Vol 3 Section 0474
That Authors’ Club reception is to Stedman—not you. But I knew it was some poet [MTHL 2: 725]. Note:
Sam had purchased Put-in-Bay, Ohio half-barrels of wine at least three times. See index Vol . I.
Robert Underwood Johnson wrote to Sam, asking if it was too late to “make it worth your while to drop in—say at eleven tomorrow morning…and talk a little with our publishers and editor concerning future work for the Century?” [MTP].
November 14 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook: names a comedy play by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, whom
he’d met at a dinner for Sir Henry Irving in London on June 9: The Gay Lord Quex: A Comedy in Four Acts. N.Y . The full NB entry:
Sam’s notebook: “Gay Lord Quex—Wednesday—
Box—or billiards? Ask R & the Rices & telephonegraph.
/
Mrs. Clemens & not the Rice’s—dinner 6.45. / Dine with
Mr. Rogers” [NB 43 TS 29].
New York Times ads shows this at the Criterion Theatre. see insert ad
Richard Watson Gilder wrote to Sam, not wanting price to be an issue for an article from five to ten thousand words. His offer was $500, but he wrote: “I wish you would let me know whether an even larger offer would” buy the article, because they wanted that single article if money would ‘fetch it’” [MTP].
Harper & Brothers per George B. Harvey wrote to Sam.
Confirming our verbal arrangement of yesterday, I beg to state my understanding of the same to be as follows:
First: — That we are to have the exclusive serial rights for our periodicals and the North American Review of all your work done between this date and January 1st, 1902, and of your work already done, but not yet published, at the rate of twenty cents a word.
We are to have the exclusive rights to publish all of your books during the same period, paying you twenty per cent royalty upon the retail price thereof.
Third: — We are to publish an advertisement of your books in each number of Harper’s Magazine, and from time to time as may seem advisable, in Harper’s Weekly, Harper’s Bazar and the North American Review.
If this statement of our agreement conforms to your understanding, will you kindly confirm same and greatly oblige, …. [MTP].
November 15 Thursday – Sam’s notebook: “Society of American Authors / Delmonicos 8.30 / Mr. John J. Rooney 66 Beaver st. Rooney will call for me at 8.15 / No public mention to be made” [NB 43 TS 29]. Note: see the “public mention” made by the NY Times later in this entry; no mention made of Rooney in the article.
At 1410 W. 10th in N.Y.C., Sam wrote to Edmund Clarence Stedman that he would come if he possibly could. “But don’t tell any one, or I shall be caught in a lot of lies which I have been telling to the N. England Societies of two other cities” [MTP]. Note: the event Sam intended to attend but backed out claiming fatigue was the 95th New England Society Banquet on Dec. 22, 1900.
William H. Gillette wrote from Baltimore to Sam about royalties in the proposed Tom Sawyer play. Gillette wrote that Daniel Frohman had written that the royalties would be up to Gillette, who suggested that instead of a sliding scale based on profits, that a straight four percent be paid to Sam [MTP]. Note: Sam
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.