June 16 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Annie E. Trumbull.
Livy instructs me to thank you heartily & affectionately for your book, which has just arrived. She has had a chance to read only the two or three opening pages, but she finds them just delicious, & sees you in them & hears you talk. And itI am to send you her unfading & indestructible love.
June 1, before – Sam wrote to Daniel Willard Fiske, asking help in finding a furnished villa near Florence, Italy. He divulged that he was also writing Mrs. Ross , (Janet D. Ross ) and that daughter Clara was also writing Miss Hall and Miss Blood to keep an eye out for a place “during the next 5 or 6 months.” Livy added a PS in the top margin: “Do you know of any very good physicians in Florence?”
June 2 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Franklin G. Whitmore, advising that Sam had sent a check for $70 to John O’Neil, the Clemenses old gardener, who was packing up belongings in the Hartford house. Sam didn’t expect O’Neil to do anything for the money beyond completing his work which might take three or four days [MTP].
Sam’s notebook: “Afternoon—here—Col. Harvey & Duneka” [NB 46 TS 17].
June 21 Sunday – James Burton Pond (1838-1903), longtime tour manager of Mark Twain and others, died at his home in Jersey City, N.J. after an amputation of his leg on June 17. The New York Times reported his death on page 1, Jan. 22. Funeral services were to be held at Pond’s home on Tuesday evening, June 23 with burial at Woodlawn Cemetery, New York. Sam, who had recently been a pallbearer at the funerals of Charles Dudley Warner, J.D.F.
June 22 Monday – H.D. Rivers wrote from Stonewall, Ind. to Sam for his “advice & assistance in a literary project.” A self-proclaimed humorist, Rivers wanted to send some MS for Sam to evaluate. A self-addressed stamped env. still in the file was not used [MTP].
June 23 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Go & look at Lahn / She sails 23d” [NB 46 TS 19].
June 24 Wednesday – According to his June 25 to Rogers, Sam arranged with Collier’s and Harpers for Collier to publish a set of Mark Twain’s works. Collier was to sell in sets only and only by subscription; Harper was to sell to the trade only, not in sets or by subscription, and no volume was to sell for less than $1.50. See June 25 to Rogers for more details.
June 25 Thursday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Susan Crane.
We are in the throes of packing, these days, & it is awful. But we are advancing. I am pretty sure we shall leave for Elmira per DL & W at 1 p.m. next Wednesday.
George W. Perkins will send an Erie tug up here for us to take Livy down to Hoboken.
June 26 Friday – Sam’s notebook: “Look at Lahn / Mrs. Stanley Brown—dinner/ Wright may call today” [NB 46 TS 20].
June 27 Saturday – Frank Bliss wrote a two-page typed letter to Sam concerning relinquishing contract rights for $50,000, and Collier’s possible entrance selling sets of Mark Twain’s books by subscription.
June 28 Sunday – The New York Times, p. SM12 ran a humorous article, wherein “Alligator Jack” John B. Downing told a story about Mark Twain.
Mark Twain’s Roast Chickens.
Recently Major John B. Downing of Middleport, Ohio, was discussing army chicken stealing and the various ways the boys had of preparing them to be served. The Major was a Mississippi River pilot in his young days and stood at the wheel as a cub under the watchful eye of “Sam” Clemens, the Mark Twain of the present day.
June 29 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Franklin G. Whitmore.
“Mrs. Clemens wants me to ask if you will kindly see Mr. Jack Bunce about Mr. Clemens’s bust. Will you have a man sent there to pack it and ship it to Elmira—by freight. and all charges to be sent to Mr. Clemens. I saw Mrs. Clemens today for the first time. and she looks much better than I had expected” [MTP].
June 3 Wednesday – Sam went to Hartford, planning to arrive there just after noon. He stayed at the Whitmore home [June 1 to Whitmore].
Thomas F. Gatts wrote to Sam.
Your esteemed favor of May 30th, received this morning. I assure you that we give due consideration to every word and sentence of your letter.
