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].
November 30 Tuesday – Sam’s 34th birthday. He lectured (“Savages”) in Thompsonville, Conn.
James Redpath wrote to advise Sam that Mr. Alfred Reed extended his hospitality for the stop in Trenton, and had increased the fee to $100 [MTP].
November 30 Wednesday – Sam’s 35th birthday. Bliss wrote Sam the facts of life about publishing—but said if he wanted 10% then he could have it, but it would leave Bliss very little profit. It was a very civil give and take. “Will this suit you? Aint it fair?” about the diamond book [MTL 4: 253n2].
John Henry Riley wrote to Sam.
November 4 Friday – Sam wrote to John Henry Riley, letter not extant but referred to in Riley’s Nov. 22.
November 5 Saturday – Sam’s article, “A Reminiscence of the Back Settlements,” which had appeared in the November issue of the Galaxy, was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 248].
November 6 Sunday – Whitelaw Reid wrote to ask Sam if he knew of some person who “can send us good dispatches on election night” [MTP].
November 7 to 13, 1869 Saturday
November 7 to 13 Saturday – sometime during this week Horatio G. Smith of Boston photographed Clemens with Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) and Petroleum V. Nasby (David Ross Locke) and titled the photo “American Humorists” [MTL 3: 406, 408n10]. The “V” for “Vesuvius.”
November 7 Monday – Olivia gave birth to a boy, Langdon Clemens, a month premature, four and a half pounds at 11 AM. Sam telegraphed from Buffalo to Olivia Lewis Langdon, Livy’s mother: “mother & child doing well…Fairbanks is coming” [MTL 4: 225].
Olivia Lewis Langdon telegraphed congratulations: “The Mothers and Grandmas blessing on mother and child” [MTP].
November 8 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to James Redpath, about the birth of Langdon, who Sam claimed had gone lecturing already on the subject of “Milk,” after a lecture by the name of “Milk and Natral Histry” by Josh Billings [MTL 4: 227].
November 9 Tuesday – Sam lectured in Harrington’s Opera House, Providence, Rhode Island. Sam spoke to 1,800 there and later wrote: “Gave good satisfaction.” He wrote from Boston to his sister Pamela:
November 9 Wednesday – Baby Langdon’s condition became critical, most likely from complications of premature birth. He improved after Nov. 11 [MTL 4: 231n5].
Clara Spaulding wrote from Elmira congratulations on “Baby Clemens” to Livy & Sam [MTP].
November 1 1869 to January 21, 1870
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:
“All right—will smoke with you, if Redpath can arrange a night that will suit all around. Confound that ferry!” [MTPO: Sales catalog, Thomas R. Madigan, 1935, item 67].
October 1 Friday – “Engineer Griffin,” attributed to Sam, appeared in the Express [McCullough 60].
October 1 Saturday – Sam’s article, “At the President’s Reception,” which had appeared in the October issue of the Galaxy, was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 229].
October 10? Monday – Sam wrote to Ainsworth R. Spofford, on his “Fortifications of Paris” map which ran in the Buffalo Express Sat. Sept. 17:
Mr. Spofford, could I get you to preserve this work of art among the geographical treasures of the Congressional Library?
Yrs Truly
Mark Twain.
October 11 Monday – Sam wrote from Elmira to the California Pioneers regretfully passing on their invitation to a banquet at Delmonico’s in New York City. About 200 Californians had traveled across country from Sacramento a week before [MTL 3: 371-2].
October 11 Tuesday – Robert Shelton Mackenzie (1809-1881), editor of the Phila. Press wrote: “You will see by the enclosed, which I had much pleasure in writing, as far as your book [IA] is concerned, that you are somewhat appreciated in our Quaker City. / Yours…” [MTP]. MacKenzie’s review is in the file; it praises Twain as “one of the three great living American prose humorists” the others being Harte and Oliver Wendell Holmes.
October 13 Thursday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Mary Mason Fairbanks. Mary’s daughter Alice (“Alie”) was engaged. Sam wanted Mary to visit. Charles Langdon had married Ida B. Clark on Oct. 12, but Sam was too busy to go and Livy was unable [MTL 4: 208-9].
Sam also wrote Elisha Bliss:
October 14 Thursday – Sam’s letter to the California Pioneers of Oct. 11 ran in the New York Tribune [Camfield, bibliog.].
October 15 Saturday – “Mark Twain – His Map and Fortifications of Paris” was reprinted in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 238].
October 16 Saturday – “Around the World – Letter No.1” dated Oct. 10 ran in the Buffalo Express. “I am just starting out on a pleasure trip around the globe, by proxy.” Charley and Professor Darius Ford’s trip was to be coordinated and written up by Sam.
October 18 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Frank Church, editor of Galaxy. Sam sent a doodled “portrait” of King William of Prussia, parodying the use of portraits in the magazine [MTL 4: 210].
October – The text of an interview with ex-Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton and Secretary of State Hamilton Fish, and Attorney General Brown. The supposed discussion was the Alabama uestion, but Sam was present and wrote the real discussion was about the most effective way to remove warts. Attributed to Twain in the Oct. 1869 issue of Wood’s Household Magazine [Tenney 162; Neider, MT Life as I Find It 36-7; Gale 409].
October – In the Galaxy for this month – MARK TWAIN’S MEMORANDA – Included:
“The Reception at the President’s”
“Goldsmith’s Friend Abroad Again, Letters I – IV”
“Curious Relic For Sale”
“Science vs. Luck”
“Favors from Correspondents”
Short miscellaneous items – includes items on Obituary, Johnny Skae, Baby, How Is This for High?, Obituary, Some Other Favors [Schmidt].
October 19 Tuesday – “Mark Twain – His Greetings to the California Pioneers of 1849” was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 71].