Weggis 1897 Day By Day

August 1 Sunday – Since 1891 the Swiss celebrated this as their National Day (of Independence) owing to a reference in the 1291 Charter for “early August.” Parades, bonfires, and baking marked the day.

Sam’s notebook:

August 12 Thursday – The Fisk Jubilee Singers were on a European tour, with stops at Basel, Bern, and Zurich. On July 1 they sang in Lucerne in the great hall of the Union Hotel; this was before the Clemenses arrival on July 14. After disappointing audiences at the July 1 and 3 performances, a second concert at the Hotel was planned for Aug. 8, which was “a great success,” with 200 in the audience. The singers then came to Weggis [Locher 18].

August 13 Friday – Sam’s notebook:

“The Jubilee Singers sang at the Lowen last night—diviner, even, than in their early days, 26 years ago. They came up to the house this morning & sang to us. They are as fine people s I am acquainted with in any country” [NB 42 TS 24-5].

In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, advising that Katharine Harrison’s July 30 had arrived with the news that Bliss had paid the $10,000.

August 14 Saturday – The Illustrated American ran “Dear Old Mark Twain” with several photos and an in-depth report with “Stories of Mark Twain’s Boyhood” [eBay items 350243764833 Aug. 31, 2009; and 120453602604, Aug. 3, 2009]. Thanks to JoDee Benussi.

August 15 Sunday – The Lucerne newspaper Vaterland reported his presence in the country but did not give away the village of Weggis:

The well-known American author Mark Twain lives presently in Switzerland finishing a new book which will be titled, “The Surviving Innocents” for American readers and “More Tramps Abroad,” for the English [Locher 16].

August 16 Monday – In Weggis, Sam recorded a local tragedy in his notebook:

August 17 Tuesday – Sam passed Katharine I. Harrison’s letter of July 30 (which had arrived on Aug. 13; see to Rogers that date) informing him of Bliss’ payment of the $10,000 for FE on to Chatto & Windus.

August 18 Wednesday – The anniversary of Susy Clemens’ death. From Sam’s Aug. 22 letter to Wayne MacVeagh:

August – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus [MTP].

August 2 Monday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam took advantage of a library to obtain new reading material. Sam’s notebook:

“Aug. 2. Monday. Left 5 fr at the circulating library; 3 are a deposit, the 2 pay for 2 books a week. I took a couple of Trollope’s—2 vol. each” [NB 42 TS 23].

In York Harbor, Maine, William Dean Howells wrote to Sam.

August 21 Saturday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus, enclosing “all the proof I have” for FE. He asked what date Bliss had settled on for Chatto to issue the book. Would Chatto coordinate terms with translators and Continental publishers? Sam also requested “2 dozen strong big envelops—of a size big enough to hold 3 quires of my paper comfortably.” He wanted them for unfinished articles.

August 22 Sunday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to Wayne MacVeagh, having delayed in thanking him for “providing me a friend in Vienna.” Sam had just finished with the last proofs of his book the day before, and pronounced it “the only book I have ever confined myself to from title-page to Finis without the relief of shifting to other work meantime.” He had:

August 23 Monday – Samuel Rutherford Crockett (1860-1914) wrote to Sam.

“I’ve got some boys I’d like to send you, if I might. I think Tom and Huck would like to know them. One of them is called ‘Cleg Kelly.’ Hully Gee, what a scrap there’d a been if Tom and Cleg had met” [Gribben 165; MTP].

August 28 Saturday – An anonymous article, “Mr. Stead on Mark Twain,” ran in the London Academy Fiction Supplement, August 28, p. 58-9. Tenney: “An excerpt from the sketch of MT (here attributed to William T. Stead) in the Review of Reviews” [26].

August 30 Monday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to the Editors of the Century , enclosing a tribute to his long-time neighbor, the incomparable scholar James Hammond Trumbull, who died on Aug. 5. Richard Watson Gilder, Robert Underwood Johnson, and Clarence C. Buel were running the Century Co. at this time and published Sam’s piece, “James Hammond Trumbull, The Tribute of a Neighbor” in the Nov.

August 4 Wednesday – Sam’s recorded in his notebook that he “Began Hellfire Hotchkiss” on this day [NB 42 TS 24]. Sam’s alternate title was “Sugar-Rag Hotchkiss” [MTS&B 175n5; see surviving chapters, p. 175-203].

F. Kaplan writes of this unfinished work:

August 5 Thursday – James Hammond Trumbull (1821-1897) died. Trumbull, with whom Sam enjoyed a personal as well as a professional relationship, was the contributor of the multi-lingual headings in GA, as well as a scholar and Hartford historian, whose work on the philology and history of Native Americans made his reputation. See indexed entries, Vol. I&II, MTDBD on Trumbull. Sam wrote a tribute to the man sometime during the family’s stay in Weggis. The article ran in the Hartford Courant on Nov.

August 6 Friday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam replied to H.H. Rogers’ July 23 (not extant), discussing plans for the deluxe edition of his uniform works, including a letter Samuel McClure had sent “a couple of days ago…from London.” McClure’s letter included a copy of Frank N.

August 7 Saturday – In Lucerne, Switzerland Sam replied to Samuel S. McClure’s July 28 (not extant). Evidently McClure had sought an interview or contribution from Mark Twain, but Sam replied there were “business reasons why it will be best for Barr to do the thing without corresponding with me.” After his signature, he added:

August 9 Monday – In Weggis, Switzerland Sam wrote to Andrew Chatto: “These latter batches of sheets are divine—it is no vexation to read them.” He added that he forgot what his PS was, and asked for a “cheap ‘P’dn. Wilson. Unbound; just the sheets” [MTP].

The Human is a Fool, Hypocrite & Humbug – Contract at Last
London: “Chartless, Adrift Derelicts”– Victoria’s Jubilee – Orion Dies
N.Y. Herald Fund – Twain’s Death an Exaggeration – Peaceful Weggis & Writing Vienna &
“Leschy” for Clara – Stirring Times in Austria – FE Published

1897 – Sam recorded he was paid $11,398.65 this year by the American Publishing Co and
noted “Equator” by the entry. He estimated the Co. “cleared say $3,000” [NB 46 TS 17].

July 12 Monday – At 8 a.m. the Clemens family left London, bound for the Continent. Rodney points out they would be in “exile” for three more years [209].

The normal route Belgium, then to to Weggis on Lake Lucerne, Switzerland would have been Dover to Flushing, Cologne, Germany and south through Germany, then through Basle to Lucerne

July 13 Tuesday – The Clemens family left Flushing, Belgium and traveled on to Cologne, arriving after midnight (July 14); they took rooms at the Victoria Hotel. Sam’s notebook gives particulars, beginning with the railroad station in Flushing.

Huge map 15 x 15 feet (Holland) in the RR station—made of tiles—brilliant polish, strong colors, vividly readable at a great distance—beautiful—& good sense.

July 14 Wednesday – The Clemens family arrived in Cologne, Germany at 12:30 after midnight. They had to settle for rooms at the Victoria Hotel, discovering there was no “Grand Hotel.” Sam’s notebook gives particulars:

arr. Cologne 12.30 a m—no hotel—went to the Victoria after sending a telegram to the imaginary “Grand.” H–l of a hotel, but cheap, 43 marks for everything, i.e. lodging & breakfast-coffee.

July 15 Thursday – Lucerne, Switzerland. Sam wrote to Henry M. Stanley. Cue: “Professor Levi of Michigan University” [MTP]. Note: letter UCCL 13296 is currently unavailable at MTP.