March 30 before – Frank Bliss wrote to Sam about discrepancies in origins of the “Jumping Frog” story:
[Written in top margin:] This is yr a/c of how you originally heard the Story, told by a man who was not telling it to his hearers as a thing new to them. He was a dull person and ignorant he… [in bottom margin:] Then follows the Greek Story (Sidgwick) of Jumping Frog.
April – Bookman (London) ran an anonymous review of the Chatto & Windus collection of Mark Twain’s works, commenting on the pleasure in looking again at RI, TS, GA, and LM [Tenney 32].
Current Literature (NY) featured a large photo of Mark Twain “recently taken in London” on its cover though only a short paragraph on p.102 of comment: “The white hair emphasizes his advancing years, but the face is the same strong and kindly one so familiar to Americans” [not in Tenney]. See insert
April 1 Sunday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to Sir William Martin Conway.
“I am dreadfully sorry, but we have but this moment returned from E.A. Abbey’s.
If I had known it was a birthday orgie I would have forseen that it would run late, but I had forgotten that detail. I hope we can go to the Cosmopolitan another night.”
April 2 Monday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam acknowledged receipt of £1,019. 18s. 3d. from Chatto & Windus for sales of the de luxe edition [MTP; Welland 203].
April 3 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Testify before the Copyright Committee, House of Lords (on copyright). Lord Monkswell, Knutsford, Avebury, & 2 others” [NB 43 TS 6a]. Note: in his Apr. 5 NB entry Sam identifies Lord Avebury as “formerly Sir John Lubbock”.
London: Sam spoke before the Select Committee on Copyright in the House of Lords. On Apr. 4, p.6
The New York Times reported Mark Twain’s testimony:
April 4 Wednesday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to George B. Harvey, at this time in London.
Dear Col. Harvey
After our conversation I will now state my desires, in the hope that it may be possible to grant them.
That there shall be no Canadian cheap edition.
That the proposed two books shall be compressed into one, and no cheap edition be issued.
April 5 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Sir Richd Farrant, Rowton Houses, 5 pm / Breakfast, 9.30. Lord Avebury (formerly Sir John Lubbock), 2 St. James’s” [NB 43 TS 6a]. Note: Richard Farrant ( 1836-1907), acted with Lord Rowton to establish the Rowton Houses in 1896. At his death he was the Treasure of the University College, London.
April 6 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Ward’s studio, 11 a.m. / Goerz, Savoy 6.45 German play” [NB 43 TS 6a]. Note: in his Apr. 9 NB entry he lists “Ward the artist—sit for portrait.”
April 7 Saturday
At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to C.F. Moberly Bell, editor of the London Times:
Although you are going out of town I want this note to catch you & thank you for accommodating the A.P. representative with an early proof. But for that he would have been delayed 5 or 6 hours.
April 8 Sunday – In London, England Sam began a letter to H.H. Rogers that he added a long PS to on April 9. Samuel S. McClure was trying to interest Sam in editing a new magazine; Sam referred the matter to Rogers.
McClure wrote, some weeks ago, that there was nothing lacking but an understanding in written detail of what my duties were to be—then he would lay the contract before you. I said go ahead, there’s no hurry, & when his contract was ready, carry it to you.
April 9 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Canon Wilberforce / both of us—1.30. / J. Ross Clemens, / Bath Club, 7.30, 24 Dover / Ward the artist—sit for portrait” [NB 43 TS 6b].
At 30 Wellington Court in London, England, Sam finished his Apr. 8 to H.H. Rogers:
P.S., April 9. Mrs. Clemens is greatly troubled about that Plasmon-cure, and wants me to write you and tell you to boil it before using….
April 10 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Dillingham, Savoy, dinner, 7.30. / Marda. / She Stoops to Conquer. / Invite Doubleday & wife here to tea” [NB 43 TS 8].
