May 28 Tuesday – In Hartford, Sam wrote a humorous episode for Susan L. Crane pass on to her husband, Theodore Crane about Joe Twichell, who would always be oblivious when passing acquaintances on the street.
Twice in a week, our Clara had this latter experience with him within the past month. But the second instance was too much for her, and she woke him up…with a reproach. She said: —
May 28 Wednesday – The Boston Daily Globe, p.2. declared “Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) is Right at Home in Boston…at the Vendome.” No other evidence of a trip to Boston was found. See also May 21 entry, for identical notice in Globe. His last known stop in Bean Town was Apr. 27 for the Max O’Rell dinner.
May 28 Wednesday ca. † – In Hartford Sam used Franklin G. Whitmore to reply to H.A.L. Christian’s May 26 question — did he serve as a Confederate? Sam told Whitmore to reply that he’d “served 2 weeks on the Confederate side” [MTP].
May 28 Thursday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam that he caught the train with time to spare and that Sam’s manuscripts are already being typewritten and would be done by mid-next week.
May 29 Saturday – From Twichell’s journal:
“M.T. and I go on a walk to the Tower—the first of the season. A splendid day and lots of talk” [Yale, copy at MTP].
Sam paid Frank M. Wilson & Co., Bridgeport Conn., Tailors and Gents Furnishers, $120.50 for two suits, vest and alterations; He purchased what appears as “flannels” on a bill this date from Arnold, Constable, New York, which was paid June 2 [MTP].
May 29 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to his mother, Jane Clemens, who was contemplating a trip from Fredonia to Keokuk to see Orion and Mollie. After commenting on his mother writing to an “old gentleman” and criticizing a “young man who prints the paper,” Sam encouraged her to travel part way by water for her comfort; he wanted to pay the cost [MTBus 186].
May 29 Tuesday – Sam took an early morning train from Montreal bound for Hartford. If the train was on time, he arrived at about 8 or 8:30 PM [May 28 to Livy].
May 29 Thursday – Charles Webster wrote to Clemens: 20,000 cloth books binding ordered, a splendid bargain at 17.5¢ each with Robert Rutter; cost estimates for new book; Kemble’s pictures [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Pub details for Huck”
Bissell & Co. wrote to advise sale of 50 shares of Adams Express at 128 [MTP].
May 29 Friday – E. Evans wrote a begging letter from London [MTP].
Karl Gerhardt wrote: “Have Woodruff see Mr Green at Tiffany’s. They wish to control the bronze bust—The ‘Courant’ article changed their eyes” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Tiffany wants bust”
Slote, Woodman & Co. wrote sending paper and gum samples “as we understand your description given us yesterday” [MTP].
May 29 Sunday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam (began letter finished May 30):
Ma fell down the last step or two …with a jar, producing a commotion; but seems not to have veen much hurt. She gets more “off.” / It is nearly midnight. My skin disease forbids sleep. I am utilizing the time by reading Thierey’s Norman Conquest, and making memorandums [MTP].
May 29 Tuesday – The New York Times, p.1, ran a preview announcement of General Philip H. Sheridan’s Memoirs.
THE GENERAL’S MEMOIRS
May 29 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook reveals what was probably another quick trip to New York City:
Wed. 29th. Train leaves at 5.10. Diner at 6. Return train at 10 [3: 489].
May 29 Friday – In Hartford Franklin G. Whitmore took down a letter to Mary Mason Fairbanks for Sam, who suffered greatly from a rheumatic right arm.
Dear Mother Fairbanks.
May 3 Monday – Christian Tauchnitz wrote from Leipzig. “Many thanks for your kind lines of March 15 and for the proofs of ‘The Tramps Abroad’ ” for which he agreed to pay 700 Marks [MTP].
Chatto & Windus wrote from London. In part:
“Dear Sir / We are on tenterhooks of anxiety for fear of a threatened unauthorised reprint of your ‘Tramp Abroad’ at a shilling, which we shall be powerless to oppose; but by keeping a bold front we hope to scare off intruders and so escape the danger” [MTPO].
May 3 Tuesday – Sam wrote a one-liner from Hartford to Charles Webster, asking if there wasn’t a payment to be made on the Watch stock before May 10 [MTP].
May 3 Wednesday – Sam “lay abed till toward noon…& made Osgood go out & meet the appointments.” After Osgood returned they began a game of billiards, but Horace Bixby came by. Sam went and dined with his old mentor [May 4 to Livy, MTP]. In Ch. 48 of Life on the Mississippi, Sam wrote he encountered Bixby on the street and the two men embraced, but the May 4 account is probably the correct one.
May 3 Thursday – Sam finished the letter of May 1 to the Gerhardts. He confessed that Livy was “not well enough yet, to write, but will be, soon….” He’d received the bronze portraits from Karl and thought the one of him was “very fine.” He didn’t think Warner’s was a good likeness, but excused it because “the artist needs the living model, not the dead & flat photograph” [MTP].
May 3 Saturday – Hubbard & Farmer per Way bankers & brokers advised stock purchases [MTP].
May 3 Sunday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Charles Webster. He’d “watched closely” and had “not seen a single reference to the World’s lie in any newspaper” (The New York World’s lie about Grant—see Apr. 30 entry). He realized that if no other papers copied the report, that suing them would only give “that daily issue of unmedicated closet-paper” publicity.
May 3 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to William Dean Howells, to coordinate a trip to work on the new Sellers play. Taking Susy to Boston as planned, a week from this day was out, since Livy said Susy would miss too much schooling.
May 3 Tuesday –
Check # Payee Amount [Notes]
3676 Western Union Telegraph Co 8.84
3677 Mr Charles Burghorst 80.00
May 3 Thursday – In the wee hours burglars entered the Clemens Farmington St. home and made off with a few misc. articles.
May 3 Friday – Thomas S. Fox for Albany Evening Union wrote to Sam inquiring about using the Kaolatype process [MTP].
Jeannette L. Gilder for The Critic wrote to Sam wishing to know “the truth of the case” about the P&P play with Elsie Leslie. She’d received a note from Edward House that he had signed a contract with you about the play. Who had the rights? [MTP].
May 3 Saturday – William J. Hamersley wrote to Sam: “Paige claims, as I understand, that his machine is now ready for…final exhibition.” Hamersley enclosed a three page typed document outlining the price of $12,000 for sale of the first machines, including a proposal to organize a joint stock company to raise ten million dollars for the manufacture [MTP].
May 3 Sunday – The Clemenses hosted William Milligan Sloane and wife on an overnight stay. †
Sam T. Kinney wrote on mourning-bordered pages thanking Sam for sympathy extended [MTP].
May 30 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Julia Jones Beecher (Mrs. Thomas K. Beecher 1826-1905), about her “jabberwocks” (creative arrangements of roots, flowers and other natural items into images of creatures.) Sam agreed to be the auctioneer for the June 5 auction at the Grand Bazar for Union Home Work. [MTLE 5: 116; Eastman 61].