21 Fifth Ave - Day By Day

January 17, 1905 Wednesday

January 17 Wednesday – Sam attended a meeting to form an association for a 1907 centennial of Robert Fulton’s Claremont. The New York Times, Jan. 18, p. 8, “For a Monument to Fulton” reported the presence of Mark Twain. On Feb. 18, the Times, under the same heading, reported Samuel L. Clemens as an “incorporator”and printed his letter of acceptance to the committee:

Mr. Clemens, in accepting membership on the committee, wrote the following letter:

January 18, 1906 Thursday

January 18 Thursday – Sam was a pallbearer for John Malone, actor, who died on Jan. 15. The funeral took place at the Church of St. Francis Xavier on W. 16 Street. Requiem mass was celebrated by the Rev. Father Van Rensselaer. A large group from The Players attended. Other pall bearers were: Barton Hill, Daniel Frohman, J.H. Benrimo, Jacob Wendell, Jr., T.J. Hallowell, Charles Harvey Genung, and David A. Munro [NY Times, Jan. 19, 1906, p. 11, “Funeral of Actor John Malone”]. See also Nov. 16, 1898 to Malone.

January 19, 1906 Friday

January 19 Friday – Joe Twichell wrote to Sam.

I declare that the deeps penetrated and explored in much research as this of radium more affect me with the sense of sublimity than those discovered by the telescope. Really this would be an admirable sort of an universe if it wasn’t for the Human Race. Yet it’s the Human Race that has captured the knowledge both of the Light Year and of Radio-activity. Perhaps it will amount to something eventually. / Yrs Aff. / Joe [MTP].

January 20, 1906 Saturday

January 20 Saturday – Julia Delafield Longfellow wrote from N.Y.C. inviting Sam to dine with them “informally” and meet “a political friend, Colonel Flood” on Friday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. Sam answered on or just after Jan. 20:

“Look upon it as peculiarly uncommon [?] & uncalled for [one or two words illegible] of ill luck that I am obliged to be in Wash on that date” [MTP].

Just about everything Mark Twain did appeared in the New York newspapers. The Times and the Herald of Jan. 21 were among those which reported on his paying a tax for “fun”:

January 21, 1906 Sunday

January 21 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Mr. Clemens got into the big grey mobile with Mr. Clinton at 12 o’clock and away they went for luncheon. The day is very lovely—just the sort for motoring, for we’re having a warm wave, too warm but good for motoring.

January 22, 1906 Monday

January 22 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam wrote to the Armstrong Assoc. asking if they would admit his nephew, Samuel E. Moffett at the stage door, as he was “one of the editors of ‘Collier’s Weekly’” [MTP]. Note: admittance to the benefit for the Tuskegee Institute that evening.

During an epileptic attack, Jean Clemens burned her arm on one of the new radiators [Hill 120]. See Lyon’s journal entry below.

In the evening, Mark Twain spoke in behalf of Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute at Carnegie Hall. The NY Times reported the event on the front page:

January 23, 1906 Tuesday

January 23 Tuesday – Virgil Rule wrote as chairman of a committee for the Pike County Colony in St. Louis to invite Sam to their annual dinner on Mar. 3, 1906 [MTP]. Note: Allowing for five days postal service, Sam’s reply to Isabel V. Lyon to “Decline,” would have been approximately Jan. 29

Clemens’ A.D. for this day included: About the meeting at Carnegie Hall, in interest of Booker Washington’s Tuskegee Institute—Leads up to unpleasant political incident which happened to Mr. Twichell—ends with “The Character of Man” [AMT 1: 302-315].

Isabel Lyon’s journal:

January 24, 1906 Wednesday

January 24 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam wrote to Mr. and Mrs. William P.Gordon in Bunker Hill, Illinois.

January 25, 1906 Thursday

January 25, before – Sam wrote a line to the Tarboro, N.C. Literary Club, celebrating its eleventh anniversary on Jan. 25 with a “Mark Twain Evening” where quotations from eminent American humorists were read by each member of the club. He wrote: “I wish I could be there. Sincerely…” [MTP: Baltimore Sun, Jan. 29].

January 26, 1906 Friday

January 26 Friday – Sam was in Washington, D.C. David Pae for The People’s Friend / The Popular Home Journal (London) wrote to Sam, relating “a recent competition” where their readers were asked “to name their favorite living writer.” As a result HF and IA were tied for best; would Twain agree with this verdict, and if so, which of these was his favorite? [MTP]. Note: Lyon replied for Sam; allowing for post from London to NY, ten days time, or ca. Feb. 5.

January 27, 1906 Saturday

January 27 Saturday – Sam was in Washington, D.C. In the evening he attended the Gridiron Club’s Banquet at the New Willard Hotel. The club was celebrating the digging of the Panama Canal, and the dining room was transformed into Panama, with the club and guests marching and singing: “We’re going to dig the big canal, Hurrah! Hurrah!” to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home. “Mark Twain kept pace with the rest, as lively as a boy. Associate Justice Brewer, sedate and dignified, was by his side.” Later, speeches were made, including one of about 20 minutes by Mark Twain.

