June 23 Tuesday – Karl Gerhardt wrote from Mt. MacGregor that he’d met Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Grant on the train from Saratoga. “They report the General sadly changed” [MTP].
Daniel Whitford for Alexander & Green wrote, enclosing W.A. Paton’s letter about the Paige typesetter. Paton liked the mechanics but thought the financial scheme unworkable [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Paton retires”
June 23 Wednesday – The Clemens family were aboard the steamer India. Meanwhile, using USA Passport No.6854, Charles L. Webster accompanied by his wife, Annie Moffett Webster, sailed for Europe on the City of Rome [Samuel L. Clemens Papers in the McKinney Family Papers, Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries; Webster to Sam June 21].
June 23 Thursday – The Clemens family was in New York at the Murray Hill Hotel. Sam likely met with Webster on business matters.
Joseph Jefferson wrote from Hohokus, N.J. to Sam that the MS which left Hartford on June 16 just reached him; he’d been to N.Y. twice about it. [MTP]. Note: Joe needed a better pen.
June 23 Saturday – The Brooklyn Eagle, p.3 under “Notes” ran a squib about a bio of Mark Twain
Literature, John B. Alden, has a portrait of Mark Twain, with much matter about him and about the popular and the democratic in literary art.
June 23 Sunday – In Elmira † Sam wrote a short note to O.C. Kingsley of Kingman, Sturtevant & Larrabee, who had written June 20.
It was all the better to leave off the quotation marks because if you had coupled my name with the story it would have injured me in England, where they believe everything I say [MTP].
June 23 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Joe Goodman, once again singing the praises of the Paige typesetter. Sam mentioned the “Silver Bill” which was before Congress and tied up Senator John P. Jones from returning for a final successful exhibition of the machine. Fred Whitmore (Franklin’s son) was now turning out about 6,200 ems per hour on the machine. Sam’s spirits were high, and his faith sure:
June 24 Saturday – Charles Webster wrote to Sam having rec’d his (no date specified). “I hope Jean is not going to have a hard time of it.” Also a request for $1000 and some expenses listed [MTP].
June 24 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Charles H. Clark of the Courant. The Clemenses were watching the papers closely but had seen nothing about Doctor Cincinnatus Taft—how was he doing? Sam didn’t want to burden the Taft family by writing [MTP].
June 24 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Charles Webster. By this time the family may have removed to Quarry Farm. He asked Webster to follow up on a “little water heater” that Livy had purchased in New York “at a small Japanese store between Aitkin’s & Arnold & Constable’s.” The heater was to have been expressed to Elmira but hadn’t come. Livy didn’t know the name or address of the store, Sam confided [MTP].
June 24 Thursday – The Clemens family were aboard the steamer India.
June 24 Friday – The Clemens family continued on to Elmira, staying at the Langdon house until June 28 [June 28 to Whitmore]. This was a ten-hour trip by rail; Sam’s routine was to hire a special “hotel” car from the Erie & Lackawanna Railroad. Livy’s mother, Olivia Lewis Langdon, was growing frail, and Livy would spend many summer days in town beside her [A. Hoffman 340].
June 24 Monday –For Sam to have traveled to New Haven for the Yale Alumni speech of June 26, he would have had to leave Elmira this day or the next.
June 24 Tuesday – In Hartford George Warner wrote, “Susy Clemens is in and happy, the dear girl,” referring to her acceptance at Bryn Mawr College [Salsbury 277].
Sam wrote to William Thomas Stead.
May I wish you every success with your “Review of Reviews” which I think will fulfill a long felt want both in England and in America [MTP].
Joseph B. & Jeanette Gilder for The Critic wrote to ask Sam to vote from a list for the magazine’s “Forty Immortals.” Sam wrote on the envelope, “Brer, please ask her to send me the ‘list’ referred to SLC” [MTP].
June 25 or June 26, 1882 Monday
June 25 or June 26 Monday – In Belmont, Howells wrote a short note to Sam, saying “Hurrah” for the fact that Sam’s children were well at last; and asking if Sam had sent on his “Mark Twain biography” to the Century Magazine. Howells ended with “We are off to-morrow. Good bye”—leaving for Toronto and then Europe” [MTHL 1: 409-10].
June 25 Friday – Harriet W. Hawley (Mrs. Joseph R. Hawley) wrote to Sam (letter now so faded as nearly illegible), petition enclosed for the support of a monument to Adam. Signatures plus a typed list of signers in the file [MTP].
June 25 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Charles Webster, correcting a drawing of Kemble’s:
“…on the pilot house of that steamboat-wreck he artist has put TEXAS—having been misled by some of Huck’s remarks about the boat’s ‘texas’—a thing which is part of every boat. ….that particular boat’s name was Walter Scott, I think” [MTP].
June 25 Friday – The Clemens family were aboard the steamer India.
June 25 Saturday – Only the envelope survives, postmarked this date at Hartford to Franklin G. Whitmore [MTP]. Since the Clemens family left Hartford on June 22, this may have been left for the servants to mail.
June 25 Monday – Joe Twichell notified Sam as the Clemenses were preparing to leave for Quarry Farm that “the Corporation of the Yale University, now in session, have just decreed you the honorary degree of Master of Arts (M.A.)” [MTNJ 3: 299].
June 25 Tuesday – Sam’s Notebook:
Offered William Gillette stock at one-2500th for $1000. This offer has also been made heretofore to Dean Sage, Ned Bunce, H.C. Robinson, Mr. Parsons, Charley Langdon, Theodore Crane & George Griffin. I had the hope that they would decline, & they did. The stock is worth either ten times that or it is worth nothing; maybe the latter, though I think otherwise [3: 496].
June 25 Wednesday – New York Times, June 25, 1890, p.6 “Help Wanted – Males”
COLLEGE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AGENTS
And all who desire work for the Summer months wanted to secure orders for “The Great War Library” in ten volumes, embracing the works of Gens. Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, McClellan, Crawford, Hancock, and Custer; sold on easy monthly payments. We will pay you at the rate of $60 weekly for one order per day. For agencies and further particulars call on or address Charles L. Webster & Co., 3 East 14th St., New York.
June 26 Saturday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam. “All right. I will finish my MS. and then send it to you in one batch. I am glad you are still at work—I suppose on the Last Prince. I should be very sorry to interfere…Mollie’s agent sold 19 Tramps in two days, last week, and 12 since. She pays her 30 p.ct. to make her active” [MTP]. Note: Mollie Clemens was acting as if she were an agent; no documentation found that would say authorized agent.
June 26 Sunday – Sam wrote from Branford to Karl and Hattie Gerhardt. Things were going well for the two families. Sam referred to another protégé he’d helped launch career efforts.
June 26 Monday – Sam wrote a short note from Hartford to Charles Webster, “From force of habit” Sam had sent a check for $500 instead of $1,000. “The child is doing first rate, at present” [MTP].
Orion Clemens wrote to Sam: “I wish you would set me at work soliciting orders for the Kaolatype in some city.” A long letter of various topics, typical of Orion [MTP].
June 26 Tuesday – Daniel Whitford for Alexander & Green wrote, not recommending stock in a vineyard scheme for the Barton Vineyard Assoc. [MTP].