August 15 Saturday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Frank Fuller. Sam had been offered a lecture in Pittsburgh for $100 in November. Fuller had become a part owner in a New York rubber goods business, which produced condoms and other items.
“Please forward one dozen Odorless Rubber Cundrums—I don’t mind them being odorless—I can supply the odor myself. I would like to have your picture on them” [MTL 2: 240].
August 17 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Mary Mason Fairbanks.
“It is very late—been writing a letter to Chicago Republican. Shall leave for New York tomorrow. Shall be there 3 to 5 days. Then shall spend a few days with the other cub in Elmira—& then both of us will go to Cleveland to see the old bear” [MTL 2: 241].
August 18 Tuesday – Sam was in New York City, at least in the morning at the Everett House, and probably went to see Moses Beach in Brooklyn to look at his collection of photographs in order to select some for inclusion in Innocents Abroad. (See Aug. 25 to Bliss.)
August 18–20 Thursday – Sam took a short trip to Poughkeepsie, New York, where he was an overnight guest at a summer outing in Sunny Brook, the country home of Moses S. Beach, then owner of the New York Sun. (See Aug.
August 21 Friday – Sam left New York City by train for Elmira, New York to visit the Langdon family. In route, Sam telegraphed Charles Langdon. Sam took a train named the “Cannon Ball,” thinking it would be faster, but it turned out to be the 10 AM local, which would not have reached Elmira until midnight. Langdon traveled to Waverly, about fifteen miles from Elmira to meet Sam en route.
August 22 Saturday – Sam arrived in Elmira the night before and now could see what a huge mansion the Langdons lived in. The Elmira Daily Advertiser announced Sam had achieved “great notoriety” and expressed hope he would lecture in the city; he did not until Nov. 23 [MTL 2: 243n1].
August 23 Sunday –– Sam’s fifth and last LETTER FROM MARK TWAIN, dated Aug.17 from New York City ran in the Chicago Republican and included: “ONE OR TWO CALIFORNIA ITEMS,” “A Railroad Mint – What the Legend Says,” “A GENUINE OLD SALT,” “PERSONAL,” and:
Hartford
August 24 and 25, 1868 Tuesday
August 24 and 25 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to his mother, Jane Clemens and family about his plans to stay with the Langdon family:
“…a week or two…This is the pleasantest family I ever knew. I only have one trouble, & that is that they give too much thought & too much time & invention to the object of making my visit pass delightfully” [MTL 2: 243-4].
August 25 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Elisha Bliss:
Friend Bliss— [the usual way Sam addressed friendly business associates]
I am here, enjoying myself royally. Haven’t any desire to shorten my visit. I am getting acquainted with everybody. Shall be here nearly two weeks yet. My address will be printed on this envelope.
August 26 to September 7, 1868
August 26 to September 7 – Sam had not intended to stay with the Langdons so long, but Charles had taken over the business in his father’s absence and could not go on to Cleveland with Sam until Jervis Langdon’s return. Sam did not want to visit Cleveland without his fellow “cub,” so spent days with Mrs. Langdon, Livy and their houseguest, cousin Hattie Lewis, while Charles finished his work.
August 3 Monday – Sam wrote from New York to Mary Mason Fairbanks:
“I knew that dog would die. I knew perfectly well you had invoked a fatal disaster for him when you gave him my name. He received all my sins along with the name, perhaps, & no dog could survive that” [MTL 2: 238].
August 4 Tuesday – Sam took the train to Hartford, Conn. to work with Bliss on publishing Innocents Abroad for the next two weeks [Sanborn 400; Powers, MT A Life 241]. Sam would spend two weeks discussing the book and tightening the manuscript.
July 30 Thursday – The delay with Bliss was fortuitous for Sam. The New York Tribune commissioned Sam to write an article “The Treaty with China,” which was an explanation of the treaty and a collaboration with Anson Burlingame and J. McLeavy Brown, secretary of the Chinese mission, both of whom had arrived at the Westminster, also on July 29.
November – George Routledge & Sons, later Sam’s authorized British publisher, published Sam’s story, “Cannibalism in the Cars” in an English journal, Broadway: A London Magazine [Wilson 15]. Note: George Routledge (1812-1888); Edmund Routledge (1843-1899); Robert Warne Routledge (1837?-1899).
November 3 Tuesday – Sam made social calls in NYC to a friend of Livy’s, Fidele (Mrs. Henry) Brooks (b.1837), and to longtime Hannibal friends of the family, the George Washington Wiley (b.1813?) family. He ate dinner there and walked back to the Everett House, some 28 blocks in “weather cold as the mischief” [MTL 2: 278].
November 4 Wednesday – Sam wrote from New York to his mother of his visit to the Wiley home the day before, and on a visit this day to another Hannibal family acquaintance, Mrs. Garth in Brooklyn, mother of John H. Garth (1837-1899), whose pretty wife, Helen Kercheval (1838-1923), had been a schoolmate of Sam’s. Sam had hoped to see John and Helen but they had moved to Baltimore [MTL 2: 279; Sanborn 408-9].
November 7 or 8 Sunday – Sam again called on the Wiley family, since George Wiley had not been able to spend more than a few minutes with him the prior Tuesday. Sam confessed his love for Livy, who was “quite an invalid” and “unfortunately very rich.” Sam told George he had proposed at least a dozen times. George asked Sam if he was crazy.
November 7 Saturday – Sam’s article “Private Habits of Horace Greeley” was printed in Spirit of the Times [Camfield, bibliog.]. This was a weekly newspaper published in New York City, which aimed for an upper-class readership made up largely of sportsmen. The Spirit also contained humorous articles, much of it based on frontier folklore. Theatre news was also a major component. Emerson calls the Greeley article “one of the funniest pieces yet written,” and “good-natured fun” [56].
October 11 Sunday – Mrs. Elisha Bliss introduced Sam to Rev. Joseph Hopkins Twichell (1838-1918) at the home of one of Twichell’s congregation [MTL 2: 269n4]. From Paine’s account of the meeting:
He returned to Hartford to look after the progress of his book. Some of it was being put into type, and with his mechanical knowledge of such things he was naturally interested in the process.
October 12 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Mary Mason Fairbanks. Sam seemed anxious to reassure Mary that his lecture on the excursion would not be objectionable to her, and justified scattering “preposterous yarns” throughout the lecture [MTL 2: 262-5].
October 13 Tuesday – Harmony Twichell invited Sam to the Twichell parsonage for Wednesday tea [MTL 2: 267]. Note: Mrs. Twichell was usually called Harmony; daughter also Harmony.
October 14 Wednesday – Sam spent the night at the Twichell residence, talking until 11 PM.
October 15 Thursday – Sam wrote from Hartford to George L. Hutchings (1842?-1937), chairman of the Clayonian Society of Newark, New Jersey, stating his lecture terms and subject [MTL 5: 682].
October 16 Friday – The contract between Samuel Clemens and the American Publishing Co. for the publication of Innocents Abroad was dated this day [MTL 2: 230n5].
October 17 Saturday – Sam returned to Joseph Twichell’s parsonage to carry home books, which the pastor loaned him [MTL 2: 267].