Home at Hartford: Day By Day

October 10 Friday – Richard Watson Gilder for Century Magazine wrote to propose Sam let him run “half or three quarters” of HF “with a whole lot of pictures” since the book wouldn’t be out for a month or two; he admitted this was against Sam’s rule but felt it would help the book’s sales [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Serial”

October 10 Saturday – Webster & Co. per Frank M. Scott wrote of more drafts honored to Gerhardt, making a total paid to date $1,206. They’d rec’d Sam’s letter of Oct. 9 [MTP].

October 10 Sunday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Charles Webster after receiving his telegram. Evidently, Webster was headed for Washington, to attend to the matter there with “the General” that concerned Sam (see Oct. 5 to Webster).

Livy & I are coming down Tuesday [Oct. 12], shopping, & if you are not in Washington I shall see you during that afternoon, as we shall arrive at noon [MTP].

October 10 Monday – Webster & Co. Wrote to Sam about the articles to be in the Library of Humor book. They’d also received “a note from Gen. Lucius Fairchild who says that Robert D. Beath…will probably write the history of the G.A.R.” — should they communicate with him? Gen.Crawford’s book status was commented on, plus the gem expert at Tiffany’s possible book, which they felt too expensive to “get up…with a number of delicate plates” [MTP].

October 10 Wednesday – Grace E. King arrived in Hartford for a visit with the Clemens [MTNJ 3: 434n90]. The visit would be interrupted when Sam and Livy went to New York to see Theodore and Susan L. Crane who had likely traveled there for medical treatment for Theo, who’d suffered a stroke. Grace was still there on Election Day, Nov.

October 10 Thursday – L.J. Drake wrote to Sam having seen an advertisement for a perpetual calendar. In 1884 and 1885 Sam had urged Charles Webster to develop and patent a portable perpetual calendar but Webster didn’t think much of the idea and so it died [MTNJ 3: 522n131].

October 10 Friday – A.B. de Frece for Stanley Reception wrote to Sam asking him to respond to being chosen for the committee [MTP].

Daniel Whitford wrote to Sam that he’d answered Mrs. Lamprecht’s letter to the effect that “it would be idle of her to see you as your contract with Mr. Frohman precludes…dealing with any other party” [MTP]. Note: Mrs. Lamprecht was the child actor Tommy Russell’s mother. Russell was starring in the Edward House version of P&P in Brooklyn. See Oct. 2 article.

October 11 Monday – Sam purchased one copy of Samuel Orchart Beeton’s Beeton’s Complete Letter-Writer for Ladies and Gentlemen (1873) [Gribben 57]. He also bought “1 City Directory” from Brown & Gross of Hartford [254].

October 11 Tuesday – Thomas Fitch wrote from Tombstone, Ariz. to Sam: “The republication of the enclosed by a Bodic [?] paper has so flattered my vanity as to make me think it possible it might survive the ocean of arbitrary eloquence with which the land has been deluged, & find presentation in the columns of some eastern paper.” He asked Sam to send a clipping should he see same [MTP]. Note in file: “See SLC to John C. Kenney, 25 Oct. 1881.

October 11 Wednesday – John C. Kinney wrote from Hartford to invite Sam to the Oct. 14 event at Allyn Hall, “when the Governor’s Foot Guard will entertain the Worcester, Mass. Continentals” Of course, he wanted Clemens to speak, along with others [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Maj. Kinney”

October 11 Saturday – Sam wrote a short note from Hartford to James B. Pond, extolling Gerhardt’s medallion of him and George W. Cable. Sam verified that the reading tour would resume on Dec. 29 [MTP].

October 11 Sunday – Clemens wrote to E.S. Cunningham of the Melbourne Argus.

October 11 Monday – The New York Times, Oct. 14, 1886 p.2 ran a facsimile of a check to Julia D. Grant for $150,000 drawn on the Mount Morris Bank and signed by Charles L. Webster on this date. Canceled check no. 169 is in the MTP.

October 11 Tuesday – Alfred P. Burbank wrote to Sam setting forth an offer of Chandos Fulton to re-write the play for $300 up front and a quarter of the profits [MTP]. Note: evidently, the play as written was not “pay dirt” at all.

October 11 Thursday – A Nov. 1 bill from Postal Telegraph-Cable Co. of Hartford shows a 29c telegram, the second this date to Mrs. S.L. Clemens [MTP].

October 11 Friday – Frank Dalzell Finlay and his daughter Miss Mary Finlay had traveled from Belfast, Ireland to America and spent some days with the Clemens family in Hartford. In 1937 Mary Finlay wrote about the visit and this specific day:

…a lovely house. His 3 daughters — the eldest then 16, were there. They gave a big dinner in Father’s honor & I was covered with confusion, being very shy and self-conscious, when Mark Twain took me in first to dinner.

October 11 Saturday – In Hartford Franklin G. Whitmore wrote for Sam to Albert S. Towle, whose letter had been enclosed in Hall’s Oct. 7 letter. Permission was granted for Towle to use three sketches in a work being prepared [MTP].

Daniel Frohman applied to the courts for protection in performing his own version (Abby Sage Richardson’s) of P&P as long as he paid Edward H. House a royalty [Brooklyn Eagle, Oct. 12, 1890 p.3].

October 12 Tuesday – Ordered from Arnold, Constable & Co., New York, gloves and a cap, $8. Bill paid Oct. 15 [MTP]. The Oct. 31 bill from Western Union shows a telegram sent to Elmira, recipient unspecified (see Oct. 31 entry).

October 12 Wednesday – In Belmont, Mass., Howells wrote to Sam, sending some pages of P&P with his questions inserted while reading the work for review.

October 12 Thursday – From Hartford, Sam typed a letter to George W. Cable, very satisfied with a portrait that had arrived, the artist one “Mrs. Cox” (Frances A. Cox). Sam told Cable to relate how “delighted we all are with her work.” Charles Warner and Joe Twichell were now home, so Sam hoped Cable could “come up as soon as” he could [MTP].

October 12 Friday – In Boston, William Dean Howells wrote a short note to Sam, advising,

“As soon as I mentioned our plan for a play, Mrs. Howells nobly declared that she would do anything for money, and that I might go to you when I liked” [MTHL 1: 444].

October 12 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to William Tecumseh Sherman, who had agreed with Sam not to publish his travel notes. Sam thought he had “decided wisely,” and would return the General’s manuscript. He would see if it violated copyright to send Sherman an early copy of Grant’s Memoirs. Sam also suggested several memoirs the General might benefit from reading [MTP].

October 12 Tuesday – Sam and Livy went to New York City, where they spent an unknown number of days (See Oct. 10 to Webster); they were home by Oct. 18.

Orion finished his Oct. 11 to Sam. Ma had improved and was not confined to bed. “Davis is proud of his answer to the invitation. D.B. Hamill thought your visit here was an honor to the city” [MTP].

October 12 Wednesday –

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3866  Michael Egan  21.11  Farmer

3867  Southern NE Telephone  15.00

3869  John A. Scolley  52.61

3870  Gilbert G. Moseley  6.00  Printers

October 12 Friday – Thomas Fitch sent Sam an account in the St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat of his speech given in St. Louis this date [MTP]. No letter is with the clipping in the file.