February 15 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Doubleday, 7 pm 111 E. 16th” [NB 44 TS 6].
Sam was unable to attend the Feb. 14 annual Sheriff’s Jury dinner at the Hotel Savoy, and so wrote a letter declining shortly before. The New York Tribune ran Twain’s letter on p.6:
SHERIFF’S JURORS DINE.
————
MARK TWAIN’S LETTER OF DECLINATION
AROUSES LAUGHTER.
February 16 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Dine—7.30 Leigh Hunt, Holland House” [NB 44 TS 6]. Note: Leigh S.J. Hunt. See Jan. 1.
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam replied to Paschal H. Coggins (Sidney Marlow), who wrote on Feb. 13.
February 17 Sunday – Edwin L. Godkin wrote compliments of Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article [MTP].
Charles Erskine Scott Wood of Portland, Ore. wrote complimenting the “Sitting in Darkness” article— “it’s a great work. It’s effective, do it some more.” He would be in N.Y. around Mar. 8; was there a chance of seeing him? [MTP]. Note: Wood was a partner in the law firm of Williams, Wood & Linthicum.
February 18 Monday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam sent his decline-to-lecture form letter (see Feb. entry) to Wallace E. Mason, attorney and principal of the High School in Leominster, Mass. Note: (pronounced by natives and the editor’s daughter who lives there, as “Lemon stah”—displaying a native eschewing for the letter ‘R’) [MTP].
February 19 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Aldine dinner in honor of Howells, new Pres. Of Natl Institute Arts & Letters” [NB 44 TS 6].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to nephew Samuel E. Moffett: “Please attend to him, Sam & tell him I am too ignorant of the matter & too busy” [MTP]. Note: the remainder of the letter is torn off; this may relate to the Montgomery request for family matter recently referred to Moffett.
February 20 Wednesday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to William Carey of Century Magazine. Sam wrote to him at the University Club: “Carey says he knows I would rather write than be President. This has all the ear-marks of one of Carey’s ordinary every-day lies” [MTP]. Note: See June 14, 1897 entry; Carey died later in 1901 in his forties.
Sam also wrote to Henry R. Chamberlain, head of Laffan’s news service in China.
February 21 Thursday – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote thanks to Brander Matthews “for that dedication… / The Supreme Court didn’t need to worry: I was going to assume all the responsibilities any way, just because of the confidence I have always had in you” [MTP]. Note: see Matthews’ dedication in his new book, Feb. 20 entry.
February 22 Friday – Rev. Washington Gladden of the First Congregational Church, Columbus, Ohio to Sam; a friend of Rev. Ament’s, Gladden wrote “To any one who knows Mr. Ament these charges have not for one moment been credible” [MTP].
Thomas Hunt wrote compliments of Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article: “O that there were more men in this world like you and Henry George and that you might always be with us!” [MTP].
February 23 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “(See Mar 2) University Club—dinner—7.30 o’clock. Stone’s at 9. Corey & Judge Howland” [NB 44 TS 6]. Note: Henry Elias Howland, (1835-1913), former Supreme Court Justice, president of the University Club, popular and witty speaker; William Ellis Corey. Stone’s is not identified. Sam initially misdated the dinner, which took place on Mar. 2
February 24 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Hapgood dinner 49 W. 57” [NB 44 TS 6].
Nathan Kite family and the William L. Price family wrote to Sam that his picture was on their wall and they’d “adopted” him as a saint: “A long and useful like to thee in the cause of brother man” [MTP].
William Dean Howells wrote his sister, Miss Aurelia Howells, and included a paragraph about Mark Twain which is rather instructive of their activities during this time:
February 25 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “Millard, at Waldorf, lec. on China War. Shall I go?” [NB 44 TS 6]. Note: Thomas Franklin Fairfax Millard (1868-1942), journalist, editor, founder of China Weekly Review. He was also a war corresondent for the N.Y. Herald and had articles printed in several N.Y. papers. He supported Sam in the Ament indemnity controversy.
February 26 Tuesday – George Lynch gave a lecture on China that Sam had promised on Feb. 19. to attend. Sam’s notebook: “Lynch’s lecture with pictures—Waldorf 8.15 / Read the story again at Dr. Rice’s—in evening” [NB 44 TS 6].The New York Times, Feb. 24, p.20 ran a short squib announcing:
A Lecture on Peking.
