July 17 Thursday

July 17-19 Saturday – Sam left the family again and traveled to New York, then on to Hartford, where he wrote to daughter Clara on July 20.

July 18 Friday – Joe Goodman wrote from the Hoffman House, N.Y. to Sam (Young July 14 encl.) that owing to the heat he didn’t go down town until 4 p.m. and found a letter for Sam there from John Russell Young. “I still expect Jones to-night. If he does not put in an appearance by morning, I shall to go Washington to-morrow” [MTP].

July 19 Saturday ca. (before) – In Onteora Park, N.Y., Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore.

Yours received. Many thanks. I am daily expecting to leave for Hartford. Please send the following cablegram by United Lines…[MTP]. Note: the cable shows below.

Franklin G. Whitmore then wrote a cable for Sam to Joseph N. Verey (sometimes spelled Very), the Clemens past courier in Europe, whom Sam hoped might be of service to Charles Langdon and family. Clemens gave you up & made other arrangements. Whitmore [MTP].

July 20 Sunday – Howard P. Taylor, came to Hartford to read a draft of the CY play. Sam wrote to daughter Clara Clemens in Onteora, N.Y. of his opinions:

July 21 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Livy and Clara Clemens in Onteora, N.Y. Keep up your spirits if your unfortunate eyes will let you, my darling; & be sure I shall not remain away from you one unnecessary hour. …

Clara dear, I have found the Beethoven & the Chopin — found them instantly, because I went straight to the place where you said they were not, & there they were, sure enough. I will send them by express — doubtless tomorrow [MTP].

John Russell Young wrote to Sam:

July 22 Tuesday – John R. Young wrote again to Sam.

Mackay and Jones go up tomorrow at nine to return at 2.20. you should keep them until 7 and show them the [illegible word] Asylum, the Hubbard Monument, the grave yards, Charter Oak…and the other institutions of your pleasing town. –I am sorry I did not wait and go with them [MTP].

July 23 Wednesday – Senator John P. Jones and John W. Mackay, after months of delay, and at the urging of John Russell Young, finally came to Hartford and inspected the Paige typesetter. This time there was no blowup, the machine worked flawlessly. The pair then returned to New York where they made a limited commitment to Joe Goodman, outlined in his July 26 letter to Sam.

Howard P. Taylor wrote to Sam of his revised dramatization of CY. His manuscript was “pretty well marked up,” and he thought four copies should be made.

July 24 Thursday – Back in New York City Sam sent a telegram to Franklin G. Whitmore, about moving the Paige typesetter. Now that the machine was “finished,” they were required to move it from Pratt & Whitney’s workshop (see July 29 to Goodman).

Have it moved to union place at once I shall be up in a day or two [MTP]. Note: The move was to 42 Union Place, Hartford, Paige’s workshop [MTNJ 3: 566n263].

July 25 Friday – Franklin G. Whitmore wrote Sam that he was forwarding 50 blank royalties as requested. Royalties were payments to be made upon each machine’s sale, and therefore were in a superior position to stock. These were a form of investment in the Paige typesetter [MTNJ 3: 565n260].

July 26 Saturday – Jean Clemens’ tenth birthday.

July 28 Monday – Sam traveled from Hartford to New York City where he checked into the Hoffman House and wrote Franklin G. Whitmore:

I tried to make myself plain, to-day, & doubtless I did. But to make sure, let me repeat: I want Mr. Davis [Paige’s assistant] to explain to all our force, without delay, that as we are going to do nothing whatever but set type henceforth till the company is formed, we shall need no one for some little time but our 4 operators — so we give them notice in order that they may be on the lookout during August to find employment.

July 29 Tuesday – In New York City Sam wrote to Joe Goodman comparing the New York Tribune’s Mergenthaler, the Rogers, and the Thorne typesetters to that of the Paige — two to four thousand ems per hour compared to seven or eight. Things were coming to a head, what with competitors working in the field from New York to Chicago:

July 30 Wednesday – Sam left New York for Onteora Park, Tannersville, N.Y. and the family [July 29 to Whitmore].

Charles Ethan Davis wrote to Sam that he’d discussed with Paige about the length of a N.Y. trial of the machine; they felt 10 hours a day would be preferable over 24 hours; Paige was laid up for a few days with “Cholera Morbus” [MTP]. Note: gastroenteritis.

