Home at Hartford: Day By Day

March 10 Tuesday – In Hartford Sam wrote a short letter to the Chattanooga Republican, which ran in the Mar. 15 edition of that paper:

My Dear Sir — The original of Col. Mulberry Sellers was never in Tennessee. He was a man whom I knew familiarly during several years in Missouri, and some of the most extravagant performances attributed to him in the book were not inventions but facts of his life — the stove with a candle in it, the raw turnip dinner, etc. I did not burlesque him — he shouldn’t have done it himself.

March 11 Wednesday – William Dean Howells and wife Elinor were visiting the Clemenses when T.H. Macdonald arrived from the New England Phonograph Co. with the phonograph Sam had ordered. Macdonald set it up for him [MTNJ 3: 607&n118]. Note: The exact length of their stay is not clear, but in his Mar. 15 Howells wrote it was “too short for the things I wanted to say,” suggesting it was probably not longer than one night.

March 12 Thursday – In Hartford Sam responded to Hall’s Mar. 11 note confirming that he’d look for him Saturday (Mar. 14) and suggested he stay the night, returning to N.Y. at “7.10 Sunday evening.” Sam believed that in “short interviews we overlook lots of things that ought to be discussed.” By this time some trains ran on Sunday [MTP].

March 13 Friday – Anna H. Bumstead wrote from Boston to Sam reminding him of his yearly contribution for the Ware children. On the envelope Sam wrote, “$25” [MTP].

March 14 Saturday – Frederick J. Hall came to Hartford to discuss business; he spent the night at the Clemens home. Among other things he and Sam discussed the idea of issuing a cheap edition of Mark Twain books for trade publication, beginning with HF [MTNJ 3: 607&n117].

March 15 Sunday – In Boston, William Dean Howells wrote to Sam:

March 16 Monday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam about “A Mr. Bruce, an author [who] comes to us introduced by a letter from Colonel Higginson. He has a scheme for writing a Life of Cleveland.” Hall was doubtful the book would pay, though if Cleveland were nominated Hall thought there would be a “demand for a good life of him”; if not, there wouldn’t be [MTP].

March 17 Tuesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam concerning how to raise money to pay off Webster & Co.’s bank debts to the Mount Morris Bank. Hall raised $15,000 from personal friends, including the George Barrow family [MTNJ 3: 610n128]. Note: the Barrow debt would prove troublesome during receivership.

March 18 Wednesday – James W. Paige wrote to Sam asking for money and enclosing a bill (not extant) from Pratt & Whitney, asking him “to pay in accordance with your agreement” [MTP]. Note: Sam would pay no more, however. See his Mar. 19 response.

March 19 Thursday – Susy Clemens’ nineteenth birthday.

In Hartford Sam responded to Paige’s Mar. 18.

March 20 Friday – Annie B. Jennings wrote to Sam inviting him to take part in an Authors’ Readings for the benefit of the YWCA of New York. Also appearing were Hjalmar Boyesen, Robert Underwood Johnson, Frank R. Stockton, Will Carleton, and John Kendrick Bangs [MTNJ 3: 611n133]. Note: the readings took place on Apr. 22.

March 21 Saturday – Sam had planned to give a reading at Simsbury, Conn. on this day [MTNJ 3: 603n102]. See also a train time for Simsbury [609].

March 22 Sunday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Annie B. Jennings accepting provisionally her invitation to read for the New York YWCA. His conditions were that the date be Apr. 23, that he be third on the reading list if there were four or five readers, no later than fourth if there were more than five. See Apr. 22 entry when Sam gave the reading.

March 23 Monday – Sam’s notebook carries his travel schedule to and from Bryn Mawr, where he appeared on this afternoon:

Lev N.Y. at 11, arr 1.20 / SHAVE / Leave Phil. 8.20, arr. 10.40 [3: 611].

March 24 Tuesday – † In Hartford Sam forwarded to Andrew Chatto a letter from an unidentified publisher written in Leipzig, Germany on Mar. 17. Sam wrote on the top margin of the first page of the letter, “My Dear Chatto: I have referred him to you” [MTP]. Note: this may have been Ernst Wartegg. See Mar. 14.

March 25 Wednesday – A. Hoffman writes:

March 26 Thursday – Thomas E. Sherman wrote to Sam of a changed situation since his last letter. Fred Hall had not even seen James G. Blaine, “that is he accomplished nothing. He now tells me that other cheap lives of father are actually in the market selling since the 25th.” Thomas felt they might have to put their book on the market at once with Carl Schurtz & Abram & Hewitt to replace Blaine — their tributes are unsolicited & at hand” [MTP].

March 27 Friday – In Hartford Sam responded to Frederick E. Church’s Mar. 25 offer to send more of the coffee the Clemenses had enjoyed in visits (Mexican Colima coffee). (See Nov. 10, 1888 entry.) The Clemenses remarked on the coffee during their visit at “Olana,” Church’s estate in Hudson, N.Y.

We use this coffee on our own table only, & as we are away a considerable part of every year it lasts well. It is a long way the best coffee I have ever tasted [MTP].

March 29 Sunday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Andrew Chatto, enclosing a letter from Bram Stoker. Stoker had just become a director of a new company, Heinemann and Bolectier, Ltd., which was formed to publish books in English for Europe. Sam forwarded Stoker’s letter with this note:

Do you know my friend Bram Stoker, [Henry] Irving’s manager?

March 30 Monday – E. Clendemis wrote from Phila. to Sam praising P&P and asking him to write more like it. The letter is obviously from a child [MTP].

Mrs. E.A. Reeves wrote from Rochester, Penn. to Sam. The lady was chosen to present a sketch about Twain “to The Literary and Scientific Society of our city” and asked for “a few words in your own hand writing.” Sam wrote on the envelope, “Unanswered letters” [MTP].

March 31 Tuesday – In Hartford Sam responded to James B. Pond, his old lecture manager, who was now promoting a lecture tour for Henry M. Stanley. Sam couldn’t come to the Apr. 11 dinner of Pond’s for Henry M. Stanley, due to the arrival of “special guests” on that date [MTP].

April – With Livy, Susy Clemens left Bryn Mawr for good and returned home. Powers claims she was “underweight and overwrought” [MT A Life 537]. Note: Charles Langdon’s Apr. 2 to Sam mention’s Livy’s “thin and worn” condition, which suggests he saw her in N.Y. on Apr. 1 or 2. Significantly, Langdon made no such evaluation of Susy.

April 1 Wednesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote a long letter and a short letter to Sam. The shortie was enclosed with a proof set of the Mark Twain’s Memory Builder game for his approval. The long letter dealt with Watson Gill feeling “pretty sore” about the fact that Webster & Co. was now doing business that used to be sent to Gill, who would threaten to appeal to Sam on each dispute. The current argument was over 70 or 80 of the Sheridan books sent to Gill that were damanged after lying on the dock at Stoningham, Conn.

April 2 Thursday – Charles J. Langdon telegraphed from the Gilsey House in N.Y. for Sam to send “any and all bonds you may have of the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Corp.” He then wrote to Sam:

Since I telegraphed you this morning I have had a delightful call [visit] from Livy and Susy, and to them explained about the Clearfield bonds; that is to say, I am advised from Elmira that they were sent to Mr. Olmsted, with mine, at Harrisburg, and that we have a receipt for them.

April 3 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Blakely Hall, the editor of the magazine Truth. Established in 1881, Truth began as a small weekly covering New York City life. 1891 brought additional financial backers and Hall, who was already a well-known editor. He made over the magazine as a glossy, lavishly illustrated magazine of humor, fiction, reviews, poetry, and cartoons.