Note: this entry was written & struck through on Apr. 7. Sam noted Oliver Goldsmiths’ (1728-1774) play, She Stoops to Conquer. Gribben speculates “conceivably he saw a performance of it around that time in London”
April 11 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Made Director” [NB 43 TS 8]. Note: of the Plasmon Syndicate.
Paul Kester replied to Sam’s Mar. 24 suggestions:
April 12 Thursday – In London, England Sam wrote to George B. Harvey, sending a table of contents for the proposed London and Tauchnitz editions of The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories. Sam wrote he’d “knocked out 42,000 words & left 130,000—an over-abundance still,” and gave Harvey, the new President of Harper & Brothers, permission to “knock out anything you want; & leave in anything you please” [MTP]. Note: the letter written on old Chatto & Windus letterhead.
April 13 Friday – The Clemens family were at Henry M. Stanley’s country place for a “few days’ visit”. They returned to 30 Wellington Court by Apr. 17 [Apr. 17 to James]. Note: on Jan. 10, 1899 the Stanley’s took possession of a house named “Furze Hill” in Pirbright, Surrey, some 30 miles from London [The Autobiography of Henry M. Stanley, p.507 (1909)].
April 14 Saturday – The Clemens family were at Henry M. Stanley’s country place in Surrey.
Jonas Henrick Kellgren Osteopath, billed £10.10.0 for 25 visits to Apr. 14 for Jean’s treatments [1900 Financial file MTP].
April 15 Sunday – The Clemens family were at Henry M. Stanley’s country place in Surrey.
Insert: Furze Hill, Stanley’s Country Home
April 16 Monday – The Clemens family were at Henry M. Stanley’s country place in Surrey, the last of a “few days’ visit” [Apr. 17 to James].
Basil (Canon) Wilberforce wrote to Sam asking if he would give the Joan of Arc talk before 90 people in his drawing-room on Wednesday, May 30 [MTP]. Note: Fatout lists a reading for May 30.
April 17 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Letter from Lyman Gage, Secretary of the Treasury. Answered it one or 2 days later & asked for a note to Custom House” [NB 43 TS 8]. Note: see other entries for Lyman J. Gage, who was evidently the Treasurer of the Plasmon Syndicate. See Apr. 19 NB entry.
At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam replied to William James (sadly, James’ letter is not extant).
April 18 Wednesday – Christian B. Tauchnitz wrote from Maxen, Germany to Sam, the letter not extant but referred to in Tauchnitz’s May 12 [MTP].
Chatto & Windus’ Jan. 1, 1904 statement to Clemens shows 1,000 2s.0d. copies of P&P were printed, for a total printed to date of 14,250 [1904 Financials file MTP].
April 19 Thursday In London, England Sam wrote an aphorism to Miss Bessie S. Bowker, Peckham, S.E., London: “There isn’t a Parallel of Latitude but thinks it would have been the Equator if it had had its rights. / Truly Yours / Mark Twain / Miss Bessie S. Bowker. / Apl. 19, 1900” [MTP].
April 20 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Garrick Theatre—Zaza. / Wrote Mr. Rogers we sail June 16. / ‘Lost Child’! Heard it only in Hannibal. Was it never in England or elsewhere?” [NB 43 TS 8].
April 23 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “also Shakespeare’s day. / Wrote the letters to Sam Moffett & Lilly & Daisy Warner about Dr. Helmer” [NB 43 TS 8]. Note: Sam’s notebook had printed “St. George’s Day”.
April 24 Tuesday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to an unidentified man from an unidentified committee to decline an invitation to respond to a given toast, also unidentified. Sam could not do so, and would have to prepare a speech, but afterward “should never be able to remember it.”
April 25 Wednesday – At 30 Wellington Court in London, England Sam wrote to Frank Bliss.
Col. Harvey has been here, & I arranged with him that the Harpers are to issue no cheap editions of the old books….That is all stopped.
If you were going to issue a cheap “Library of Humor” it is just as well that the plates were melted, for we don’t want any cheap editions, I think. They don’t pay. / Sincerely… [MTP].