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.
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 1869 to January 21, 1870 Lecture Tour: At least 49 engagements under the management of James Redpath (All but Brookville and Johnstown are listed courtesy of Barbara Schmidt’s TwainQuotes website, designated as [Schmidt].)
Sometime during this period Clemens wrote to an unidentified man, his photo enclosed:
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 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].