1873 – Gribben sites Tom Hood’s Comic Annual for 1873 as running Sam’s “How I Escaped Being Killed in a Duel” [707].
George Dolby (d. 1900) wrote to Sam sometime during the year, exact date unknown. Goodspeed’s at MTP gives: “Dickens’ Manager on his American Tour. Amusing letter to Mark Twain about the theft of a duck which they were to have had for dinner” [MTP].
England to Home Again – Sketches No. 1 Flop – Orion the Chicken-Rancher - Colonel Sellers Stars on Broadway – Clara “Bay” Clemens Born – Elmira Summer - Dream House Built – Fredonia Visit – Hike to Boston with Twichell - “Old Times on the Mississippi” – Atlantic Monthly Breakthrough - Typewriter for Genius – Reformed Lecturer
Hartford Life – Pirates of Sellers Play – Queer Letters – Beecher Trial –Tom Sawyer - Sketches New & Old – Gondour – De Quille’s Bonanza Book – Dreaming of a River Trip - Drunk Wet Nurse – Baseball, Umbrellas & a Boy’s Body – Chasing Down Gill - Bateman’s Point & Bowling History – Moncure Conway
1875 – Actor John Drew (1853-1927) remembered that Sam first saw him in the 1875 play, The Taming of the Shrew in New York City [Gribben 631]. The exact date has proven elusive.
The Nation’s Centennial Year
1601 – Started on Huck Finn – Ah Sin & Bret Harte – West Point – Tom Sawyer Praised Skeleton
Stories – Conway as Agent – John Marshall & Henry Disinterred – Sam on Stage Centennial in Philly
– Advice to American Publishing Co. – Hayes & Torchlight Parades Political Speeches – Tauchnitz –
Belford Pirates – Readings in New England
Jabberwock Auctioneer – Crazy Isabella
Sam’s Portrait – Bayard Taylor – Nephew Sammy – Duncan’s Lawsuit
Lobbying for Appointments – Alexandroffsky Marvels – Ah Sin Opened
Bermuda! with Twichell – Rambling Notes – John T. Lewis, Hero – Tramp of the Sea
The “First Home” Telephone – Whittier Birthday Debacle – Written Apologies
1877 – Paine gives this year for an additional excerpt written for Mark Twain’s Autobiography, “Early Years in Florida, Missouri” [7-10].
Sam’s sketch on Francis Lightfoot Lee ran in Pennsylvania Magazine, 1, No. 3 [Gribben 539].
Aftermath of Disgrace – Orion Apes Jules Verne – Bliss Contract for Europe Travel Book Quick Jaunts to Fredonia & Elmira – Family Sails for Europe - Frankfort, Hamburg to Heidelberg – Mannheim Operas – Speech at Heidelberg University - Twichell Joined in Baden Baden – Excursions by Foot, Boat, Rail, and Cart – The Alps - Twichell Departs – Italy – Munich for the Winter
Paris Balloon Ride, Horse Races, French Morality & Fires All Summer - Onanism At The Stomach Club – Crowded By Visitors - Dirty Brussells, Antwerp & Dinner On The Admiral’s Flagship - Rotterdam, Amsterdam & London – Orion Excommunicated - Spurgeon Preaches, Great Darwin Seen – Gallia For Home – Howells Sleepeth - Writing Tramp – Grant “Fetched Up”– Patriotic Frenzy – Ingersoll, Freethinker - Lavish Colt “Blowout” – Holmes’ 70 Th Redemption
Hartford & Elmira – Investments: Kaolatype, Paige – Tile Club – A Tramp Abroad - Jane Lampton Clemens (Jean) born – “Wattie” – Boston Getaway - Frederick Douglass Speech – Grant Speaks in Hartford - Elisha Bliss Dead – Political Speeches for Garfield – Slote & Sneider - Grant Saves Chinese Mission – 1880 Income $250,000
1880 – Sam began using more facsimile correspondence cards of his handwriting to decline lecture invitations [MTLE 5: 6]
1881 – “Etiquette” was written sometime during the year but remained unpublished during Sam’s lifetime
1882 – Sam drew up a list of his investments and domicile expenses since Jan. 1, 1881.
1883 – Sometime during the year Sam inscribed Historical View of the Literature of the South of Europe by Sismondi (1881) to Livy L. Clemens / from SLC / Hartford 1883 [MTP]. Sam inscribed in a Rollo Book for Jean “Little-girl-left-the-gate-open-book” Jean 1883-4 [MTP]. Sam sent a copy of Punch, Brothers, Punch! And other Sketches (1878) with ALS to James R. Osgood asking for “50 or 100 heliotypes like those of the Howell children” [MTP].
Chasing after Stage Plays – Cable & Mumps – Lobbying for International Copyright Canvassing
Huck – Duncan’s Lawsuit – April Fools! – Poor Doc Taft
Tuscaloosa Pirates – Rah for Cleveland!
Twins of Genius Hit the Road – The Children’s P&P Play
1884 – An interesting inscription by Sam made sometime during the year, place unknown:
“Some people can smoke to excess. Let them beware. There are others who cannot smoke to excess because there isn’t time enough in a day which contains 24 hours” [MTP].
Sanctimonious Cheapskate – Huck Finn Took Off – 1,000 Investment Opportunities
Grant’s Memoirs – Path Worn to N.Y. – Banned in Concord – Black Bunting
Fantastic Sales & Royalties – Why Not the Pope? – Paige Quicksand
Sam Honored at 50 – Susy Starts a Biography
Editor’s note: The close of 1885 is a propitious division for this work, both in number of pages and in the life of Samuel Clemens, who was at the highest point of his success, with several best selling books behind him, immense success with the release of Grant’s Memoirs, and the future pregnant with possibilities as a publisher and writer. In February of 1886 Julia Grant received the largest royalty payment ever made in U.S publishing history. All told, some $450,000 would eventually be hers. Sam’s reputation was never stronger.