Home at Hartford: Day By Day

April 9 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Henry (Harry) Edwards:

April 9 Saturday – Charles J. Langdon wrote to Sam enclosing a draft for $2,448.56 from Livy’s account; he added that Sam’s telegram (not extant) about Susy being better was very welcome [MTP].

D.J. Tapley (per Whitmore to Tapley Apr. 18 enclosed) wrote to Sam asking the price of the Kaolatype patent. Whitmore answered $3,000 [MTP].

April 9 Monday – Still in New York, William Dean Howells wrote to Sam.

My Dear Clemens —

Don’t you go and turn Mr. Metcalf out of doors as soon as he begins to talk article to you; but you listen, and seriously. I’ve told him (what he knew) that you’ve the best head in America for a dead-in-earnest thing, that shall smile and hurt awfully [MTHL 2: 600].

April 9 Tuesday – Sam gave another private reading, probably in New York. His notebook selections included, “Encounter with an Interviewer,” “The Skinned Man,” selections from HF and the Jumping Frog, and all of the Lucerne girl tale about a stranger acting as if she knew him [MTNJ 3: 446]. Livy was disappointed being unable to visit Theodore and Susan L. Crane, who evidently had left the city [Sam to Crane, Apr. 15].

April 9 Wednesday – Andrew Chatto wrote to Sam: “I enclose a copy of a letter just returned from Mefrs. Morgan & Ives, attorneys for Mr. House, concerning the dramatization of” P&P “together with a copy of our reply. Mrs Beringer’s play founded on the story is to be performed at the Gaiety Theatre on Saturday next, and will I hope prove a success.” CY was selling well. [MTP]. Note: Chatto was the only person in England who could authorize the P&P play.

April 9 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall asking him to:

…ransack your safe for my old contracts with American Publishing Co. and if you can’t find them require them of Webster, who has without doubt carted them off in obedience to his native disposition to smouch all unwatched property. I think the contracts may enable me to forbid those people to issue cheap editions without my privity and consent…We will issue cheap editions — especially if they do not approve [MTLTP 271-2].

August 1 Sunday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Howells asking him to locate a book at a Boston store for him. He added a short paragraph on the new baby’s progress, saying they’d hoped for twins [MTLE 5: 139].

Sam also wrote to Frank E. Bliss, forwarding a letter and enclosures intended for the American Publishing Co.

August 1 Monday – Sam wrote from Branford to Benjamin H. Ticknor, partner along with his brother Thomas Ticknor in J. Osgood & Co.

“We go hence to Elmira, N.Y., three days from now, and that will be my address for the following six weeks.”

August 1 Tuesday – Sam also wrote to Charles Webster, who had conveyed the news of illness there.

“It is dismal news. We had the impression that Annie & the children [at this date they had two: Alice, age six; William, nearly four] were to leave for some country place the moment the summer (June) should begin. It seems a very severe attack, but I hope you & Annie are in better hopes & spirits by this time” [MTP].

August 1 Wednesday – Two days after Sam wanted Charles Webster to “run up” to Elmira, he wrote again to Webster.

The implements of the game, & way to play it—are the patentable features & the only patentable features, ain’t they?…So, just go ahead and take out patents, for US, Canada & England [MTBus 218-19].

August 1 Friday – A.H. Kelland wrote from N. Haven to Clemens sending him an article similar to the one she once wrote on the death of the Democrat party (not in file) [MTP].

George C. Blanchard wrote from Fairfield Conn.—an oblique begging letter [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “from a fraud”

August 1 Saturday – Sam went to New York, probably to see Charles Webster sail for Europe. He went to arrange English and European editions of Grant’s Memoirs, and to feel out foreign investment interest in the Paige typesetter [MTNJ 3: 131n13]. Frederick J. Hall was temporarily head of Webster & Co., while Charles was in England [MTNJ 3: 191].

