sends his Memphis agent there to examine….Neither you nor Ma nor Pamela know anything about the land….I have laboriously investigated the titles, localities and qualities and I would put its present value at about five thousand dollars, though Ma and Pamela would not be willing to take that.

July 9 Friday – Sam, still in Elmira, responded to a letter from James Redpath and agreed to lecture in Boston [MTL 3: 282].

July 12 Monday – In Elmira, Sam wrote to Elisha Bliss, complimenting the promotional circular for IA and requesting that some be sent to his agent, James Redpath [MTL 3: 283].

Elisha Bliss wrote to Clemens.

Yours rec’d. Our Pros will be out in 2 or 3 days We are binding books also. We have deemed it best not to open our batteries right in the heat of haying

July 14 Wednesday – David R. Locke (Petroleum V. Nasby) wrote from Toledo, Ohio .

July 15 Thursday – Sam went to Buffalo, New York and on to Cleveland to investigate and negotiate an interest in the Cleveland Herald with Abel Fairbanks. Note: Sam would purchase a third interest in The Buffalo Express. Jervis Langdon would loan Sam half of the $25,000 needed to purchase the interest.

July 16–20 Tuesday – Sam returned from Cleveland to Elmira during this period, after Abel Fairbanks increased the purchase price for a share of the Herald [MTL 3: 287n2].

July 17 Saturday – Frank Bliss wrote to Sam, sending “a very few of the circulars all that we have today…we send a few to Redpath…will send more in a short time” [MTP].

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: