Vol 3 Section 0453
London to New York on the SS Minnehaha.
October 9 Tuesday– The Clemens family was en route from London to New York on the SS Minnehaha.
October 10 Wednesday – The Clemens family was at sea en route from London to New York on the SS Minnehaha. Sam’s notebook: “ Captain Robinson—very fine man. Knew him 18 years ago” [NB 43 TS 27]. Note: John Robinson (1856-1922) had a long caereer with the Atlantic Transport Line, and was the first Captain of the Minnehaha, he held that position until 1908, when, at 60, it was
customary for Captains of the line to retire. It is not known just where or when Sam met Robinson about 1882, some “18 years ago,” but likely as captain of another vessel.
October 11 Thursday – The Clemens family was at sea en route from London to New York on the SS Minnehaha.
The ledger books of Chatto & Windus show that 2,000 additional copies of the 6s.0d. edition of More Tramps Abroad, (FE) were printed (totaling 25,000 to date). The official English publication date was
Nov. 25, 1897 [Welland 238; 1904 Financials file MTP]. See 1897: Aug. 12, Nov. 10, Nov. 25, also: Mar. 8, 1898, and Aug. 7, 1907 for other print run amounts, totaling 30,000.
October 12 Friday – The Clemens family was at sea en route from London to New York on the SS Minnehaha. Sam wrote a letter to John Y. MacAlister, the only one extant from the voyage. He did not date the letter but headed it, “2,000 miles at sea,” which would have put the ship just short of 2/3 of the way to New York on a ten-day voyage; thus it’s estimated at six days at sea, or Oct. 12. The letter was postmarked Oct. 16 after arrival in N.Y.C.
We have had no seasick people to plasmonise, (except our maid) but we had a man who had been on a long spree & his stomach had struck & would retain nothing; consequently he was getting in a weak & bad condition. Day before yesterday the surgeon plasmonised him, & now he is all right; is up & around & takes his meals. We took our maid out of bed & out of her seasickness with a single dose of plasmon; since then she takes plasmon daily & has had no return. Servant maids are usually sick all the way across & have to be nursed; but this time plasmon has changed all that…
For some days I have been thinking we ought not to get up a big company at all, but jog along as we are for 6 months longer; then raise £70,000 privately & go ahead. I will write further about this after I’ve been ashore a few days [MTP].
Frank Bliss wrote a note to Sam enclosing statements; also sending them to H.H. Rogers. Bliss showed over $9,300 due to Sam for the period Jan. to July 1 [MTP].
October 13 Saturday – The Clemens family was at sea en route from London to New York on the SS Minnehaha. In New York, the steamer Lucania of the Cunard Line, came into port. Some were disappointed Mark Twain was not on board. Major-General Wesley Merritt, once Supt. of West Point was reported “a close personal friend” of Twain’s, and that there had been frequent interchange of friendly calls between the two” in London [no particulars of visits were found]. Merritt reported that Twain “was in perfect health, and had by this time got over his financial difficulties,” and that “he left London last Saturday on the steamer Minnehaha.” Merritt also disclosed that the Clemenses would make their home in Gramercy Park [N.Y. Herald, p.3, Oct. 14, 1900].
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.