October 11 Tuesday – Robert Shelton Mackenzie (1809-1881), editor of the Phila. Press wrote: “You will see by the enclosed, which I had much pleasure in writing, as far as your book [IA] is concerned, that you are somewhat appreciated in our Quaker City. / Yours…” [MTP]. MacKenzie’s review is in the file; it praises Twain as “one of the three great living American prose humorists” the others being Harte and Oliver Wendell Holmes.
October 13 Thursday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Mary Mason Fairbanks. Mary’s daughter Alice (“Alie”) was engaged. Sam wanted Mary to visit. Charles Langdon had married Ida B. Clark on Oct. 12, but Sam was too busy to go and Livy was unable [MTL 4: 208-9].
Sam also wrote Elisha Bliss:
October 15 Saturday – “Mark Twain – His Map and Fortifications of Paris” was reprinted in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 238].
October 18 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Frank Church, editor of Galaxy. Sam sent a doodled “portrait” of King William of Prussia, parodying the use of portraits in the magazine [MTL 4: 210].
October 19 Wednesday – In Buffalo, Clemens wrote to Francis P. Church:
I am so stupid. I forgot that it will be two or three weeks before I can see whether you are going to want that portrait & burlesque or not—so you must sit right down & write me even if you have to delay your dinner a minute or two. Will you?
October 20 Thursday – An earthquake struck Buffalo at about 5 p.m., and “lasted only thirty or fourty seconds. Church steeples and chandeliers swayed. Walls of buildings shook, windows shattered, and furniture moved across floors” [Reigstad 171].
October 21 Friday – An article attributed to Sam, “The Libel Suit,” was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 246].
Mortimer Neal Thomson (Q.K. Philander Doesticks, P.B.) wrote from NY.
I don’t believe you’ve forgotten me, and I don’t want you to put on airs and pretend you have, just because I’m going to remind you of a promise.
October 22 Saturday – Francis P. Church of the Galaxy wrote:
“Dear Twain: / The portrait is all right. I will give it to the engraver immediately.
We wont talk about your giving up at the end of the year. It is something not to be even thought of for a moment” [MTPO]. Note: a doodled portrait of King William of Prussia; see Oct. 18.
October 26 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss asking if he thought his articles in the Galaxy had hurt book sales. He had notified Frank Church at the Galaxy that his year would be up with April’s edition. Even though Sam had expounded firmly that he was done lecturing, now he said, “I half expected to lecture a little next year” [MTL 4: 212]
October 27 Thursday – Edward Eggleston (1837-1902), in an article in The Independent said he was amused by Sam’s sketch in the Galaxy, but more impressed by a poem of Helen Hunt’s [Tenney 3].
October 28 Friday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss, asking him to send or have sent a copy of Innocents Abroad to “Mortimore Thomson, ‘better known,’ (as they have the thrice-infernal fashion of saying of me,) as ‘Q.K. Philander Doesticks, P.B.’ ” [MTL 4: 215].
Clemens also wrote to the secretary of Goethean Literary Society, Lancaster, Penn.
October 29 Saturday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss. Sam disrespected one “Colonel” Albert S. Evans.
October 31 Monday – Sam wrote again from Buffalo to Dr. Iretus G. Cardner that the letter Sam received did not indicate any money Sam had sent [MTL 4: 219].
November – In the Galaxy for this month—MARK TWAIN’S MEMORANDA – Included:
“Riley – Newspaper Correspondent”
“Goldsmith’s Friend Abroad Again, Letters V – VI”
“A Reminiscence of the Back Settlements”
“A General Reply”
“Favors from Correspondents”
Also a Special Feature not in Memoranda: “Mark Twain’s Map of Paris” [Schmidt].
November 2 Wednesday – Elisha Bliss wrote to Sam:
Dear Twain / Yours recd Yes I got your article. “It is accepted” (a. la. N.Y. Ledger) Thanks for same—
Paper will be out last of the month—
How would your Bro. do for an editor of it—?
Would he be satisfied with $100. per month for present, until we could do better by him—?—
November 4 Friday – Sam wrote to John Henry Riley, letter not extant but referred to in Riley’s Nov. 22.
November 5 Saturday – Sam’s article, “A Reminiscence of the Back Settlements,” which had appeared in the November issue of the Galaxy, was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 248].
November 6 Sunday – Whitelaw Reid wrote to ask Sam if he knew of some person who “can send us good dispatches on election night” [MTP].
November 7 Monday – Olivia gave birth to a boy, Langdon Clemens, a month premature, four and a half pounds at 11 AM. Sam telegraphed from Buffalo to Olivia Lewis Langdon, Livy’s mother: “mother & child doing well…Fairbanks is coming” [MTL 4: 225].
Olivia Lewis Langdon telegraphed congratulations: “The Mothers and Grandmas blessing on mother and child” [MTP].
November 8 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to James Redpath, about the birth of Langdon, who Sam claimed had gone lecturing already on the subject of “Milk,” after a lecture by the name of “Milk and Natral Histry” by Josh Billings [MTL 4: 227].
November 9 Wednesday – Baby Langdon’s condition became critical, most likely from complications of premature birth. He improved after Nov. 11 [MTL 4: 231n5].
Clara Spaulding wrote from Elmira congratulations on “Baby Clemens” to Livy & Sam [MTP].
November 11 Friday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Orion, chastising him for his responses to Bliss’ offer of employment. He added, “Livy is very sick & I do not believe the baby will live five days” [MTL 4: 229-230].
Sam also wrote to Livy’s friend, Fidele A. Brooks about the new baby, after receiving a note from her [231].
November 12 Saturday – Sam’s article, “A General Reply,” which had appeared in the November issue of the Galaxy, was printed in the Buffalo Express [McCullough 250].
Sam wrote from Buffalo to James Redpath, wishing he could be at the Press Club dinner that night and that he “sent the boys a dispatch” [MTL 4: 235-6].
November 14 Monday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Jesse C. Haney (1820-1901), writer and publisher of various handbooks, and editor and publisher of humor magazines. Sam declined to write for almanacs, writing that it “belongs to Josh & I won’t touch it.” He didn’t mind caricatures of himself, but not his new baby, in case Langdon didn’t live [MTL 4: 238].
November 15 Tuesday – Charles Langdon wrote to Sam enclosing papers for Livy to sign on a deed, the contract of which Jervis ordered before his death “for some property on R.R. Ave adjoining the Boot & Shoe Manuf” [MTP].