Life in Buffalo: Day By Day

November, mid – Sam, visited unannounced the offices of The Atlantic Monthly at 124 Tremont Street in Boston to thank the unsigned reviewer of Innocents Abroad for a very positive review. This is the famous first meeting between William Dean Howells (who wrote the review) and Sam Clemens. Sam first saw James T. Fields, who had hired Howells.

November 16 Tuesday – Sam finished the letter to Livy. Later that evening he lectured in Holyoke, Mass.  

Livy Darling—

November 17 Wednesday – Sam lectured in Gothic Hall, Danvers, Mass. [MTPO].

November 19 Friday – In Boston prior to his lecture, Sam wrote to Mary Mason Fairbanks.

November 20 Saturday – Sam wrote from Boston to James K. Medbery, declining to write a Christmas book for the American Literary Bureau [MTL 3: 400].

November 23 Tuesday – Sam lectured (“Savages”) in Allyn Hall, Hartford, Conn. The Hartford Courant (Nov. 25, p2) review summarized both traditional the traditional lecture audience “class” and expectations, and Sam’s unique “conversational” approach which mixed both serious and comedic:

November 24–25 Thursday – Sam wrote late from Hartford to Livy, who was in New York City at the St. Nicholas Hotel with her father, sister Susan Crane, and John Slee and wife making wedding preparations.

November 25 Thursday – George L. Fall, partner of James Redpath, sent Sam another lecture schedule for December with 16 cities [MTP].

November 26 Friday – Sam lectured in an unidentified town, as cited by his letter to Livy the next day.

November 27 Saturday – Olivia Louise Langdon’s 24th birthday, her last as a single woman. Sam wrote her a short note from Boston: “Had a big house last night, as usual. Didn’t make a brilliant success otherwise, though.” The town has not been identified [MTL 3: 410].

November 28 Sunday – Sam wrote from Boston to Livy about her 24th and his 34th birthday:

“I have kept the day alone, my darling—we will keep it together hereafter, God willing. My own birthday comes Tuesday, & I must keep that alone also, but it don’t matter—I’ve had had considerable practice in that” [MTL 3: 413].

November 29 Monday – Sam lectured (“Savages”)  in the Congregational Church, Newtonville, Mass. Though Sam did not like lecturing in churches as he felt it more difficult for the audience to laugh, the Newton Journal however, reported that Sam “elicited shouts of laughter” [MTL 3: 414n2].

Sam wrote from Boston to Livy, sending his schedule [MTL 3: 415].

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].

December 1 Wednesday – Sam lectured (“Savages”)  for Brooklyn Library Society, at the Bedford Avenue Reformed Church, Brooklyn, New York. Sam’s lecture schedule allowed him to spend most of Dec. 1 to 6 with Livy in New York City [MTL 3: 428n1].

December – William Dean Howells published a very positive review of IA in the Atlantic Monthly:

“It is no business of ours to fix his rank among the humorists California has given us, but we think he is, in an entirely different way from all the others, quite worthy of the company of the best.”

December 3 Friday – Sam lectured  (“Savages”) in Collingwood’s Opera House, Poughkeepsie, New York.

Sam wrote from Brooklyn, New York to the editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, that a “misunderstanding” had resulted in canceling his second Brooklyn lecture [MTL 3: 417].

“The Richardson Murder,” an unsigned article attributed to Sam, was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 101].

December 4 Saturday – Sam telegraphed from New York to James Redpath about the “infernal mite society, a pure charity speculation” and the mix-up for the second Brooklyn lecture [MTL 3: 418]. Note: this in reply to the following Redpath telegram sent to the home of Henry and Fidele Brooks:

“Please see Miss Wason, Brooklyn.

December 6 Monday – Sam’s article “MARK TWAIN’S IDEA OF A GOOD LETTER” was reprinted in the Grass Valley, California, Daily National. Sam’s niece, Annie Moffett’s letter was the object of Sam’s admiration [Fatout, MT Speaks 58-9].

William F. West, Horatio C. King & Lorin Palmer wrote:

Dear Sir,

December 7 Tuesday – Sam lectured (“Savages”) in Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pa. [MTL 3: 414n1].

George L. Fall, partner of James Redpath, wrote to Sam with upcoming lecture details [MTP].

December 8 Wednesday – Sam lectured (“Savages”) in Lincoln Hall, Washington, D. C. [MTL 3: 415].

December 9 Thursday – Sam lectured (“Savages”) in Germantown, Pa. [MTL 3: 415].

December 10 Friday – Sam lectured (“Savages”) in Mount Vernon, New York [MTL 3: 415].

December 11 Saturday – Sam lectured (“Savages”) in Town Hall, West Meriden, Conn. [MTL 3: 415].

“Around the World Letter No. 4” was printed in the Buffalo Express. The article included humorous sketches on the early days in California [McCullough 108].

December 13 Monday – Sam lectured (“Savages”) in Union Hall, New Britain, Conn. [MTL 3: 415].

December 14 Tuesday – Sam lectured (“Savages”) in Warren, Mass. [MTL 3: 415].