Tyringham Day By Day

November 24 Thursday – In Lee Mass. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Tabitha “Puss” Greening (Quarles) in Palmyra, Mo. that Sam was in New York but had said he was sorry for her “sad loss” and asked Lyon to send the enclosed check for $25 to help with funeral expenses [MTP]. Note: Greening had written on Nov. 19, letter in the Vassar collection, but not listed by MTPO.

November 25 Friday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Lee, Mass.

November 26 Saturday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote thanks to an unidentified man.

“I hardly need to say that your letter has given me great pleasure—you would know that,yourself—& I thank you very very much” [MTP].

Harper’s Weekly in “A Constant Reader,” ran “The God of Battles,” p. 1814. Tenney: “Incorrectly ascribes to MT a letter in the previous issue. Also, p. 1820, a brief MT anecdote on an occasion when he missed his steamboat and made no excuse in his report: ‘My boat left at 7.20. I arrived at the wharf at 7.35 and could not catch it’” [39].

November 27 Sunday – In N.Y.C. Sam inscribed Hillcrest Edition sets of his books to daughters Clara and Jean. Only two volumes to Jean are given by MTP. The set to Clara was sold by Sotheby’s auction, Apr. 13, 2004, Lot 27, for $96,000. Like the two sets with aphorisms given on Oct. 29, 1904 to William R. Coe and William F. Benjamin (H.H. Rogers’ son-in-laws), Sam used mostly maxims from FE, “Puddn’head Wilson’s New Calendar” (in Clara’s set, nineteen of 23 aphorisms were from FE) [MTP].

November 3 Thursday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Andrew Carnegie.

In our sad circumstances I am not privileged to be present Nov. 22d , but I greatly want to renew the acquaintanceship with Mr. Morley, & I would like to come some time—in the day or in the evening—& see him & the Carnegie’s when there is an absence of formal company.

Does such a time happen—in your house?

November 4 Friday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.

November 5 Saturday – Charlotte Graham Toler wrote from London to Sam. She had seen the letter Clemens wrote her brother, and was “infinitely touched” by his reference to her sister and herself. She offered condolences and expressed gratitude he was taking up the Congo matter, since Roger Casement, who had prepared the Congo report, was “a great friend of ours” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “My tin box / sisters of.”

November 6 Sunday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Susan Crane.

November 7 Monday – Clara Clemens was back in N.Y.C. at Dr. Parry’s on 69 Street. The doctor had ordered complete isolation for her for one year, all except the nurse and doctor. Sam went to say a long goodbye [Nov. 9 to MacAlister; Nov. 10 or 11 to Doubleday].

Yuran writes of Clara’s removal to Norfolk, Conn. and gives us a letter dated Nov. 7, 1904 to her father. “In a letter with the heading ‘Clara goes into vanishment’… there is a handwritten note documenting that it was ‘written on the way to Norfolk, CT where Clara went for a rest cure.’ She wrote to her father:”

November 8 Tuesday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam inscribed a copy of A Dog’s Tale to The Guild of St. Elizabeth: “To / The Guild of St. Elizabeth / from a friend. / Mark Twain / We cannot all be as good & sweet & lovely as a good dog, but we can all try. / M.T. / Nov. 8, 1904” [MTP].

November 9 Wednesday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to John Y. MacAlister in London, sharing his plans for him and his staff to occupy the remodeled house on Fifth Avenue, and offhandedly mentioning what the Plasmon Co. had cost him: It is very good news you give me (along with the £350) about Plasmon. The American Co got my $32,500—the whole of it. Let it go. Davis sails for England a fortnight hence. He will tell you all about the sharp game that was played, & the result of it.

October 10 Monday – Edmund Dene Morel, co-founder of the English Congo Reform Assoc. first wrote to Sam. Morel announced that he was sending by express messenger a packet of Congo literature: “…it includes …a special copy of the Memorial, which I would like you to keep and show to any friends as a document of perhaps unique historical interest…” [Gribben 472: MTP].

October 12 Wednesday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Isabel V. Lyon in Lee, Mass. to address all Harper letters to “Col. Harvey, Personal”, and never to send them to another.

October 13 Thursday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Charles J. Langdon.

Dear Charley— / Will you attend to this? It is Livy’s Texas land. I think you took the papers & kindly offered to look after it for her.

I dined with Julie & Edward last night, & had a delightful time. Julie profoundly touched me (even to moisture in the eyes) with her charming tale of “Mark Twains Rule.”

I send my love to you all, & welcome-home to the Idas.