Sam wrote to James W. Paige, letter not extant, but referred to in Paige’s Aug. 5 reply [MTP].

July 31 Thursday – In Onteora Park, Carroll Beckwith began painting Sam’s portrait [Beckwith’s unpublished papers at the Smithsonian; offered by a MT scholar who wishes to remain unnamed].

Webster & Co. sent Daily Report slips for the period July 28 to 31 [MTP].

Franklin G. Whitmore sent Sam a progress report on the typesetter, his talk with Charles Ethan Davis about it, and about laying off men who had been working on it [MTP].

August – Webster & Co. sent Sam a “Books sent out during July, 1890” report on the usual ledger page paper, with a total of 3,651 including 1,049 CY sales [MTP]. Note: the MTP catalogues this as a July incoming entry.

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 2 Saturday – D.B. Davidson, N.Y. agent for the Nevada Bank of San Francisco wrote to Sam that Sam’s “signature (specimens)” had been verified by the bank. This process related to Sam using the $10,000 credit drawn on this bank from John W. Mackay and John P. Jones [MTNJ 3: 565n259].

Thomas O. Enders for U.S. Bank notified Sam of the Aug. 1 draft for $3,000 received [MTP].

Webster & Co. sent Daily Report slips for Aug. 1 and 2 [MTP].

August 3 Sunday – In Onteora Park near Tannersville, N.Y. Sam wrote to Senator John P. Jones after reading one of his speeches in the newspaper. Since he perceived that Jones had “more than common appreciation of the force of statistics” and so asked Webster & Co. to send Jones the new edition of Rowell’s Newspaper Directory, listing 1,500 dailies and 12,000 other periodicals. This was all part of Sam’s campaign to get Jones excited about the market for the Paige typesetter. Sam added, I think I could sell Arnot a privilege. He is worth $7,000,000 [MTP].

August 5 Tuesday – In Onteora Park near Tannersville, N.Y. Sam telegraphed to Franklin G. Whitmore:

Tell me by telegraph before night if the alterations have been made in the contract for the delay in damaging the chances [MTP]

August 6 Wednesday – In Onteora Park near Tannersville, N.Y. Sam wrote to Miss Lanigan, who evidently had sought information about Livy for publication. Sam answered with Livy’s thanks but observed,

…she is habituated to obscurity & prefers to remain in it Privately I believe she thinks that to be merely proprietor of a cannon cannot warrant one in letting on to be part of the battery [MTP].

August 7 Thursday – Franklin G. Whitmore wrote to Sam at Onteora:

Yours recd: Have just shipped the shoes. No woolen socks to be found. Everything is going on as usual — Mr Paige is head over heels interested in some electrical experiment with Nash. Davis is at factory working on the machine….I think you had better write Mr. Paige about discharging the men, Nash, Van, Earl, Vic & [illegible name] or as many as you think best [MTP].

August 8 Friday – In Onteora Park near Tannersville, N.Y. Sam wrote two notes to Franklin G. Whitmore, the second a PS for the first. Sam wanted all work on the machine and all expenses limited as of Sept. 1. He felt official notice had been given to any men who continued to work in September, and announced they would be refused payment, save for Charles Ethan Davis, Paige’s assistant.

August 9 Saturday – In Onteora Park near Tannersville, N.Y. Sam wrote again to Franklin G. Whitmore, stressing one fact — the machine should be “up & at work without shadow of doubt, Sept. 1.”

The most important man — to me — after Senator Jones, will arrive in Hartford on that day, to look at the machine. Me. Davis named that date & his prophecies have succeeded heretofore, which gives me confidence this time [MTP].

August 10 Sunday – Sydney Scrope wrote from New Brighton, N.Y. to ask Sam how he “first came to adopt the ‘nom de plume’ which had become a household word”[MTP].

August 11 Monday – In Onteora Park near Tannersville, N.Y. Sam telegraphed to Franklin G. Whitmore:

I go to New York tomorrow night & ultimately to Washington ship the contract immediately to Webster & Co and ask Hall by telegraph to put it in his safe telegraph me here before night that this has been attended to [MTP].

D.C. Lyle wrote from Baltimore County, Md. to ask Sam to write on an enclosed postal card the title of the publication in which the Twain genealogy appeared. Lyle had inquired of Chatto and Windus but they didn’t know [MTP].