October 16 Friday – The New York Times, p. 9, “Says Arnold Daly Will Try Vaudeville,” reported that Percy Williams, vaudeville manager and proprietor of the Orpheum circuit announced that Arnold Daly and company would produce a new one-act farce by Mark Twain entitled “Becoming An Editor,” which would open at the Colonial Theatre in Brooklyn on Oct. 26.
Sam’s new guestbook:
Name Address Date Remarks
October 16 Saturday — In Redding, Conn. Sam inscribed a copy of Eve's Diary to Helen Schuyler Allen: “Helen Schuyler Allen M.A. / with the love of / The Author / Oct. 16/09.”” [MTP: Charles Hamilton catalog, 30 Sept. 1965, No. 9, Item 23].
Sam’s new guestbook:
October 17 Monday – Edumund D. Morel, head of the English Congo Reform Assoc. wrote to Sam. “I send you by an express messenger a packet of Congo literature.” He closed by asking for Sam’s photograph [MTP]. Hawkins writes that Morel visited Sam in his N.Y. house on this day [148].
October 17 Tuesday – In Dublin, N.H. Sam wrote to John Y. MacAlister in London about the passing of Henry Irving: “All our people mourn him. He earned their love & esteem at his first coming & never lost it. He was endeared to me by a warm friendship of thirty-three years” [MTP]. Note: Sam also ordered a wreath sent to Irving’s funeral [Clara’s enclosure in Oct. 19 to MacAlister].
October 17 Wednesday – Sam took “The long railway journey from Dublin” N.H. to N.Y.C. which he later wrote, “destroyed me for 7 whole days!” [Oct. 24 to Emilie Rogers].
Isabel Lyon’s journal: “This morning the King left early for Boston & he was in a dear mood. / Jean left by way of Keene. I took her over & put her on the train” [MTP TS 137].
October 17 Thursday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote a short note of recommendation for Mrs. Frances A. Ramsay as a stenographer “To whom it may concern”: I take the pleasure in saying that as a stenographer I found Mrs Ramsay competent & in all ways satisfactory” [MTP].
October 17 Saturday – Sam’s new guestbook:
Name Address Date Remarks
Geo. Neilgruen )
Gustave Kobbé ) From Harper & Bros, N.Y. October 17 To discuss my new copyright law
Mr. Phayre )
Note: Gustav Kobbé (1856-1918) was an author in his own right, with at least two books on opera. At the time of his accidental death from a hydroplane, Kobbe was the music and art critic of the NY Herald. John F. Phayne of Harpers.
October 17 Sunday — The New York Times, p. 1 reported on the condition of Ossip Gabrilowitsch:
TO OPERATE ON GABRILOWITCH
Mark Twain’s Son-in-Law HasAppendicitis—Cancels Sailing.
October 18 Tuesday – Sam wrote at least three letters which survive and carry this date’s postmark. The first, to daughter Jean and Isabel V. Lyon in Lee Mass.: “All right, Jean, you shall bring the mongrel cat” [MTP].
The second letter to Mary H. Hitchcock (Mrs. Roswell D. Hitchcock), President Entertainment Club, N.Y.C. declining an invitation to read [MTP].
The third to Isabel V. Lyon, enclosing Dr. G.W. Kirch’s bill and letter from the doctor’s attorney [MTP].
October 18 Thursday – Isabel Lyon’s journal:
Sack-Cloth & Ashes will have a good home with a Mr. Fisher—a clerk in Mr. Allison’s shop. The dear little cats have been distraught for 2 days now, for they sense the coming of something.
October 18 Friday – Joseph B. Gilder for Putnam’s Monthly wrote to again request Sam allow their sketch artist to draw Sam for the magazine; they’d done Choate and Howells; the artist didn’t require Clemens to sit but could walk around the room [MTP].
October 18 Sunday – Sam’s new guestbook:
Name Address Date Remarks
Miss Ethel Newcomb Interior N.Y. (& Vienna) October 18-21
October 18 Monday - In Redding, Conn. Albert B, Paine wrote for Sam to prof. Archibald Henderson at Univ. N. Carolina, Chapel Hill.
October 19 Wednesday – Edumund D. Morel wrote from the Union Club, NYC to Sam. “Not a single N.Y. daily newspaper has published my open letter to Cardinal Gibbons.” Much of this letter is illegible [MTP]. Note: James Gibbons (1834-1921), of Baltimore, American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Best known for his support of labor unions, in his later years he became the face of Catholicism in America.
October 19 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “19th Oct. ’06. This is what Katy is celebrating as her ‘anniversary.’ We also celebrate it, cordially. She has been with us 26 years” [NB 48 TS 5].
Agnes L. Brown wrote from Ottawa, Ontario Canada to Sam appreciating his article on Howells. She sent Sam two books, The Cape Breton Giant by “Mr. Gillis” and another unnamed [MTP]. Note: Gillis not in Gribben.
October 19 Saturday – In Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Sam wrote to Dorothy Quick in Plainfield, N.J.
October 19 Monday – Isabel Lyon’s journal: “This servant question is an anxiety. The running of the house is a big business. It almost commercializes one—first now the little house maid who has come and leans over me to say that she cannot stay unless she is able to go home nights to sleep with her mother. The quaint wee soul! I’m letting her go home to her mother’s bed tonight; but also she goes to talk to her mother and to try to make herself and her mother believe that she will get over her homesickness. Poor wee soul!
October 19 Tuesday — In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Mrs. Augusta M.D. Ogden, Tuxedo Park, N.Y.
Dear Mrs. Ogden: / Good—I shall be on the lookout for you.
Telephone, ‘774 Danbury.”
That is our call.
October – In N.Y.C. Sam inscribed a copy of HF to Mr. Holden: “To Mr. Holden / With the compliments of Mark Twain / October /04” [MTP: Park-Burnet Catalogs, 3 March 1938, Item 26].
Sam also inscribed a copy of Extracts from Adam’s Diary to an unidentified person: “With the kindest regards of / The Author / October /04” [MTP].
Sam inscribed one of the Gessford photos of himself taken at Lee, Mass in July to Ralph W. Ashcroft:
October – Sam inscribed an aphorism in a copy of P&P to an unidentified person: “On the whole it is better to deserve honors & not have them, than have them & not deserve them. / Truly Yours / Mark Twain / Oct/06” [MTP].
Sam also sent a signed aphorism on an octavo sheet to an unidentified person: “Taking the pledge will not make bad liquor good, but will improve it” [MTP].
October – Possibly this month Sam wrote a poem to Mary B. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers, Jr.) [MTP].
BUTTER WANTED
Any Kind: New; Old; Salted; Unsalted;
===
Odorless; Fragrant; Real preferred, but Oleomargarine not turned away.
Apply at the old stand, 21 Fifth av., at the Sign of the Butterfly.
___ ___ ___ ___
CORRECTED FORM
October – In Redding, Conn. Sam wrote to Amelia D. Hookway, principal of the George Howland Elementary school in Chicago.
P. S. to my secretary’s letter: