September 19 Thursday – Sam, in Fairhaven, Mass., wrote the date and his signature in a book for blottings, “The Ghosts of My Friends”—possibly to General and Mrs. Edward McCook [MTP].
Isabel Lyon wrote to Dorothy Quick
September 20 Friday – Sam left Fairhaven, Mass. early in the morning on the Kanawha. H.H. Rogers did not accompany him, but Harry and Mary Rogers did [NY Times, Sept. 21, p.18]. Sam arrived in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. in the evening and wrote to daughter Jean in Katonah, N.Y.
September 21 Saturday – Early in the morning Sam left Tuxedo Park for N.Y.C., where he boarded the Kanawha and left for Jamestown, Va. with Harry Rogers and his wife Mary
Benjamin Rogers, to attend the Robert Fulton Day celebration. Sam would preside at the ceremonies.
September 22 Sunday – The New York Times, “Mark Twain Skipper of Rogers’s Yacht,” p.9 reported the Kanawha and Cornelius Vanderbilt’s steam yacht North Star leaving for Jamestown.
September 23 Monday – Norfolk, Va. Sam introduced Rear Admiral Purnell Frederick Harrington (1844-1937) at the Robert Fulton Day ceremonies. The New York Times, Sept. 24 covered the event:
HONOR FULTON AT JAMESTOWN
———
Inventor’s Use of Steam in Navigation Shown in Marine Parade.
September 24 Tuesday – Near Norfolk, Va., for the Jamestown Exposition at Sewell’s Point on Hampton Roads, Sam inscribed a portrait drawing of him to Mrs. Hugh Gordon Miller: “To Mrs. Hugh Gordon Miller / With the affectionate & grateful remembrances of / Mark Twain / Jamestown Exposition, / September 24th/07. / (the day after the struggle).” [MTP]. Note: the Exposition was typical of many world fairs and expositions popular in the early part of the 20 Century; it ran from Apr. 26 to Dec.
September 25 Wednesday – At the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in N.Y.C. Sam wrote to Frances Nunnally.
Dear Francesca: / I have just come ashore from the yacht, & am passing by to take the 12.55 Erie RR train for Tuxedo Park. You & your mother are out—naturally, at this time of day. I would have telephoned in advance, but there wasn’t time.
September 26 Thursday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote to Dorothy Quick.
Dorothy dear, I hear that you are at school, & that you greatly like it& are very busy—all of which is good to hear, & naturally is a great pleasure & comfort to your mother.
I am back from Jamestown & am glad. Still, we had reasonable weather & a swift voyage & altogether a good time. Miss Lyon & her mother went down on another boat & enjoyed the trip.
September 27 Friday – Sam also wrote two letters to J.E. Edmonds, of the Daily State Times of Baton Rouge. A trip down the Mississippi was planned by Theodore Roosevelt, with a suggestion that Mark Twain be the chief pilot. Sam turned down the offer; Edmunds wrote an editorial about it. Sam then wrote these letters, the first a cover letter and the second a blast: “I am often against [President Roosevelt] politically, but this has not affected the friendship existing between us these twenty years.” [MTP].
September 28 Saturday – Frances Nunnally and her mother visited Sam. They played hearts [Oct 2 from Nunnally].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: Santa decides to come to town on the 11th.
September 29 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: A rainy day, and so a stop was put to the plans for entertaining Francesca and her mother. Late in the morning we assembled in the living room and played Hearts. I wonder what dear spirit put Hearts in my head yesterday, for otherwise we had been at a loss. It is hard to entertain brand new people [MTP TS 108-109].
Edward Anthony wrote from Cleveland, Ohio to Sam. “I am a boy collecting cigar bands.” Could Sam send some for his collection? [MTP]. Note: Lyon wrote on the letter, “Answd. Oct. 2, ‘07”
September 30 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Francesca went this morning, the King went down to the station with them, and since his return he has been at work all day with the pen. He has been writing and writing and dropping the little leaves of paper from his small pad, around him on the floor. Most of the work was done with him sitting on the extreme edge of the bed.
October – Possibly this month Sam wrote a poem to Mary B. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers, Jr.) [MTP].
BUTTER WANTED
Any Kind: New; Old; Salted; Unsalted;
===
Odorless; Fragrant; Real preferred, but Oleomargarine not turned away.
Apply at the old stand, 21 Fifth av., at the Sign of the Butterfly.
