January 21 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “ ‘Name the greatest of all the inventors. Accident’” [NB 44 TS 4].
Livy and Clara Clemens left New York bound for Washington, where Clara would debut as a singer on Jan. 22 [Jan. 21 to A. Langdon]. Note: They returned back to New York on Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. probably right after Clara’s performance [Jan. 22 to E. Rogers].
January 22 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Be at Helmer’s, 5 p.m. & wait for Mr. Rogers / Dr. Rice’s 7.45 Carriage at 7.35” [NB 44 TS 4]. Note: Clemens and H.H. Rogers had an appointment at Osteopath George J. Helmer’s, Madison Ave. and 31st Street [Jan 21 to Rogers].
January 23 Wednesday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam began a reply to Joe Twichell that he finished Jan. 24. (Twichell’s incoming not extant, yet from Sam’s text we can deduce at least some of the subject matter of Joe’s letter).
Certainly. I used to take it in my coffee, but it settled to the bottom in the form of mud, & I had to eat it [Plasmon] with a spoon; so I dropped the custom & took my 2 teaspoonfuls in cold milk after breakfast. …
January 24 Thursday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam finished his Jan. 23 to Joe Twichell, confirming that Livy approved of Joe staying with them; asked for a day or two notice should he come.
January 25 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “University Club 5th Ave & 54th St Supper & music 9 p.m.” [NB 44 TS 4].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote on a letter in French from H. Montheré (Nov. 6, 1900) to Chatto Windus. Montheré had requested translating rights to RI.
January 26 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “New York Theatre—box (?)” [NB 44 TS 4]. Note: see insert ad for New York Theatre, Broadway at 45th Street.
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to William Oliver Fuller, Jr. (b.1856), journalist, author, lecturer, editor of the Rockland (Me.) Courier-Gazette, humorous writer for various N.Y. papers.
January 27 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “64 W. 104th” [NB 44 TS 4].
January 28 Monday – Sam’s notebook:
January 29 Tuesday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Joe Twichell.
Dear Joe,—
I’m not expecting anything but kicks for scoffing, & am expecting a diminution of my bread & butter by it, but if Livy will let me I will have my say. This nation is like all the others that have been spewed upon the earth—ready to shout for any cause that will tickle its vanity or fill its pocket. What a hell of a heaven it will be, when they get all these hypocrites assembled there!
January 31 Thursday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Irving S. Underhill. “Friday. Dear Mr. Underhill: will you call at my house at 10.30 a.m. to morrow or Sunday or Monday & talk about this” [MTP]. Note: Since Jan. 31 was a Thursday, either Sam had the day wrong or this is miscataloged.
February – The North American Review ran Mark Twain’s article, “To the Person Sitting in Darkness.” It was not included in any collections during his lifetime [Budd, Collected 2: 1006], though it was republished in pamphlet form. Note: He received many letters of response on this significant article, which recast him as a patriot in the eyes of many. There were critics, however, sometimes severe in their treatment of the piece and of Clemens.
February 1 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Tell the story of (the woman whose young daughter was seduced by her second husband) Tut Reynolds. / Laffan, 8 to meet Mrs. Millet” [NB 44 TS 4].
February 2 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Speyor [sic ] calls for me. Afternoon, 330. East side poor?” [NB 44 TS 5]. Note: James Speyer (1861-1941), American banker, who, along with his wife, Ellin Prince Lowry Speyer (d. 1921) helped to organize the University Settlement Society in 1891 and was also involved in many social, educational, and cultural organizations in N.Y.C., including the Speyer school at Columbia University.
February 3 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Write Introduction to 100-Year Book. Mrs. Schieffelin, 242 E. 15th” [NB 44 TS 5].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Edward W. Ordway, secretary of the Anti-Imperialist League. “I myself have no objections; for the other necessary permission I will refer you to Colonel Harvey of the North American Review…” [MTP]. Note: the League requested to reprint in pamphlet form, “To The Person Sitting in Darkness.”
February 4 Monday – [pdf box located in February 3 entry]
Sam’s notebook: “Bliss, at 26 Bway, 3 pm. / Publish Adam’s Diary. / Harvey, you don’t advertise. Carry Adam’s Diary along—get it in April No.” [NB 44 TS 5].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Channing H. Cook of the Plasmon Co., NYC, asking for “several pounds (in quarter-pound packages)” to be sent to Katharine I. Harrison [MTP].