August 1 Sunday – In Lawrence, New York (Long Island), Sam wrote to Livy of his time with the Laffans in their residence:

Livy darling, I am having a divine time here, & am exceedingly glad I came. Have spent an hour & a half in the sea at noon, & we are all going again at 4 pm & finish the day in the water…We undress & dress, at home, then walk down street 300 yards; then wade a ¼ of a mile between two sandbars, & there you are! — splendid beach [MTP].

August 1 Monday – Webster & Co. Sent Sam a small, handwritten accounting showing a “Cash Book” balance of $31,506.94 [MTP].

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3794  John O’Neil  60.00  Gardener

3795  Patrick McAleer  50.00  Coachman

3798  Telephone Co  15.95

3799  D.F. Healy  14.75  Laborer

August 1 Wednesday – “Genius and Talent” ran in Fortnightly Review, p.240-55. Brief reference to Mark Twain as a leader among the Western American humorists, approached only by Artemus Ward, Josh Billings, and Orpheus Kerr [Tenney 16].

H.E. Patten, Dye and Carpet Beating Works, Hartford billed $8.31: June 15, 19, 20 single & double blankets & cleaning; gloves; Paid Aug. 10 [MTP].

August 1 Thursday – Frederick J. Hall sent Sam twelve Daily Report forms and a financial statement showing 4,402 books sent out during July, LAL Vol. 8 leading the list with 301 sales. Hall also sent a letter with the reports, noting, about the Scott embezzler affair, “The Dist. Attorney writes this morning, saying the Scott matter is to go before the Governor and he wishes to know if this letter contains our present views regarding Scott” [MTP].

August 1 Friday – C.L. Stillman, Treasurer for J. Langdon & Co. wrote to Sam having sent a $3,000 draft to the US Bank, Hartford, “This amt. to apply on note of Mrs. Clemens” [MTP].

P.H. Smith, boarding, livery and sale stables, Hartford, receipted $7 for July 23 carriage [MTP].

Neil Stalker, Fine Road and Track Harness, Horse Clothing, etc., Hartford, receipted $10.35 for May 5, 12, 13, Jun 5 10, 19, July 1, 16 purchases, curry comb, repairs girth, saddle cloth, straps, harness, whips.

August 10 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Joel Chandler Harris in Atlanta, who wrote Sam on Aug. 4 [MTLP 401].

August 10 Friday – Charles Webster wrote about business matters: History game, insurance, Barton vineyard scheme (that Joe Goodman claimed a “put up job to make money” using the poorest land [MTP].

August 10 Sunday – In Boston, Howells wrote to Sam:

August 10 Monday – Sam left New York in the morning for the long train ride to Elmira. He telegraphed from Portland, Penn. to Theodore W. Crane: “Shall arrive at the usual / S L Clemens” [MTP]. Portland was en route to Elmira.

August 10 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook recorded a score of 38 to 16 for C. against T.W. (Clemens vs. Theodore W. Crane). This is listed as perhaps a “popular parlor game during summers at Quarry Farm” [MTNJ 3: 229].

His notebook also contains an observation with this date about the New York Tribune’s Mergenthaler Linotype machine:

August 10 Wednesday – Frederick J. Hall, responding to the obvious depression of Sam’s Aug. 3 letter, wrote encouraging news and a report on the state of the business. Since his return from the West, Charles Webster had been laid up, coming to the office intermittently. Hall reported that the outlook was good with no outstanding debts save profits of Sam’s, which he might elect to withdraw.

August 10 Friday – In Elmira Sam wrote to John White Alexander (1856-1915), artist and one-time illustrator for Harper’s Weekly. Although little-known today, he once ranked as a premier American painter of women, portraying leisure class women in interior settings. During his career he was a member of both the Munich and Vienna Secession, associated with Art Noveau style.

August 10 Saturday – In Cambridge, Mass. Howells answered Sam’s plea of Aug. 5:

You know it will be purely a pleasure to me to read your proofs. So far as the service I may be is concerned, that I gladly owe you for your many generous acts; and if I didn’t want to read the book for its own sake or your sake, I should still want to do it for Mrs. Clemens [MTHL 2: 609].