___ ___ ___ ___
CORRECTED FORM
October-December – Sometime during this period Sam wrote a short note to the editor of the St. Louis Republic: “May my namesake follow in my righteous footsteps, then neither of us will need any fire insurance” [MTB 1424]. Note: Sotheby’s auction Apr. 3, 2008 Lot 29 sold this note and commented: “In 1907 a new boat was built for the St. Louis Harbor and christened ‘Mark Twain.’ The editor of a local paper wrote to Clemens and asked for a comment.”
October 1 Tuesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Last night I stayed awake waiting for the King to come home, and full of anxiety until he did.
I am purged of anxieties, purged of discontents and I think it may be in part the exodus of Delia.
October 2 Wednesday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Isabel V. Lyon replied for Sam on Edward Anthony’s Sept. 29: “Mr. C[lemens asks me to] write for him and say that he has given all the cigar bands from his imported cigars to a little friend who asked for them; and he regrets that he has none” [MTP].
Sam also began a letter to Dorothy Quick that he finished on Oct.3.
October 3 Thursday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam finished his Oct. 2 to Dorothy Quick.
Last night we played “hearts”—a very good game, I think, because it is simple, & doesn’t require any mental labor. I wish we had thought of it when you were here. But next time we’ll play it. It is more interesting than those other games.
October 3 or 10 Saturday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote to Frederick A. Duneka that proofs for A Horse’s Tale be sent to Tuxedo Park before Oct. 17 or to 21 Fifth Ave. after Nov. 3 would get his “immediate attention.” He wanted to “sit in judgment” on the illustrations before they were accepted. Sam confessed that “the heroine is my small daughter Susy, whom we lost” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote the 17,530-word story after Sept. 1905 from a suggestion of Minnie Maddern Fiske. Harper’s Magazine published the tale in two installments, Aug.-Sept.
October 4 Friday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote a great spoof to William Dean Howells, and sent the same note to daughter Jean (perhaps the first part of the letter is lost).
Jean dear it is an outrage the way the govment is acting so I am sending following complaint to N. Y. Times with Howels name signed because it will have more weight:
P. S.
To the Editor
October 5 Saturday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Isabel V. Lyon replied for Sam to the Oct. 4th from Katharine B. Clemens (Mrs. James Ross Clemens), now in N.Y.C. Yes, Sam had rec’d the photographs of Katharine’s “two charming little children”; Lyon had written her thanks, and they’d waited for them until the last train “on that Saturday.”
October 6 Sunday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: This afternoon when the Masons were here for tea and the subject of Geography came up, the King said that he had no sense of it himself, and that when they were living in the Villa Viviani, Oscar Wilde’s little wife went out to call and to ask the best way to get back to England, the King said he gave her instructions which if she had followed would have landed her in China. Chat seemed to drivel along until the King said to Mrs. Mason who is a Christian Scientist and who has been planning a debate with the King —“Well, Mrs.
October 7 Monday – Isabel Lyon wrote to Dorothy Quick [MTAq 75-6].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “Ashcroft went at 8:15 and I went to N.Y. to see about getting the house in order for C.C.” [MTP TS 113].
Howells & Stokes wrote to Miss Lyon requesting a new check be drawn in the name of William Webb Sunderland since both Howells and Stokes were out of town [MTP].
Charles J. Langdon wrote a short note, enclosing draft for $44.33 on the Buffalo property [MTP].
October 8 Tuesday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote to daughter Jean in Katonah, N.Y.
Jean dear, I hear that Dr. [Frederick] Peterson is exceedingly well pleased with your year’s progress, & certainly I am. It is a wonderful advance. How fortunate it was that fortune put you into his hands. He expects this improvement to go right along.
October 9 Wednesday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “King and I went to N.Y. on the 8:15. He dined with Mr. Jim Clemens and Mr. Brent Clemens at Delmonicoes” [MTP TS 113].
John J. Craven wrote from Phila. to thank Sam for Lyon’s letter of Oct. 8 with signed photo [MTP].
October 10 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: Headache. / Mr. and Mrs. Deacon, Father Fitz [William Fitz-Simon], Mr. and Miss Sampson dined here and all day I was so ill, but I wouldn’t give in. I saw Mr. Willing who has charge of the syndicating of the autobiography; Mr. Ashcroft arrived at 3 o’clock; I secured a notary public to come out with the Plasheon lawyers who came at 5:30. I superintended the decorating of the dinner table. I gave the King all of my presence that he required, I played Hearts for an hour, just as I was going up to lie down for that hour.