June 20 Thursday – Henry Fears (1889-1965) was born in Crawford Co. Ark. (without this event, you would not be reading this book. David H. Fears, his grandson.)
O.C. Kingsley wrote on Kingman, Sturtevant & Larrabee, builders of Carriages letterhead, thanking Sam for being “the recipient of many favors, both liquid and otherwise” for the retelling in Kenilworth, England of the narrative of “The Incorporated Company of Mean Men” in RI [MTP].
June 20 Friday – William J. Hamersley wrote to Sam about a “personal loan” he’d made to Sam and a note from Whitmore regarding it. Hamersley was relying on Sam’s “promise to take care of it sometime next month.” No amount is mentioned but on Apr. 3 Hamersley sent Sam $2,500 [MTP].
June 21 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Branford, Conn. to Charles Webster in New York, asking Charley or Annie to go to Tiffany’s and have a silver chatelaine-watch expressed to him with Livy’s initials engraved on it [MTBus 161].
June 21 Wednesday – From Sam’s notebook:
“June 21—Crane We should be delighted to see any one of you here, but as the children have been exposed we don’t dare move them” [MTNJ 2: 497]. Note: No letter survives with this date or message. Possibly Sam wrote the note to include in a letter or telegram which no longer exists, or was never sent.
Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster:
June 21 Sunday – Frederick D. Grant wrote from Mt. MacGregor. “Your very kind letter was received. As I agree with what you say there is no chance of an argument on the matter contained in it. My poor dear father is worse again today. I would like (to try) to write you a snice a letter as you have me; but on account of his feeling so badly I am unable to do so” [MTP].
June 21 Monday – The Clemens family and governess Rosa Hay left Elmira and traveled by rail to Rochester, where they probably dined with Daniel William Powers (1818-1897) and family, and may have spent the night there, continuing on to Buffalo the next day (See July 12 to Whitmore). Powers was an eastern financier and the owner of a fabulous art collection.
June 21 Tuesday – George H. Van Zandt responded to Sam’s follow up letter on Van Zandt’s proposed historical romance. Van Zandt wanted to revise “one or two of the Chapters” of his book. He also had a book of poetry and a novel he wished to have published, and asked if Carleton & Co. Kept a bookstore. Soon thereafter, Sam would write his response on the top of the letter to Frederick J. Hall, now a partner in Webster & Co.
June 21 Thursday – Sam’s notebook suggests a planned New York meeting between himself and Charles Scribner at the Murray Hill Hotel at 2 p.m. [MTNJ 3: 392]. Scribner demanded compensation for a book contract from Philip H. Sheridan that was unfulfilled. James B. Pond had represented Sheridan in the matter. Late in June, Webster & Co.
June 21 Friday ca. before – In a letter from Charles Fulton to Edward H. House, Sam was quoted in a letter to Horace Wall, that the dramatic rights for P&P had passed from his control and been registered for production. Sam was quoted as adding, “But not to House; he has no rights or anything in the matter” [MTP].
June 21 Saturday ‡ – See Addenda: Sam and Joe Goodman returned from Washington by this day.
June 22 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Orion, asking him not to send any more of his manuscript until he’d finished. Evidently Orion had sworn to complete the book, even though Sam had advised him to concentrate on his new job at the Keokuk Gate City (see May 12 entry). Sam wrote the family was well and would go to Quarry Farm “in a week or two” [MTLE 5: 131].
June 22 Wednesday – Charles Webster replied to Sam’s June 21: he’d been sick but had ordered the chatelaine watch Sam wanted from Tiffany’s [MTP].
June 22 Thursday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Howells. After reading the July installment of Howells’ A Modern Instance in the Century Magazine, Sam gushed:
June 22 Friday – The likely day Sam traveled from Elmira to New York City (see June 23 entry).
June 22 Sunday – Karl Gerhardt wrote to Sam & Livy about shipping a statuette [MTP].
June 22 Tuesday – The Clemens party sailed from Buffalo in the steamer India headed for Duluth, Minn. At the western edge of Lake Superior. The captain of the India was Edward Mooney [MTNJ 3: 243n62]. Sam jotted in his notebook to send Mooney a copy of IA.
June 22 Wednesday – The Clemens family left for Elmira by way of New York City, where they stayed two days [June 20 to Webster]. A June 29 check puts their stay at the Murray Hill Hotel.
Hattie Gerhardt wrote from Chicopee, Mass. to Sam and Livy, sorry she did not have the chance to “say a grand good bye,” but she had been ill [MTP].
June 22 Friday – Webster & Co. wrote to Sam: “I called at the hotel about 9 o’clock this morning, and found you had gone out. I went yesterday to Alexander & Green and saw Mr. Alexander personally, together with Mr. Whitford.
June 22 Saturday – In Elmira Sam wrote a short paragraph to Andrew Chatto, asking him to telegraph Henry M. Stanley the letter that Sam had sent Chatto “a day or two ago.” Sam was anxious to tie up Stanley for a book “before Osgood or any other American agent or publisher” got to him [MTP].
G.P. Davis for Travelers Insurance wrote to Sam soliciting funds for the Hartford YMCA [MTP].
June 22 Sunday – Joseph T. Goodman wrote from the Hoffman House, N.Y. to Sam: “Mrs. Goodman concluded to come over to the city and stay for a week or so — or until we knew if Jones is disposed to do anything about the machine. Her health is very poor.” Sam wouldn’t hear from Joe again unless he had something to say about Senator John P. Jones or John W. Mackay, the two big fish they angled for [MTP].
June 23 Wednesday – Charles Perkins wrote from Hartford explaining the contract for quarterly payments on Tramp Abroad to Sam, which called for an annual adjustment to half of the profits [MTLTP 138n1; MTP].
Sam wrote to James C. Thomson in Manchester, England, letter not extant but referred to in Thomson’s July 4 reply.
June 23 Thursday – Laura C. Redden Searing wrote from Sherwood, NY to thank Sam for his publishing advice [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “An authoress.”
June 23 Friday – In Boston, Howells wrote to Sam:
I hope all fear of scarlet fever in the case of your little ones is past, and that you soon will be on your hill-top at Elmira….A composer [George Henschel] who can get the Ideals to produce his opera wants me to write his libretto. Will you kindly let me know just what terms you made with Raymond for production of Col. Sellers? [MTHL 1: 409].
June 23 Saturday – The New York Times reported that Sam was staying at the Hotel Brunswick [“PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE,” p8]. When Sam went to the City after June 20 and how long he stayed has not yet been pinned down, but newspaper reports in the Times generally fell a day later than his first night’s stay, which would make his arrival in the city Friday, June 22.
June 23 Monday – Charles Webster wrote to Sam, c/o Crane in Elmira: possible postal fine of $50 for sending the prospectus with the words “sheep, half calf, & half morocco, written on the sample bindings”; billed Osgood another $225 for advertising he charged, and a bill for $600 for paper as well; $4,000 needed to buy paper soon—send $6,000 [MTP].