July 25 Wednesday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow. Inviting him to “Come out & see me,” and giving directions, then advising, “Don’t get lost—it takes an artist to do it.” After his signature Sam added, “If my friend J.Q. Adams of 88 Oakley street calls, you can freely talk about ‘Hadleyburg’ with him, you being my agent” [MTP]. Note: John Quincy Adams II, namesake of the President, died in 1894; so this JQA is not identified but may be a descendant.
England 1899-1900 DBD
July 26 Thursday – Jean Clemens’ twentieth birthday. Sam’s notebook: “Rev. Mr. Fowler came out to tea” [NB 43 TS 22].
At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to Daniel Willard Fiske, having just received Fiske’s note (not extant).
“Do run out, to-morrow or next day, or any day but Sunday (which is pre-empted) & take tea with us—or dinner if you can” [Sam gave directions] [MTP].
July 27 Friday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to Miss Helen F. Levy, Franconia, N.H.
“The signature in that telegram is genuine, but I think the date is an error. Whenever we can get half of a thing genuine let us be content, & hope it will not happen often enough to become monotonous” [MTP]. Note: neither Miss Levy nor the telegram are further identified
July 28 Saturday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to John Campbell Gordon (1847-1934), aka Marquess of Aberdeen:
July 29 Sunday – Lina W. Berle wrote from Boscawen, N.H. to Sam after having read JA for the fourth time; she liked it better each reading. She was a senior at Salem High School there [MTP].
July 31 Tuesday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to Richard Watson Gilder regarding a cable sent previously.
August – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to Frank Fuller [MTP]. Text not available.
Sam also mailed his photograph to Harper & Brothers. Only the photograph and envelope survive; a letter may or may not have been enclosed [MTP].
Will M. Clemens’ article, “Mark Twain on the Lecture Platform, etc.” ran in Ainslee’s Magazine (NY),
August 1 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Postcard from Bigelow. Apparently he has gone to Germany without attending to the Hadleyburg dramatic business” [NB 43 TS 23].
At Dollis Hill in London, England Sam wrote to William Dean Howells.
“I read the Difficult Situation [sic] night before last, & got a world of evil joy out of it.
August 2 Thursday – At Dollis Hill in London, England, Sam wrote to William Archer (1856-1924), Scottish critic and author who helped establish the work of Henrik Ibsen.
August 3 Friday – F.R. Fast, attorney at 100 Chambers St., N.Y. wrote to Sam to see if he wanted to be a publisher again, as he had a “very eminent scientist” who had “a remarkable manuscript” and had given him $32,000 of advance subscriptions [MTP].
August 5 Sunday – In his Aug. 12 letter to Joe Twichell, Sam revealed a visit “a week ago” for tea by Daniel Willard Fiske, Brander Matthews, and Mr. and Mrs. Dean Sage, the latter visiting from Buffalo, N.Y. Katy Leary recalled a visit by the Matthews family at Dollis Hill [Lawton 191].
T. Douglas Murray wrote to Sam. His wife had found the “lecture MS” in a box and he had had a “good clear copy of your original made …which please accept from me” [MTP].
August 6 Monday – Sam’s notebook entry contains author, title, and publisher of: Pre-Historic America. by Jean Francois Albert du Pouget Nadaillac (1818-1904), Putnam (1884) [Gribben 497; NB 43 TS 23].
August 7 Tuesday – Ernest Hendrie (1859-1929), English actor and playwright, wrote from London to Sam. “I have had an interview with Mr. Bigelow concerning Hadleyburg, of which he has doubtless apprised you.” Much of the note is on the edge of illegible [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “Hendrie. Terms for Hadleyburg. Aug. /00”. See NB entry Aug. 9.
August 8 Wednesday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote to William Archer, praising his new book America To-day, Observations and Reflections.
August 9 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Army & Navy—drainage—cigars. / Letter from Hendrie stating terms agreed upon by him & Poultney Bigelow. H. to dramatise Hadleyburg & take 2/3 of the profits” [NB 43 TS 23]. Note: see incoming from Ernest Hendrie, Aug. 7.
Chatto & Windus’ Jan. 1, 1904 statement to Clemens shows 1,000 2s.0d. copies of CY were printed, or a total printed to date of 14,000 [1904 Financials file MTP].
August 10 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Candlestick. / Joan of Arc play / Smythe, 16 Adam st / Hair-Cut / Steamship, 15 st / Cigars” [NB 43 TS 23].
August 11 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Died suddenly at 3 a.m. yesterday the Lord Chief Justice of England. We dined with him 4th of July” [NB 43 TS 23]. Note: Baron Charles Russell of Killowen, Lord Chief Justice.
August 12 Sunday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote a long letter to Frank Fuller in N.Y. on the merits of Plasmon, enclosing two circulars on the product [MTP: Anderson Auction catalog, Nov. 6-7, 1924, No. 1870, Item 83].
Sam also replied to James B. Pond’s latest platform offer of ten nights at $10,000, declining though the offer was “handsome, but it does not seduce. I am out of the field, & am not likely to ever enter it again” [MTP].
August 13 Monday – H. de Lima Woods wrote from Kilburn NW, London to Sam about the Dollis Hill house. Some drainage work needed to be done and as a result some of the flooring had to be taken up. The work would be “executed as quickly as possible” [MTP].
August 14 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Promenade deck each of 2 rooms £85. / Two outside rooms on main deck (no ports) £52 each. / Or, one inside room on that deck, £48. / Maid £15 in place with servants” [NB 43 TS 23]. Note: See Aug. 17 entry.
At Dollis Hill House in London, Sam wrote a brief note to Brander Matthews.
August 15 Wednesday – If Sam’s intentions were met, he and Livy hosted Brander Matthews and family, sharing tea and cake and dinner [Aug. 14 to Matthews]. Note: NB entry seems to confirm.
Sam’s notebook: “Candlestick / Bicycle / Gift-books. / Telegram / Dinner & tea Wednes / Inform American Line / Resign from Plasmon” [NB 43 TS 23-24].
August 16 Thursday – Sam made a call on the widow of Charles Russell, Baron of Killowen and Chief Justice of England, who had died Aug. 9 [Aug. 17 to MacAlister].
Sam’s notebook: “Plasmon, Duke [Street] / Lord Aberdeen / 58 Grosvenor st. (Has gone to Haddo House)” [NB 43 TS 24].
August 17 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “MacA & W to lunch” [NB 43 TS 24].
At Dollis Hill House in London, Sam wrote to John Y. MacAlister.
I don’t know when I have been so disappointed. I got all work cleared away & was ready for friends & luxurious leisure. And the weather—well, it was imported for the occasion.
August 18 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Susy died 4 years ago. / All remained at home at Dollis Hill & saw no company” [NB 43 TS 24].
At 7:30 a.m. at Dollis Hill House in London, Sam replied to Joe Twichell (incoming not extant).
No, it was not gastritis alone that the Chief Justice died of—that was a journalistic error: he had a cancer.
I get this from a physician.
August 19 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Third-personing speeches a fad. / Winston Churchill’s. / Ethel Newcomb’s remittance collected by a scullery maid. / Xing cheques. / Endorsing Bk notes & entering the numbers” [NB 43 TS 24].