February 27 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: “Osteopathy—Albany Grand Central Depot—leave 8.30 a.m.” [NB 44 TS 6].
The New York Times, p. 6, “Osteopaths to Have a Hearing,” announced in a special item from Albany, N.Y. that Mark Twain would be the principal speaker to an Assembly Committee on Public Health on Feb. 28 dealing with the prohibition of osteopathy and Christian Science
February 28 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Players—dinner—Riggs & Hutton. 7.30” [NB 44 TS 6].
Life Feb. 28, 1901 p. 166 ran this political cartoon (insert) titled, “The American Lion of St. Mark’s.”
Miss Gertrude Bloede of Brooklyn wrote compliments of Twain’s “Sitting in Darkness” article [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “Add a line thanks for fine poetry”
March – At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote a list of things for Frank Bliss, about the Uniform Edition, Harper’s and the R.G. Newbegin Co., which handled distribution of the Uniform Edition for the American Publishing Co. Newbegin advertised themselves as “sole agents in the United States for the complete works of Mark Twain.”
10, 000 sets pay you and me $100,000? Divided how? I get $65,000 & you the rest?
===
March 1 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Dinner at Eno’s 8” [NB 44 TS 6].
E. Vauluf of St. Augustine, Fla. wrote to Sam, “all honor to you for standing by them” (the Boers) [MTP].
March 2 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “See Feb. 23. All right—this is the date. But the hour is 6.30” [NB 44 TS 6]. Fatout lists this dinner speech by Mark Twain at the University City Club, but offers no text or particulars [MT Speaking 668].
The New York Times, p BR 14, ran this squib:
March 3 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Taught dog the Morse alphabet” [NB 44 TS 6].
N.E. Guyot wrote from Cripple Creek, Colo. agreeing with his “Sitting in Darkness” article.
March 4 Monday – In N.Y.C., Sam replied to Gilbert A. Tracy’s Feb. 27 letter.
“Although you, in charity and kindness for a busy man, have forborne to require an answer, I cannot deny myself the pleasure of saying, out of my heart, I thank you” [MTP]. Note: Tracy, of Putnam, Conn. later published Uncollected Letters of Abraham Lincoln (1917); he claimed to have known Lincoln well.
March 5 Tuesday – Edwin A. Brenholtz of Turnersville, Tex. wrote to Sam with a clear and elegant hand, calling him “The Voice” and complimenting “Sitting in Darkness” [MTP]. Note: Sam replied Mar. 18.
Waterman of Cambridge, Mass. wrote from Montreal to compliment “Sitting in Darkness” [MTP].
March 6 Wednesday – Charlotte R. Conover (Mrs. Frank Conover) of Dayton, Ohio wrote for the Young Woman’s League asking “something from the pen of Mark Twain” for their fund-raising bazar [MTP].
Walter Hines Page wrote to Sam on letterhead from Doubleday, Page & Co., Publishers with “The World’s Work” as a motto:
March 7 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Jessie A. Fowler, 10.30. Californian’s Tale. Sloan’s Thurs Eve. Club 9 p.m. Cromwell & Abby” [NB 44 TS 6].
March 8 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Possible engagement” [NB 44 TS 7].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore. Once again a bill had been presented by Pratt & Whitney for a portion of the Chicago plant which took on the Paige typesetter. Sam ordered him to “resist the claim, through the Robinson boys or as good a law-firm” [MTP].
Sam also telegrammed Whitmore, message not extant but mentioned in Whitmore’s Mar. 9 to Sam.
March 9 Saturday – Sam’s notebook: “Grand Opera House—8.15. 23d St & 8th Ave” [NB 44 TS 7]. Note: The Metropolitan Opera House advertised the Grand Opera Season 1900-1901. “TO-NIGHT, at 8, at Popular Prices. Double Bill.—I PAGLIACCI (in Italian.). Miss Fritzi Scheff; MM. Salignac, Pini-Corsi, and Scotti. To be followed by CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (in Italian.) Mmes. Gadski and Louise Homer; MM. Campanari and Cremonini. Conductor, Flon” [New York Times, 9 Mar. 1901, p. 16].
March 10 Sunday – Sam’s notebook: “Dora Wh[eeler] Keith ? | Mrs. Boyle here 7.30” [NB 44 TS 7].
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Moncure D. Conway, now in the City. Sam wrote in care of Harper’s.