Vol 3 Section 0310

Unfortunately I am this long time under promise to make a Puddn’head Maxim Calendar myself, & have been gradually adding to the original list of Maxims to that end. Maxims are a slow growth, & it will take me a year or two yet.

Sam offered to allow her to “dig a Calendar out of the rest” of his “literary stuff,” and didn’t see why either of his American publishers would object. He observed “that was a good silhouette,” and didn’t object to her using it [MTP]. Note: See Dec. 19, 1893 entry, where he initially remarked on the silhouette Mrs. Bunner had made and sent him; see insert.

Sam also wrote condolences to Adele H. Strauss on news of the death of her husband, Johann Strauss II, known as the “Waltz King.” Sam wrote he’d met Johann only twelve days before in Vienna, or on May 25 (see entry) [MTP].

Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers.

I am very glad to know I am in Amalgamated Copper, for considerable copper will be needed to pay this week’s bills. We had been only 2 days in our nice rooms at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Kensington, London (£30 a week, including everything,) when the doctor ordered Clara down here for a week, & of course we all came. We kept our rooms at the P. of W. (£19 a week for the interval), & rushed immediately down here, where it costs a shilling to look at a cup of coffee, & two to drink it. Send Rice over.

He continued that they expected to return to London on June 9 and stay at the hotel through July, then go to Jersey or Guernsey for two months. Rogers’ son Harry was to arrive on June 28 and they should still be at the Prince of Wales Hotel then. If Rogers’ daughter Mai came he insisted she stay at the hotel so they might be of some service to her. Sam ended the letter by relating Andrew Chatto’s interest in the canvassing book of Frank Bliss for the deluxe of the Uniform Edition, and that he wanted to put 1,000 on the English market [MTHHR 398-9].

Lucy F.A. Park wrote from Horsham, England to Sam, enclosing her formal photo taken by a Viennese photographer. “Here is the reminder! It is the only photo I have, rather of ancient date as you will see by the sleeves!!” She expressed hope it would bring his return photo. She wasn’t going to be “in town” until June 22 or 23, by which time she figured he’d be gone. She hoped he was enjoying London. “I hear Miss Baillie met you…”[MTP].

June 7 Wednesday – At the Grand Hotel in Broadstairs, England, Livy wrote for Sam to Franklin G. Whitmore because her husband had “so much writing to do,” and to send a bank draft (enclosed) if he needed money in July. She related money might be forthcoming “from a magazine article” before he needed it for the taxes on their Farmington Ave. house. Also, they expected more money July 1 from Frank Bliss. They still planned to return to London on Friday [MTP].

Sam also wrote two notes to Percy Spalding; the first asking him to check again with Thomas Cook & Son about their eight trunks—they’d rec’d a telegram from Vienna that the trunks were due to reach London in about ten days, so they were just about due. The second note may have had to do with his attempt to bring Chatto and Spalding with him to the Authors’ club on June 12 (On June 2 he had also asked

John Y. MacAlister if he might bring the two with him on June 9 to the Savage Club):

“I forgot to say that the Authors limit themselves to authors & even refuse admission to an author who is secretary to another literary club—so I preserved our dignity & said drop the matter” [MTP].

Augustin Daly (1838-1899), theatrical manager, playwright and critic, died in Paris.

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