Vol 3 Section 0671

Sam’s notebook: “200 shs stock in the Booklover’s Library—half to J. & half to C.—will arrive presently”

[NB 45 TS 2]. Note: J & C likely Jean and Clara Clemens. Relates to the receipt Bryant sent above.

Elisabeth Marbury wrote to Sam that she had his letter of Jan. 8 but didn’t understand “its intent. Put this down to my stupidity. So far as the Mayos” were concerned she felt she’d acted on his wishes [MTP].

There is no evidence that Sam joined William Dean Howells and friends for lunch and good talk at Moretti’s Restaurant at 1 p.m. on this day; no NB entry was made for this.

January 10 Friday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Frank Bliss, explaining his grievance against the Boston publisher Small & Maynard, and the letters he’d sent Jan. 9 to the 25 writers to determine which twelve had agreed to be contributors:

      The publishers, without my consent, used my name to help advertise a book to which I had neither contributed nor been asked to contribute.

       Their scheme was, to get people to buy the book on the chance of being able to guess the 12 contributors & win a prize of $1,000. My name was a good beguiler because my style is easily detectible.

Is this not an illegal use of my name? If I am silent, am I not connecting to this misuse & a consenting party to the fraud, (if there is fraud?)

Can I enjoin them? Can I compel them to withdraw my name from their advertisements? ( I wish to do this BY COMPULSION only.)

Sam did not propose a suit because damages could not be proved. He had five replies from the 25 form letters so far [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Theodore Weld Stanton, who was traveling in France: “So far—good. If the boatmen have ‘certainly heard the story,’ then I am not the only person who has seen what seemed to be a Napoleon there”

[MTP]. Note: on his trip down the Rhone near Avignon, France, Sam wrote about a mountain that seemed to be Napoleon’s face; see Sept. 28, 1891 entry. Evidently, Stanton had taken on the challenge of locating the mountain.

Chatto & Windus wrote to Sam, enclosing a financial statement and two checks, one for book sales, £178.7.9, and the other for sales of the deluxe edition, £42.1.6 [MTP].

Elisabeth Marbury sent Sam a statement for the PW play for week ending Dec. 21, 1901. Gross receipts were $1,563.75 with $14.38 due S.L. Clemens [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “Puddnhead statement Jan

/02. My land!” perhaps noting the low amount.

Owen Wister, in Phila. sent a telegram to Sam after returning the form about “The House Party”:

“Couldn’t you perceive I wrote them all Don’t tell on me” [MTP]. Note: see Jan. 9, Sam’s polling.

Hydesaburo Ohashi in Boston sent a poem to Sam [MTP]. Note: Ohashi was a student at Harvard.

Sam’s notebook: “Mr. Draper, 271 Mad. Ave 9 p.m.” [NB 45 TS 2].

January 11 Saturday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote a postcard to Ernest Howard Crosby of the New York Anti-Imperialist League, N.Y.C. “Make it 11 a.m. any day, but give me 24 hours’ notice by post, so that I

may make no interfering arrangement” [MTP].

Frederick A. Duneka wrote to Sam, passing on a letter from a man who wanted to dramatize “The Death Disk” and pasting “The House Party” winner from the N.Y. Times—a lady who had correctly guessed all

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