March – Sam inscribed a copy of Huckleberry Finn to Edith Beecher: To Edith Beecher with the very best wishes of Mark Twain March 1885 [MTP].
Sam made many day trips to New York during the month, as General Grant’s strength waned. From Perry:
March 1 Sunday – Washington, D.C.: George W. Cable wrote home that he spent the day with friends “Carrie Henderson & her husband Lieut. Wadhams.” Cable wrote: “Clemens was with us. I got him out to church at last!” [Turner, MT & GWC 114].
From Sam’s notebook:
In October, I will go to Pittsfield & read “Mental Telegraphy” to the Young Ladies Club—a promise made to Miss Dawes. Mch 1/85 [MTNJ 3: 99 & n106].
March 2 Monday – Sam wrote from Washington, D.C. to J. Chipchase, who evidently solicited information on Feb. 23 from Sam about the American Bank Note & Co. stock, and called Sam “shrewd.” The stock was down, no doubt, as Sam answered he was:
March 3 Tuesday – The New York Times printed a small announcement paragraph on page 5:
Messrs. Charles L. Webster & Co, publishers of this city, have been engaged by Gen. Grant to publish his forthcoming book entitled “Personal Reminiscences.” The book is in two volumes of about 500 pages each, and is to be sold only by subscription. The manuscript of the first volume is ready for the press and will be issued soon. Gen. Grant is engaged every day upon the second volume, which is well advanced toward completion.
March 4 Wednesday – General Grant had resigned his commission rather than wait till retirement, which left him without retirement income. Upon failure of Grant & Ward brokerage firm on Wall Street, the General was bankrupt. Chester A.
March 5 Thursday – Sam reached Hartford and home in the afternoon. He wrote from there to Orion and Mollie Clemens. He thought it best to put off a reading-trip to England and Australia until the next year as he wanted to closely supervise the canvas of Grant’s biography, which Webster & Co. would publish. Upon reflection he wrote,
“Ma seems to be growing young again very fast” [MTP].
March 6 Friday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Charles Webster, reporting that the furnace had not been improved, even “after spending all that money” to do so. Livy claimed it was even “less capable than it was before.” Get right on it, Charley, and let Sam know what the furnace repairman says [MTP].
March 8 Sunday – Sam’s coup of Grant’s memoirs, though not widely proclaimed, had been noticed. The Brooklyn Eagle, on p. 2 reported that Sam was in New York:
March 9 Monday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Roswell Smith, editor/owner of the Century Magazine.
All right—I’ve just written to Cable; & when he gives me the date I want him to furnish it to you & Gilder also, so you can work out the N.Y. end of the enterprise.
March 10 Tuesday – The Hartford Daily Courant, page one, printed “Grant’s War Reminiscences,” which included Sam’s comments on how he acquired the contract to publish the Memoirs.
Richard Watson Gilder for Century Magazine wrote urging Sam to come and consult with them about the Grant matter. Gilder was reacting to announcements made about Grant’s Memoirs by the Webster Co. [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Had a talk about it”
March 11 Wednesday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Charles Casey. He addressed Casey as “Ex-President.” This is probably the Charles Casey Sam wrote to on May 15, 1876, president of a “Mark Twain Fan Club” in Ireland.
March 12 Thursday – Reginald Cholmondeley wrote having read he was “about to visit England” and asked for him to send his address. He added, “I have been reading Huckleberry Finn with delight. You appear to be inexhaustible & evergreen but is it possible that blood-feuds really existed in Arkansas within 50 years? I want to present you to the original Bilgewater” [MTP].
D.W. Howland wrote. See Mar. 13 to Howells [MTP].
March 13 Friday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Charles Webster about an offer made by the Rose Publishing Co. of Toronto, Canada (see also Dec. 8, 1884 entry). Sam advised Webster not to trust Rose’s word, but to draw a contract or bond that would “tie him fast to it,” such as a forfeit.
March 14 Saturday – In New York City, Sam autographed a banquet invitation at Delmonico’s to British actor Henry Irving. About this day Sam presented the proofs of volume one of Grant’s Memoirs to the General for his approval [Perry 166]. Note: Sam may have been in New York between this day and Mar. 20, since Perry puts this presentation of proofs as the “third week in March.”
March 15 Sunday – The Sunday San Francisco Chronicle loved Huck Finn:
Anyone who has ever lived in the Southwest, or who has visited that section, will recognize the truth of all these sketches and the art with which they are brought into this story [Perry 144-5].
March 16 Monday – The Concord, Mass. Public Library banned Huck Finn from its shelves (see Sam’s Mar. 18 to Webster). The Boston Globe reported the event on the following day.
Sam inscribed a copy of Huckleberry Finn to Edwin P. Parker: “To / Rev E.P. Parker / with the warmest / regards of / The Author. / Hartford, March 16, 1885” [MTP].
March 17 Tuesday – In Hartford, Sam inscribed a copy of Huckleberry Finn to Margaret Warner, daughter of George Warner: “To / Margaret Warner / with the love of / The Author / Hartford March 17, 1885” [MTP].
The banning of Huck Finn by the Concord Public Library brought this article from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, which quoted library board members, one of whom said:
March 18 Wednesday – In Hartford, Sam wrote to Robert Underwood Johnson, editor of Century Magazine, who had written asking if Sam wanted to contribute to the upcoming “Battles and Leaders of the Civil War” series.
March 19 Thursday – Susy Clemens’ thirteenth birthday.
Howells wrote again on Mar. 19 and changed the date for the Tavern Club gathering to Monday, Mar. 23 [MTHL 2: 523]. He also invited Thomas Bailey Aldrich [524n1].
March 20 Friday – Sam went to New York City for the weekend and stayed at the Everett House [Mar. 14 to Pond; Mar.
March 21 Saturday – Sam and Cable gave a reading in Steinway Hall, N.Y. Clemens included: “A Dazzling Achievement,” “Tragic Tale of the Fishwife,” “Incorporated Company of Mean Men,” and “The Bluejay’s Mistake” [MTPO].
Sam telegraphed from New York City to Livy:
“Gerhardt worked three hours in General Grants presence yesterday with excellent results” [MTP].
March 22 Sunday – Sam probably returned to Hartford as planned (see Mar. 16 to Pond) but there is no documentation. However, since Sam and Livy traveled to Boston on Mar. 23, this is the last date Sam could have returned home.
March 23 Monday – Sam and Livy went to Boston for a short visit with the Howellses [MTHL 2: 522-3]. Sam and Howells joined in the fun at the Tavern Club.
March 24 Tuesday – The Howellses put on a tea for Livy Clemens. In his Mar. 19 letter moving up the date for the Tavern Club gathering with Sam, Howells wrote:
Mrs. Clemens must not think we are putting up much of a party on her. It will be short and sharp, and she will feel better when it is over. Don’t let her be tired by apprehension of it. We are joyous to think of seeing you both [MTHL 2: 523-4].
March 25 Wednesday – Sam’s article, “The Carson Fossil-Footprints” was re-printed in the Sacramento Record–Union. The Twainian article speculates that this article, which was misdated by Merle Johnson in his 1935 bibliography, was planted by Sam as a way of promoting Huckleberry Finn, and because he knew an old friend on the staff of the paper [May-June, 1949 p1]. Note: Budd’s list, furnished by Thomas Tenney, shows this piece for 1884 in&nbs