January 28, 1906 Sunday

January 28 Sunday – Sam was in Washington, D.C. The New York Times of Jan. 30, p.9 “Views of Mark Twain on Being in Congress,” reported Sam hosting a luncheon at his hotel for “Uncle Joe” Cannon, Speaker of the House, and his publisher, George B. Harvey.

January 29, 1906 Monday

January 29 Monday – Sam was in Washington, D.C. Fatout lists him as giving remarks on copyright [MT Speaking 674].

Charles Alexander, Editor of Alexander’s Magazine (“dedicated to the interests of the black people in every part of the world”) wrote to Sam. He had a copy of “King Leopold’s Soliloquy” and also The Story of the Congo Free State by Henry Wellington Wack. Was Sam acquainted with Wack, and was his story of the Congo “worthy of belief?” Sam’s reply would be kept confidential [MTP]. Note: Sam answered Jan.31.

January 30, 1906 Tuesday

January 30 Tuesday – Sam was in Washington, D.C. until the afternoon, when he returned to NY [IVL TS 13]. By invitation Sam went to “Uncle Joe” Cannon’s office to watch him work as Speaker of the House. NY Times of this date continued from Jan. 28 entry:

January 31, 1906 Wednesday

January 31 Wednesday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam replied to Charles Alexander’s Jan. 29: .

February 1906

February – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam wrote to Edward E. Clarke. “DEAR SIR,—I have found the original manuscript and with great pleasure I transmit it herewith, also a printed copy. It is a matter of great pride to me to have any word of mine concerning the world’s supremest heroine honored by a place in that Museum” [MTP: Paine’s 1917 Mark Twain’s Letters, p.789].

February 1, 1906 Thursday

February 1 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam wrote to Andrew Carnegie. “I am requested to ask you to read the accompanying letter, and I comply, not reluctantly but with pleasure” [MTP]. Note: The letter enclosed not specified.

Sam also sent an inscribed copy of TA to Frank B. Swigart: “Let us save tomorrows for work” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Frederic Remington.

February 2, 1906 Friday

February 2 Friday – Jean Clemens suffered three more epileptic attacks. Isabel Lyon’s journal:

Jean—9 A.M., 6 P.M., 10 P.M.

February 3, 1906 Saturday

February 3 Saturday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam wrote to Dennis J. Mahoney. 

Dear M . Mahoney: / If you go on trying to make better Americans of the people whom you meet you cannot be better employed. You will be doing your best, you will be doing your full share, & nothing more can be required of any man. / May you prosper— … [MTP]. Note: Mahoney not further identified.     

Sam also wrote to Gertrude Natkin, 138 W. 98 in N.Y.C. 

February 4, 1906 Sunday

February 4 Sunday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Richard R. Bowker asking when “a copyright meeting of importance in Washington or elsewhere” would take place [MTP]. 

Isabel Lyon’s journal: 

Yesterday Mr. Paine gave to Mr. Clemens and me copies of the first Tammany Tiger designed by

February 5, 1906 Monday

February 5 Monday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam replied to William A. Caldwell (incoming not extant) who evidently had asked of something Sam spoke of in a recent talk; was it an example of “thought-transferrence”? No, it was simply an old maxim of his written in London ten years before that he’d made one of his texts in his speech. “The idea is pretty mouldy & commonplace. There isn’t anybody alive (or dead) who hasn’t used it from one to sixty times” [MTP].

February 6, 1906 Tuesday

February 6 Tuesday – Elisabeth Marbury wrote to Sam proposing a 2 ½ to 3 ½ % royalty if she sold Paul Kester’s verson of TS. Sometime later the note is annotated “satisfactory” [MTP].

Clemens’ A.D.   for this day: Playing “The Prince and the Pauper”—Acting charades, etc. [AMT 1: 334-341].

Isabel Lyon’s journal:

February 7, 1906 Wednesday

February 7 Wednesday – The New York Times, Feb. 8, reported on another speech by Mark Twain, this one at a dinner of the American branch of the Dickens Fellowship, which was celebrating the 94 anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens. Sam did not mention Dickens in his speech. See also Fatout, MT Speaking 482-4.

TWAIN ON ROCKEFELLER, JR.
———
He’s All Right, but as to His Knowledge of Veracity—Well!

February 8, 1906 Thursday

February 8 Thursday – At 21 Fifth Ave., N.Y. Sam wrote to Gertrude Natkin.

February 9, 1906 Friday

February 9 Friday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:

All these days are full of interesting doings. A steady flame of delight burns through every hour; it burns—but sometimes the fog of little trying circumstances will obscure it until the wit comes to make you see right through the fog to the wonderful, wonderful flame. I don’t want any earthly thing outside of this house. And it is such a comfort to have Mr. Paine full of the love of the daily dictation, missing not a gesture—not a word—not a glance, but treasuring it all.
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