Saranac Lake: Day By Day

August 4 Sunday – Sam’s ship log:

August 4, Sunday. Reached Fairhaven in the forenoon. Took on board Rev. Dr. Collyer & Rev. Minot Savage.  The ship has been searched [for the umbrella], but without result. Rain. Laying of the corner-stone of the Memorial Church post-poned a day, in consequence [MTP].

Note: Rev. Dr. Robert Collyer (1828-1912), pastor of Rogers’ NY Church of the Messiah, and Rev. Minot Judson Savage (1841-1918), Unitarian minister, were likely guests on the Kanawha; they are not mentioned thereafter on the ship’s log.

August 5 Monday – The Kanawha stopped in Fairhaven, Mass. There, they attended the laying of a cornerstone for the Unitarian Memorial Church, which Rogers was donating in memory of his mother. Sam gave a speech honoring H.H. Rogers. The Hartford Courant covered the ceremonies on Aug. 8, p. 10.

MARK TWAIN’S LATEST SPEECH.

It Was at a Religious Ceremony in Massachusetts.

(New Bedford Standard, Tuesday.)

August 6 Tuesday –The Coes, Benjamins, and Mary Benjamin Rogers stayed in Fairhaven. The next twelve days were filled with excursions from port to port, poker, some light horseplay, good conversation, and jokes [MTHHR 468n1].

Sam’s ship log:

August 7 Wednesday – Sam’s ship log:

Went to Bar Harbor [Maine], & cast anchor. Drove about the region, acquiring information by pumping it out of the driver. The pump was manned by Col. Payne, spelled by Messrs. Rogers & Reed, subordinates.

Rain.

Dumplings.

Reflections upon the perils of property when it goes down to the sea in ships & encounters certain of the wonders of the deep.

August 8 Thursday – At Bar Harbor, Maine at 2:30 p.m. on the Kanawha Sam wrote to Livy.

“Livy dearest, the anchor is just down, & we shall go ashore presently. I shall telegraph you where to telegraph me—Halifax, probably. We still cannot make an itinerary. We shall leave word here (as we did in Portland) to hold letters & telegrams till we know of some sure point to send them to.”

August 9 Friday – In St. John, New Brunswick on the Kanawha, Sam wrote to Livy.

Livy darling, I got your telegram here yesterday afternoon, & was very glad indeed to hear from you. Give aunt Sue my love, & now that you’ve got her, hang on to her.

July 1 Monday – Surviving canceled checks:

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

July 13 Saturday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote to Frank Bliss about the flap caused by Harpers calling their issues of Sam’s Uniform Edition as his “lastest & best.” He pointed out that this was Harpers’ claim, not his, and that R.G. Newbegin would say that very same thing about the American Publishing Co.’s versions.

July 17 Wednesday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote a paragraph reply to Elizabeth (Ann Chase) Akers Allen (Elizabeth C. Akers).

July 18 Thursday – Arthur Sherburne Hardy (1847- 1930) wrote on United States Legation, Berne Switzerland notepaper to Sam.

July 19 Friday – In Ampersand, Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam replied to Edward L. Dimmitt, who had sent Sam an invitation (not extant) to Missouri’s 80th anniversary celebration.

July – Success magazine for this month ran an article by William S. Ament, “Mary Twain’s Criticism is not Justified.” See Feb. 7 from Judson Smith, Feb. 18 to Tribune ed.

July 21 Sunday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote to F.R. Underwood, about the circular to be used by R.G. Newbegin Co. in the sale of Sam’s Uniform Edition through American Publishing Co.

July 22 Monday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y., sometime during this week, the Clemenses had two visitors, John Howells, son of William Dean Howells, and Dr. Edward K. Root, one of their family doctors in Hartford days [July 28 to Twichell].

July 24 Wednesday – G.&C. Merriam Co., Springfield, Mass. wrote to Sam:

We see that Mr. Winston Churchill in “The Crisis” states that a stateroom on a river boat derives its name from the fact that the first staterooms with wooden partitions instead of curtains were named after different states and that the texas was so called (after the annexation of Texas) as being a structure “annexed” to the states or staterooms.

July 26 Friday – Jean Clemens’ 21st birthday.

July 28 Sunday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote to Joe Twichell. Sam opened with a short discussion of the impracticality of him appealing to President McKinley, whom he sarcastically referred to as “that fine ‘patriot’,” in the matter of abuses by missionaries to China.

July 29 Monday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam replied to Francis H. Skrine in London, who evidently had asked Sam to write a review of his new book, Life of Sir William Wilson Hunter (1901). Skrine’s incoming not extant. Skrine would present Sam with the published book (see Gribben p. 645 and Sam’s reactions in a letter to Skrine on Feb. 7, 1902).

July 30 Tuesday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote to Elizabeth (Ann Chase) Akers Allen (Elizabeth C. Akers) continuing his discussion of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s guilt in marrying Harriet and then mistreating her till she committed suicide.

July 31 Wednesday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers: “Dear Mr. Rogers. I shall be in New York & abed by 11 o’clock tomorrow night. S.L.C.” [MTP:Parke-Bernet Galleries catalogs, Apr. 28, 1959, Item 89].

Note: not in MTHHR.

July 4 Thursday – Along with dozens of other luminaries, Sam endorsed a statement from The American Anti-Imperialist League, et al, to the American People with this date from Chicago, Illinois.

July 5 Friday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, suggesting guests for a planned cruise on Rogers’ new yacht, Kanawha.

July 6 Saturday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote to Florence Hayward, answering her question about a photograph of him made by H. Walter Barnett , London. “The photograph was made by Barnett, 1 Park Side, Hyde Park Corner. You need to authority from me; he will let you have it without that.

July 9 Tuesday – In Saranac Lake, N.Y. Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, about the planned cruise, a new house they’d leased at Riverdale, money rec’d from Frank Bliss, and a circular to be used by F.R. Underwood and R.G. Newbegin in the marketing of his Uniform Edition. Sam wanted Rogers to approve the circular.

June – On a Tuesday, from 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.

Well, it is funny. The country’s political morals & ideals have sunk pretty nearly to zero in the past two years, but I had not suspected that anybody had dropped to the point of thinking the clergy bribable. Seriously, it is an astonisher. Could it have happened 20 years ago? No, it couldn’t. I don’t know but that this is zero.