Home at Hartford: Day By Day

July 12 Tuesday – Sam returned to Elmira and Quarry Farm [July 11 to Whitmore]. He wrote Frederick J. Hall encouraging him to rush into the canvass for King David Kalakaua’s collection of Hawaiian Legends book, while “this flurry is up” [MTLTP 219]. Note: Sam’s dictum for an optimized subscription method limiting itself to two books a year, seems to have been ignored due to all the wondrous possibilities.

July 12 Thursday – Sam wrote a letter of introduction “To whom it may Concern” for Miss Lilly Gillette Foote, who in 1880 became the Clemens children’s governess. On a separate card Sam wrote that it was a “General letter of introduction for Miss Foote to any known or unknown foreign friends of mine who may have read my books” [MTP]. Note: Though this letter is inscribed and labeled from Hartford, it is not clear whether Sam was actually in Hartford at the time.

July 12 Friday – In Hartford, at the family home, Sam wrote to Livy still in Elmira;

July 12 Saturday – In Onteora Park, Tannersville, N.Y., Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore. The letter is lost [MTP]. Receiving Joe Goodman’s challenge of July 11, Sam left for New York City. He checked into the Hoffman House [MTNJ 3: 562n253].

July 13 Tuesday – Sam wrote to his attorney, Charles E. Perkins; the letter not extant but referred to in Perkins’ July 14 reply.

Elihu Vedder (1836-1923) painter/illustrator wrote from NY to Sam that he was leaving the country and would return in two years. He sent a package containing a “silver comic mask. Hang it on your watch chain and think of me” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the letter, “Vedder the artist”

July 13 Wednesday – Joe Twichell wrote to Sam.

Dear Mark: / We got home all right, and found Harmony and the small fry well. / Now we desire to waft back on formal, deliberate, and most hearty thanks for the hospitality that will always add sweetness to the memory of our golden little excursion. …

July 13 Thursday – Sam wrote to William H. Gillette, letter not extant but referred to in Gillette’s July 18 reply.

The Clemens family was finally able to leave Hartford for Elmira. They made the first leg to New York, and, as was their custom, stayed the night [MTNJ 2: 90n198].

July 13 Sunday – Sam wrote two notes from Elmira to Charles Webster. The first was a directive to find a man in New York City, Ellis or Alison, recommended by Twain’s neighbor Newton Case, who would fix their Hartford furnace. The second note was a directive to support his recommendations for projects with his reasons.

July 13 Monday – Charles Webster wrote of business matters & details [MTP].

July 13 Wednesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam, replying to his July 12 note that it might do to rush the Kalakaua’s Hawaiian legends book into canvass.

July 13 Friday – Probably in Elmira or on the train headed back to Elmira, Sam began a letter to William Kennedy he did not finish until Oct. 31. He may have misplaced it in the meantime, as this was not usual for him to do. The letter is enlightening as to Sam’s thoughts about humor and American humor in particular.

July 13 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to his old friend, William Dean Howells about the death of Theodore Crane and the “heart-breaking” atmosphere at Quarry Farm. In Hartford since at least July 11, Sam brooded about the house, empty save for the servants. His letter is one of the few from this period that is not an obvious response, but a request.

July 13 Sunday – In New York at the Hoffman House, Sam wrote to John Russell Young of the N.Y. Herald soliciting him to “go up to Hartford” with him “& look at the machine.”

Tomorrow? Next day? Or Wednesday? We can leave here at 9 a.m., you know, & you can be back in New York at 6.30 pm if you are limited as to time. / Drop me a line to the Hoffman [MTP].

John Russell Young for N.Y. Herald wrote to thank Sam for his invitation to come view the typesetter in Hartford; he hoped to run up next week or the week after:

July 14 Wednesday – Sam purchased books from Estes & Lauriat of Boston, including James Freeman Clarke’s Memorial and Biographical Sketches (1878), and Sara Coleridge’s Memoirs and Letters (1874) [Gribben 145; 153]. A bill in MTP shows a total of $50.55 for a list of 21 books.

July 14 Friday – The Clemens family boarded a special railroad car and left New York for the ten-hour trip to Elmira [MTNJ 2: 490n198]. They had to make a “hurried & abrupt” meeting with Charles and Annie Webster at the hotel before leaving, due to Jean’s needs and Livy’s backache [July 16 letter to Webster].

July 14 Saturday – Sam wrote to the Hartford Engineering Co.,  letter not extant, but referred to in the Co.’s July 17 reply.

An old letter of Sam’s, written July 6 1859, appeared in the Arkansaw Traveler. See July 6, 1859 entry) [MTL 1: 91-2, n2].

July 14 Monday – After much searching Charles Webster purchased Richard Irving Dodge’s Our Wild Indians, and Life on the Plains for Clemens, who used these books for information of Indian depravity in writing “Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians.” The total cost was $3.84 [Gribben 197].

July 14 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to William F. Cody (“Buffalo Bill”).

I have now seen your Wild West show two days in succession, enjoyed it thoroughly. It brought back to me the breezy, wild life of the Rocky mountains, and stirred me like a war song.

Sam felt the show was genuine and suggested he take it to England, where “it is said the exhibitions …are not distinctly American” [MTP].

July 14 Wednesday – In Elmira Sam wrote a short note to Frederick J. Hall. Howells had sent Sam a page from Publishers’ Weekly (XXX, 37-8, July 10, 1886) highlighting a legal opinion by a Federal judge (Hammond) in Memphis involving that a bookseller could not sell books directly to buyers in violation of the original subscription plan of the copyright owner (the book in question was James G.

July 14 Thursday – James W. Paige per Charles Van Schuyver wrote to Sam, having received his of July 12. Paige had just consulted with H.W. Beadle, patent lawyer on a patent claim, who said they had “a very effective case…we were the first to employ an auxiliary type-driver” [MTP].

Keokuk Board of Health sent Sam printed vital statistics for the city ending June 30, 1887 [MTP].

July 14 Saturday – Sam 30 and Theo Crane 15 in another contest, probably cribbage or cards (see July 5). There are ten more entries under this contest, dated only July with ditto marks, but no days, then a long column of scores, but none dated till Sept. 5 [MTNJ 3: 475].

Arthur H. Wright for Webster & Co. sent Sam a very low bank balances total: $1,422.14. Sam wrote on the envelope:

July 14 Monday – In New York City at the Hoffman House, Sam wrote again to John Russell Young who turned Sam down to go to Hartford and view the Paige typesetter. Sam felt he might not be back in the City for another month. Aside from lobbying support for the Paige, Sam reviewed rehearsals of Howard P. Taylor’s dramatization of CY.

Reconsider! Can’t you strain a point & make it this coming Saturday, or some other day this week? [MTP]

July 15 Thursday – The Hartford Courant, on page one, ran an excerpt from Sam’s sketch, “Edward Mills and George Benton: A Tale” from the August issue of the Atlantic Monthly.

The new Atlantic contains the tale of Edward Mills and George Benton by Mark Twain, which is as clever a satire on the sentimentality over crime as that sort of gush has ever received.

July 15 Friday – Clemens wrote to C.F. Cobb, letter not extant but referred to in Cobb’s July 18 reply.

July 15 Sunday – Karl Gerhardt wrote to Sam & Livy: more about their progress & expenses [MTP].