Vol 3 Section 0309

1899                                                                            ²⁵⁹

The Clemens family made a sudden move to the Grand Hotel in Broadstairs, England, about two hours from London.

The removal to this town was a little sudden. When I reached home Friday evening the family were packing. The eldest daughter (Clara) had been ordered by the doctor to come here at once & stay a week or ten days (It is nothing serious) [June 4 to Chatto]. Note: Broadstairs, Kent is a seaside town on the Dover coast—the air there was thought to be healthier than London’s, evidently. Charles Dickens had been a regular visitor.

Insert: The Grand Hotel in 1899; later named the Albion

June 3 Saturday – Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) died of double pneumonia. Sam had met him in Vienna.

Strauss’ widow on June 6.

In an interview with the London Daily Chronicle, “Mark Twain in London,” p.3, Clemens reported “he was in London to arrange for the publication of a twenty-two volume de luxe edition of his writings” [MTHHR 399 n2; MTCI 334-39].

June 4 Sunday – At the Grand Hotel in Broadstairs, England, Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus, informing them of their sudden move to the coast in Broadstairs by order of Clara’s doctor.

Would they please forward letters and telegrams, but not printed material to their new, temporary address? He confided they’d kept their rooms at the Prince of Wales Hotel as they only paid “18 gs.” per week while away. They had tried the Post Office directory to find how to call on Mrs. Percy Spalding, but it was a failure—“the purpose of that book is to conceal addresses. Then we drove out & made a hunt in a hansom, but of course that failed, too” [MTP]. Note: Sam likely referred to June 1 or 2 in their try to visit Mrs. Spalding.

Livy finished her June 2 letter to Susan L. Crane. “Mr. Bigelow called & staid late so that when he was gone it was time to get to bed” [MTP] Note: Livy added several pages describing the departure from Vienna and the trip to London.

June 5 Monday – In his June 6 to Rogers, Sam related showing Frank Bliss’ Canvassing book on the deluxe Uniform Edition to Andrew Chatto “a day or two ago”, “& he was vastly taken with it, & wants to put 1000 on the English market for me at 10% commission. I have asked Bliss what he will charge me for the volumes— suggesting cost, or thereabouts” [Note: more likely been a business day than a Sunday]. See also Apr. 25 to Chatto.

Woolgar & Roberts, a press cutting & general information agency wrote soliciting Sam. They enclosed three clippings with essentially the same notice of Mark Twain arriving in London from various English newspapers, the Glasgow Evening News, the Western Mail (Cardiff), and the Manchester Chronicle—all June 3 notices [MTP]. Note: such companies often approached him wherever he lived.

June 6 Tuesday – At the Grand Hotel in Broadstairs, England, Sam wrote to Alice Learned Bunner (Mrs. Henry Cuyler Bunner) in New London, Conn., who evidently had written (not extant) asking permission to make a calendar from his Puddn’head Wilson sayings in FE:

SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.