Mark Twain is in Buffalo and feels he will no longer need to take to the platform.
To James Redpath
10 May 1870 • Elmira, N.Y.
Friend Redpath,—
I guess I am out of the field permanently. I am sending off these circulars to all lecture applicants now. If you want some more of them I can send them to you—for they are very convenient for you to mail to people save penmanship.
Midwest Lecture Tour – Visits to Elmira & Hartford – Sam & Livy Engaged
Sam Met William Dean Howells – Innocents Abroad a Great Success
Buffalo Newspaper Purchased with Jervis Langdon’s help – Grueling Lecture Schedule
1869 – Sometime during the year Clemens took out a $10,000 life insurance policy with Continental
Life Ins. Co of Hartford [MTP]. Note: see June 16, 1877.
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.
Your splendid letter has arrived, & I confess I owe you one. I was in an awful sweat when I wrote you,
for everything seemed going wrong end foremost with me. I had just got mad with the Cleveland
Herald folks & broken off all further negotiations for a purchase, & so I let you & some others have
the benefit of my ill nature. But that is all gone by, & now we will smoke the pipe of peace & bury the
November – Sometime during the month (probably in the first half), G.M. Baker of Boston made a formal group photograph of Sam, Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw 1818-1885) and Petroleum V. Nasby (David Ross Locke 1833-1888) [MTP].
November 1 Monday – Sam gave his “Savages lecture in Pittsburgh, Pa., Academy of Music [MTPO].
Elisha Bliss wrote: “We want to pay up. Shall we forward statement & check to you at Elmira or await
your arrival here?…Can’t you send us list of engagements so far made. … Are you married? We hear of it
so often & have contradicted it…Post us up!” [MTP].
James Redpath wrote a one liner: “we have nothing between second and eighth” [MTP].
November 2 Tuesday – Sam lectured in Brookville, Pennsylvania – As reported by the Pittsburgh
Gazette [MTL 3: 385].
November 3 Wednesday – Sam lectured in Johnstown, Pennsylvania [MTL 3: 385].
Note: It is possible that Sam did not speak in Brookville or Johnstown – more newspaper evidence might
confirm. Letters Sam wrote Livy between Nov. 6 and 9 (Livy’s numbers 129-132) are lost [MTL 3: 391n4].