February 5 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Twichell comes, in evening. Riggs, 7.30. 150 Central Park South” [NB 44 TS 5].
H. Brown of Quincy, Ill. wrote compliments of Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article [MTP].
William Augustus Croffut for the Washington (D.C.) Anti-Imperialist League wrote compliments and of the “extreme jubilation” his household was in after reading Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article [MTP].
February 6 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Introduction 100-year. Gov’t in hands of Xn Sci, or R. Catholics? Whole suffrage introduced to save Protestantism in 1950, but too late; R C & XSC ahead—got the field” [NB 44 TS 5].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Andrew Carnegie, Paine offering it was done “in the midst of the tumult” created by his “Sitting in Darkness” article [MTB 1132]:
February 7 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Chas Fairchild 10 W. 8th—8 p.m.” [NB 44 TS 5].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Oliver O. Howard asking for “good seats” for his wife and daughters for the Feb. 11 Lincoln Celebration night [MTP].
Judson Smith for the American Board of Commissioners wrote to Sam (in part here):
My Dear Mr. Clemens:
February 8 Friday – Sam’s notebook:
Subject: How to make things go, at a dinner. Dusting off list. Something to take place of candle-shade burnings developing into Great Fire of London.
Make talk general. How do you like Chicago? It’s a kindness to people who can’t talk—they can listen. Saharas of silence, with nothing visible from horizon—can’t think of a thing to say.
February 9 Saturday – Harper’s Weekly ran an article to answer the question, “Is the Philippine Policy of the Administration Just?” John Kendrick Bangs answered in the affirmative, while Mark Twain took the opposition. See Bigelow’s Feb. 19 reference to the argument.
Edward Peterson wrote from Stratford, Iowa with compliments of Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article, which made him want to shout “Hurrah for Mark Twain” [MTP].
February 10 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Maybe the Welchs from Hartford” [NB 44 TS 6].
Charles Johnston of Flushing, N.Y. wrote compliments of Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article; he mentioned the pleasure of meeting him at Mrs. Boudinot Keiths’ Studio a few weeks ago [MTP]. Note: Mrs. Boudinot Keith was Dora Wheeler Keith, daughter of Candace Wheeler and longtime friend of the Clemenses.
February 11 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Carnegie Hall, Lincoln’s birthday. School of citizenship & patriotism” [NB 44 TS 6].
The New York Times, Feb. 13, p.1, reported on this evening’s tribute to Lincoln and Sam’s speech at Carnegie Hall.
BLUE AND GRAY PAY TRIBUTE TO LINCOLN
———
Celebration at Carnegie Hall in Aid of Memorial University.
———
HOW TWAIN SAVED THE UNION
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February 12 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Harvey, 7.00. He will send carriage for me” [NB 44 TS 6].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Albert Simmons.
“I wish I could be of service to you, in which case I should gladly avail myself of the opportunity, but I am unable for the reason that I have not written anything about the club, at any time so far as I remember” [MTP: Swann Galleries catalogs, Sept.14, 2000, Item 249]. Note: Simmons and the club are not identified.
February 13 Wednesday – [date in a PDF box]
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam replied to retired General Oliver O. Howard’s Feb. 12 letter. “You are a busy man, and I thank you cordially for taking the time to say those pleasant and welcome words” [MTP].
Sam also wrote to the editor of the N.Y. Tribune . (This letter ran Feb. 15 in the paper on p. 3. Many other letters to the editor were printed about Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article.
February 14 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “E.P. Clarke, 10.30. Yankee at Arthur / Paschal [sic Pascal] Institute 576 Lexington Ave—N.W. cor. of 51st. Say 9 p.m. Dine at Mr. Rogers” [NB 44 TS 6]. Note: See NB entry of Mar. 29, 1901 for same address and a Boys’ debate he attended and named the President of the group, Margaret Pascal. A Sept. 25, 1901 NY Times article, p.5, “Pascal Institute Plans” indentifies officers and also the involvement of Miss Grace Dodge.