October 14 Friday – Ralph W. Ashcroft wrote two letters on Koy-Lo Co. letterhead to Sam. The company was connected with The International Spiral Pin Co. “In accordance with our conversation over the ‘phone yesterday, while you were in Mr. Rogers’ office, I have offered the $2,000. of shares in International Sprial Pin co. to Mr. Stanchfield, and he has accepted them. / This, therefore, cancels the option extended to you on them.”

October 15 Saturday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam began a reply to Edmund Dene Morel’s Oct. 10 letter (originally Georges Eduard Pierre Achille Morel de Ville) (1873-1924) British journalist, author and socialist politician. He collaborated with Roger Casement, the English Congo Reform Associaton and others and in newspapers such as the West African Mail, campaigned against slavery in the Congo Free State. Sam would add a P.S. to this note on Oct. 16.

October 16 Sunday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam finished his Oct. 15 letter to Edmund Dene Morel. “The Senate Memorial reached me early this a.m., & I remained in bed to read it./ If anything can be done—but come & let us talk about it.” Sam wanted another copy of the Senate Memorial “& some terrible illustrations” [MTP]. Note: Gribben identifies this as Memorial Concerning Conditions in the Independent State of the Kongo. April 19, 1904. Committee on Foreign Relations. U. S. Senate. 58th Congress, 2d Session. Document No. 282 [462].

October 17 Monday – Edumund D. Morel, head of the English Congo Reform Assoc. wrote to Sam. “I send you by an express messenger a packet of Congo literature.” He closed by asking for Sam’s photograph [MTP]. Hawkins writes that Morel visited Sam in his N.Y. house on this day [148].

October 18 Tuesday – Sam wrote at least three letters which survive and carry this date’s postmark. The first, to daughter Jean and Isabel V. Lyon in Lee Mass.: “All right, Jean, you shall bring the mongrel cat” [MTP].

The second letter to Mary H. Hitchcock (Mrs. Roswell D. Hitchcock), President Entertainment Club, N.Y.C. declining an invitation to read [MTP].

The third to Isabel V. Lyon, enclosing Dr. G.W. Kirch’s bill and letter from the doctor’s attorney [MTP].

October 19 Wednesday – Edumund D. Morel wrote from the Union Club, NYC to Sam. “Not a single N.Y. daily newspaper has published my open letter to Cardinal Gibbons.” Much of this letter is illegible [MTP]. Note: James Gibbons (1834-1921), of Baltimore, American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Best known for his support of labor unions, in his later years he became the face of Catholicism in America.

October – In N.Y.C. Sam inscribed a copy of HF to Mr. Holden: “To Mr. Holden / With the compliments of   Mark Twain / October /04” [MTP: Park-Burnet Catalogs, 3 March 1938, Item 26].

Sam also inscribed a copy of Extracts from Adam’s Diary to an unidentified person: “With the kindest regards of / The Author / October /04” [MTP].

Sam inscribed one of the Gessford photos of himself taken at Lee, Mass in July to Ralph W. Ashcroft:

October 20 Thursday – About this day Sam replied to Cécile Freese’s Oct. 18. Sam wrote on the bottom of Freese’s letter: “Here is Madame Freese’s address. Miss Lyon can now return the photo to her” [MTP].

October 23 Sunday – At the Grosvenor Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Susan Crane. I have been telephoning the Hoffman, dearest Susy dear (as’su), & the Stanchfields are there— so I am going up, right after dinner, to see them. Clara Stanchfield says she has made the journey from Elmira especially to see our Clara, & it is too bad, for the doctor put her under the strictest seclusion & captivity yesterday evening, & now I, with all others, am shut out for the coming months. It is best so. She will not get well on any less stringent terms.

October 24 Monday – In N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Ralph W. Ashcroft c/o The Koy-lo Co., 11 Broadway, N.Y.C. “These are the original telegrams. / S.L. Clemens” [MTP]. Note: possibly telegrams to and from John Hays Hammond (Sept. 15 and others) regarding dissension over seating Plasmon Co. new board of directors. Sam’s notebook: “All royalties & nobilities are conscious fictions & artificialities. They privately laugh at themselves; knowing that, alive they are no better than their valets; & that, dead, their meat is inferior to pork” [NB 47 TS 17].

October 25 Tuesday – In N.Y.C. Sam inscribed a copy of A Dog’s Tale to an unidentified person: “With the kindest regards of the Author, Oct. 25, 1904” [MTP: Samuel T. Freeman & Co. catalogs, 3 May 1932, Item 105].