England 1899-1900 DBD

August 23 Wednesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to General John Tatlock, Jr., 32 Nassau St., NYC. Only the envelope survives [MTP: eBay item 1839204511]. Note: Tatlock (d. 1902) was an astronomer and assistant actuary of the Mutual Life Ins. Co. of NY. He was also secretary of the Actuarial Society and a member of the American Mathematical Society.

August 23 Thursday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote a short note to W.H. Helm, London publisher. “They have arrived, & I am very much obliged. I shall apply the test to all of them to-day” [MTP]. Note: Gribben lists Studies in Style by W.H. Helm for 1900 [306].

Sam’s notebook: “See 27th. / Visit the ship at Tilbury” [NB 43 TS 25].

August 24 Thursday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to Hans L. Braekstad

Unhappily for me I was obliged to telegraph a request to the National Theatre Director. Kellgren has promised to deliver me from an ailment of six years standing; I think it is rather plain that he is going to succeed; so it would not be fair to interrupt the process in the middle & risk the loss of the ground gained.

August 24 Friday – At Dollis Hill House in London, Sam inscribed a copy of The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories and Sketches to Ethel Bell (Mrs. C. Moberly Bell): “To Mrs. C. Moberly Bell with the compliments of the Author / London, Aug. 24/00” [MTP: The Jenkins Co. catalog, No. 139, Item 195].

August 25 Friday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to T. Douglas Murray, who was working on publishing the Official Records of the Joan of Arc Trials in Rouen, and the “Rehabilitation.” Sam had agreed some time ago to write the introduction.

Yours (undated) has arrived [not extant]. I do hope his Majesty will give you leave, & I am very glad you think the prospect of it so good….

August 25 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Murrays come to luncheon—arrive about 1” [NB 43 TS 25]. Note: T. Douglas Murray. See Aug. 27 unsent letter to Murray.

Harper’s Weekly ran E.E. Beach’s review of The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg on p. 806. Tenney: “A general and largely uncritical description of several stories in the new book” [32].

August 26 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Human Peculiarities as Exhibited in History” [NB 43 TS 25].

Williston Fish wrote to Sam.

August 27 Monday – At Dollis Hill House in London, England Sam wrote two letters to T. Douglas Murray, the first bears Sam’s note at the top: “Never sent; I hadn’t the heart. He never meant any harm; he was only ignorant & stupid. /

S.L.C., Sept. 7.” The unsent letter:

August 29 Tuesday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote to T. Douglas Murray.

“Stop—I may be wrong; my bad memory may be deceiving me; I may be mistaken in thinking that the bulk of Joan’s history lies in the Rehabilitation Process. But you will know, & will pay no attention to me if I am in error. It is five years since I have seen the records.”

Sam had done some editing on the introduction for Murray’s Joan of Arc book to suit Livy and himself , and estimated it now ran 3,500 words [MTP].

August 29 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “There are bigots who can accept nothing which their party-opposites approve. If you could work the mulitiplication table into a democratic platform the republicans wd vote it down at the election” [NB 43 TS 25].

August 3 Thursday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote a long letter to H.H. Rogers

“Yours of July 6 [not extant] is just at hand. I wondered where it could have been spending its vacation; but I find by the N.Y. postmark that you didn’t mail it until it was 14 days old. …”

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 30 Thursday – T. Douglas Murray wrote to Sam, that he “admired immensely” the Introduction Sam had written for the Joan of Arc reference book he was editing [MTP].

August 31 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Send book to Mrs. Lart, Wellington Ct.” [NB 43 TS 25].

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 Sunday – Elizabeth Robins wrote from Vulpera Switzerland to Sam. “Your beautiful letter reached me last night and it has made me very happy. I have been proud for so long to sit at your feet, that to have you …speak such words is enough” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “From Miss Robbins, author of ‘An Open Question.’ Keep it. SLC”

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 Monday – In Sanna, Sweden Sam wrote an aphorism to E.S. (not further identified):“Nearly all of us have Music & Truth in us, but the most of us can’t get it out” [MTP].

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 31 Thursday

Autumn – Sam wrote a piece titled, “A Simplified Alphabet” in response to the simplified spelling movement in the United States. It began:

Uniform Edition de luxe – $ 10,000 Tumbles In – “Splendid Bird, Set Her Again” Politics of Peace – Hadleyburg – Making Fun of Mrs. Eddy Budapest Reading – Karl Kraus & Critics – Twain in Top Ten– Authorized Bio Sketch – “Concerning the Jews”– Vienna Farewell – Kellgren’s “System” Becomes Osteopathy Club Dinners Galore – Sanna for the Damned – Boer War Not Boring – London Hermits

December 1 Friday – In London, England Sam wrote a postcard reply to John Y. MacAlister.

“Thank you ever so much.

Dine there—with the L.C.J. & millions of journalists present? No-no, I have lately come of age, & know better. / SLC” [MTP].

December 10 Sunday – “My First Lie and How I Got Out of It,” ran in the Sunday supplement of the N.Y. World. It was collected in The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories and Essays and My Debut as a Literary Person, with Other Essays and Stories (1903) [Budd, Collected 2: 1005; AMT-1: 707]. Note: Sam first drafted the piece on Oct. 28.