While we would very much like to develop the National Mark Twain Association into local and State reading clubs; but we humbly bow to the will and desire of the man whose name we all love to honor.
June 30 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote an aphorism on Riverdale on the Hudson letterhead to an unidentified person: “Work & Play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions. / Truly Yours / Mark Twain / June 30/03” [Heritage Auction Galleries for Oct. 14-15, 2010; MTP].
Sam also wrote to George Walbridge Perkins, Sr., purchaser of the Wave Hill house earlier this year.
June 4 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Hartford. Interview, 4 p.m. with Ward Jacobs” [NB 46 TS 18]. Note: Ward Jacobs was a major stockholders in Am. Publishing Co. Sam sought his support for his buy-out plan. See June 5 NB entry.
In Hartford Sam wrote to H.H. Rogers, probably referring to the tribute he’d written to Rogers, who objected to it being published.
June 5 Friday – Hartford: Sam’s notebook: “Interview with Ward Jacobs, Chas. Clark, & Geo. Gilman” [NB 46 TS 18]. Note: See Sam’s letter to the Company’s stockholders, dated after June 10.
June 6 Saturday – Hartford: Sam’s notebook: “Interview with Jacobs at his bank—noon. Lunch at the Club” [NB 46 TS 18].
From NB entries, it seems that Sam likely returned to Riverdale either this evening or the following day, since he noted Samuel Bergheim’s arrival by train on Sunday.
June 7 Sunday – Riverside, N.Y.: Sam’s notebook: “Bergheim—arr. By 11.17 train?” [NB 46 TS 18].
June 8 Monday – Clara Clemens’ 29th birthday.
Sam’s notebook: “Visit & ask Duneka if he has proof that [Bliss] has transgressed. Show MS to Mr. Rogers. / [Horiz. Line separator] / See Collier & Mr. Rog. / [Horiz. Line separator] / is it 1/2 above cost on all books, old & uniform?” [NB 46 TS 18].
June 9 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook : “Mr. Perkins / after 8 p.m. / [Horiz. Line separator] / Arr. Boston 3 pm / leave at 3.54 same station (Terminal) / arr at New Bedford 5.23” [NB 46 TS 18]. Note: Sam was planning the trip to Fairhaven; he would go sometime between June 12 and 14. On June 25 Sam referred to George W. Perkins in a letter to Sue Crane as the man who would provide a tugboat at Riverside to take Livy down river to Hoboken, for the first leg to Dublin, N.H.
March 1 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote two notes to Livy, the first is now dated by virtue of the reference to the baby born on Feb. 28 (“yesterday”) [MTP].
March 10 Tuesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Isabel V. Lyon wrote for Sam to Franklin G. Whitmore: “Mr.
Clemens bids me send at once the check for $16000 that you ask for” [MTP].
Sam’s notebook : “Jordan L. Mott 6 p.m. dinner at 7. nigger show. 17 E 47th” [NB 46 TS 11]. Note: Jordan Lawrence Mott, Jr.; see Dec. 9, 1900 entry for more on Mott. See Mar. 11 for note to Livy about this engagement with the Motts.
March 11 Wednesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to John Hay, Secretary of State.
The next time you are coming to New York please let me know a day or two beforehand—and appoint a meeting-hour & place.
It is something I have been commissioned to say to you, & it is of large importance to you.
Since it is political, you will quite understand by that that I have no axe to grind, we mugwumps being forbidden by our political religion to carry axes [MTP].
March 12 Thursday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Sue Crane.
Dear Assu: / Livy has just been instructing me to pay you what Vix was owing you when he died, for his keep his funeral, which she thinks is $100, & I am to add $5 & ask you to buy flowers with it for the 19th, for our dear child’s grave, if you will be so good. I will try & not forget to put the check in this letter.
March 13 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Harper & Brothers.
Concerning the copyright of my works. With a view of having it clearly understood, please take notice that my preference is that you should copyright in my name always.
In regard to the Double Barrelled Detective story, and the Hadleyburg, copyrighted in your name and which you have assigned to me, I will be glad if you will have same recorded at Washington [MTP].