Home at Hartford: Day By Day

October 12 Saturday – In Hartford, Sam answered Frank Fuller’s letters of Oct. 9 and 11. In the past, Fuller had often hit Sam up for various investments, most of which turned sour. Fuller was at it again, but Sam offered to take Fuller’s money this time.

October 12 Sunday – In Hartford Sam wrote to his sister, Pamela Moffett:

I am very much obliged for the copy of McEwan’s staving good & just eulogy of Sam [Moffett]. I shall mail it to Susy. The last time I saw her was a week ago on the platform at Bryn Mawr. Our train was moving slowly away, & she was drifting collegeward afoot, her figure blurred & dim in the rain & fog, & she was crying [MTP].

October 13 Monday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Frederick Schweppe, an Elmira decorator, a draft for $250 [MTLE 4: 113]. Livy had engaged Schweppe to redo the walls and ceilings in the Hartford, Farmington Avenue house [Willis 129].

October 13 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells about coming to discuss the Grant reception in Hartford on Oct. 16. Sam wanted to see Howells and Edward House [MTLE 5: 173].

The Oct. 31 bill from Western Union shows a telegram sent to New York, recipient unspecified (see Oct. 31 entry).

October 13 Thursday – In Belmont, Mass., Howells wrote a follow up of his Oct. 12. He hoped Sam wouldn’t think he was “meddling,” but marked some passages of P&P that he didn’t “think are fit to go into a book for boys,” that the picture Sam created “doesn’t gain strength” from them [MTHL 1: 376]

October 13 Friday – 18 yr old Edward W. Bok wrote from Brooklyn, this time seeking “a few words of opinion” about his autograph collection, which was the subject of enclosed clippings [MTP].

October 13 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster. He wrote more on the progress of the history board game, and advised that “Livy’s little table which you & she bought has not arrived yet, & is a week overdue.” He also wanted more envelopes with “return to SLC” printed on them [MTP].

October 13 Monday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Caroline M. Hewins, of the Hartford Library, asking her to “kindly allow the privileges of the Library to the bearer, Mr. Karl Gerhardt…” [MTP]. Note: Hewins was a prolific writer authoring the first popular bibliography of quality books for children; she is considered one of the great pioneers in library science, and today a scholarship fund bears her name.

October 13 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, repeating his intention to retail commissions as general agents for the New York City district. Sam instructed this to be fifteen per cent and not to “make any other calculation.” Sam and Livy were “glad you & Annie are back again & well.” Sam was “very uncertain” when he would be down next [MTP].

October 13 Thursday – Nathaniel Judson Burton died of pneumonia. John Hooker, his deacon, was at the bedside. Andrews quotes Twichell, who wrote in his Journal this day,

…a dark, sad day!!…I went at once to his house and found that it was even so. There I met my other brother Dr. [Edwin] Parker. In presence of the astounding fact, which overwhelmed both of us with surprize and distress we found nothing to say, but could only embrace with tears [53; Twichell’s Journal: Yale, copy at MTP].

October 13 Saturday – J.B. Smiley (Samwell Wilkins) wrote from Kalamazoo, Mich. that he’d just published his second book and was collecting “the comments of the humorists of the country” — he would like to send Sam a set of his “two little volumes” [MTP]. “Curio,” Sam noted on the envelope.

October 13 Sunday – The New York World announced a “contest of ideas” with a first prize of $1,000. The winners of the best ideas presented were to be announced on Christmas morning. Sam’s notebook carries this entry, which he wrote he proposed, though no record of any response has been found:

Oct. 13, ’89. Proposed my idea (of buying the remains of Columbus & bringing them over to the Fair of ’92,) to the N.Y. World “Committee on Ideas” — but shan’t name the idea till I hear from them [MTNJ 3: 523n134].

October 13 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Mary Mason Fairbanks, who evidently had written asking about the family (her letter not extant).

Susy is a freshman at Bryn Mawr, poor child; we left her there a week ago, & it’s about the longest week the almanac was ever furnished to this fambly. Livy’s health is rather shabby….Clara decides to stay out of college & devote herself to music….We haven’t forecast Jean’s future yet, but think she is going to be a horse jockey & live in the stable.

October 14 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Pierre D. Peltier, declining an invite to dine with the Gate City Guard of Atlanta, Georgia, invited by the Putnam Phalanx, a Hartford military company.

October 14 Thursday – Sam took a train to Boston and got a room at the Brunswick Hotel [MTLE 5: 173].

He telegraphed Joe Twichell: “I want you to dine with us saturday half past 5 and meet Col Fred Grant no ceremonies Wear the same shirt you always wear / S.L. Clemens” [174]. Note: See Oct. 16 entry; Telegram in Twichell’s journal.

October 14 Friday – Sam and Joe Twichell walked out to Talcott’s Tower, a wooden structure about five miles outside of Hartford. Sam related their talk in a letter to Howells the next day:

October 14 Saturday – Sam wrote to Worden & Co., letter not extant, referred to in Worden’s Oct. 16.

October 14 Sunday – Paine relates an 1883 meeting at Sam’s home with Protap Chunder Mozoomdar, brought to meet Mark Twain by Rev. Dr. Edwin P.

October 14 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Richard Watson Gilder about the selection of Huck Finn for the Century that Gilder chose.

“I have tried to put the explanation of the situation into Huck’s mouth but didn’t succeed to my satisfaction. Will the note do, which I enclose? Alter, emend, shorten it or lengthen it to suit yourself—if any of these shall seem necessary—but in some way preserve the fact that the thing is from an unpublished book…” [MTP].

October 14 Wednesday – Moncure Conway and daughter Mildred visited the Clemenses. Moncure’s oldest son was practicing law in New York City [MTNJ 3: 201n57].

October 14 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Webster & Co., addressing the letter to “Dear C L W & Co”:

You may write Uncle Remus, & if he doesn’t consent I will then take him by the hair myself.

You may also write Stockton & if he says no, I will take him by the hair.

October 14 Sunday – In Hartford Sam wrote a long letter of complaint to the Hartford City Government, again about electric lights and health concerns over “open sewers.” On Oct. 16, Sam wrote on the letter,

The official health refused to back up the hearsay statistics. Therefore this project was abandoned. SLC.[MTP].

Sam’s notebook entry for Oct. 15 related his actions for this day:

October 14 Monday – In Hartford, on or just after A.F. Kelly’s letter of Oct. 12 with check arrived, Sam forwarded them to Franklin G. Whitmore and asked him to acknowledge receipt [MTP]. Note: allowing for mailing time between Elmira and Hartford, this would be the soonest Sam might have forwarded the letter and check to Whitmore.

The New York Times ran a short paragraph on p.8 of Sam’s invitation to a benefit:

THE HORACE GREELEY STATUE.

October 14 Tuesday – C.M. Dally wrote on Hartley & Graham, Arms & Ammunition, N.Y. letterhead to ask Sam for a copy of his letter to the Queen. Sam wrote “Brer Refer him to Harper’s Magazine” [MTP].

Denning & Co. N.Y. dealer returned Sam’s check for $1.40 for a bill paid twice [MTP].

James B. Pond wrote to his dear “Mark,” enclosing a schedule for Stanley’s lecture tour of the US.

October 15 Wednesday – C.H. Brainard wrote from Boston to Sam, enclosing a photo of a bust of Whittier by Preston Powers, Florence, Italy. Brainard solicited Sam for a contribution to place the bust (cost $900) in the Boston Public Library [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Whittier photo”.