Vol 3 Section 0635

“Don’t do it again, Brer. Whenever you receive a book that requires an autograph, paste into it one of those I sent you, & start it along back. Nothing makes me so angry with an admirer as for him to pay me the compliment of putting me to a lot of trouble” [MTP].

Elisabeth Marbury wrote to Sam about specific royalties for the production of PW. Marbury’s agency was getting 5% on the gross receipts—what portion of the 5% did he think he should receive for his book rights? Also she advised that Francis Wilson had offered $50 per week to dramatize CY, using very little of the actual story, so that he would be only advertising Mark Twain’s name and the book. “Let me know what you feel about this, and I will try and settle both of these matters” [MTP].

October 27 Sunday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Frank Bliss, upset at the advertising conflicts between Harpers, the American Publishing Co., and the R.G. Newbegin Co.

Come! With the Harpers to convince the public that 16 of my books are no good, & you to convince the public that the other six are no good, my reputation is in a fair way to land in Sheol in six months! But you must expect me to join the conspiracy. In fact I shall oppose it. If you publish a scheme of comparative sales I will attack it in print as a deliberate attempt to make money by injuring me in the public esteem & of course I will sue him.

After “sue him,” Sam drew an arrow to R.G. Newbegin in the next paragraph, whom he blamed for the comparative sales idea [MTP].

October 28 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “This, or later, preside at Low Speech. Delafield dinner” [NB 44 TS 15]. Note: rally speech made on Oct. 29. Also, possibly Richard Delafield (1853-1930), banker and Merchant, resident of Tuxedo Park.

In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore. Only the envelope survives [MTP].

Thomas B. Reed, who had taken up the case of R.G. Newbegin Co. and W.I. Squire, wrote to Sam:

I have your note. I am, like yourself, persuaded that Newbegin is at the bottom of it [the fraudulent circular] for I have received a letter from Thorne, who was the agent and managing man of Squire’s, that somebody came to him from Colorado and said he had been using the letter there, and that doubtless Newbegin could give me some information about it. I sent a copy to Newbegin, and stated to him that I awaited his reply.

Reed was also glad to see Sam had been treated well at the Yale Bicentennial in New Haven; and his law partner, Thomas Thacher, thought Sam was the best man there [MTP].

October 29 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “Introduce Seth Low to audience at 350 Broadway, noon” [NB 44 TS 16].

Mark Twain spoke at a noonday rally for the Fusion ticket at the New York Life Building in support of mayoral candidate, Seth Low. The New York Times covered the event on p. 3, Oct. 30 edition:

MARK TWAIN AND SETH LOW SPEAK

———

The Humorist Compares Tammany to a Rotten Banana.

———

Says that Mr. Shepard is the White End

of it—Mr. Low Speaks of Deveryism.

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