Vol 3 Section 0800

Sam’s notebook: “Wrote G.M. Daniels should probably want the car at York Harbor a week from to-day. Langdon or I would telegraph him meanwhile & name a positive date if we could” [NB 45 TS 98]. Note: George H. Daniels, rail agent; relates to the arrangements to have a special RR car for Livy to be transported back to Riverside.

October 2 Thursday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook : “Tax-bill, dated July 24, sent from Tarrytown collector’s office Oct. 1. Payable Oct. 31 or 12% added. …$588.02 / No word from Griffin these 2 months

      more” [NB 45 TS 29]. Note: Henry C. Griffin was the attorney hired to get the taxes on the Tarrytown house lowered to be more in line with the purchase price.

Hélène Elisabeth Picard, the “French Member” of Sam’s “Juggernaut Club” wrote. Illness with whooping cough and a trip to Switzerland had delayed her replying to his “charming letter which brought so much pleasure.” She talked about staying in Heidelberg in 1889-90, and of his time there earlier. She also wrote about her autograph collection, and receiving May Robson’s, an actress now playing in NY. The rest of the letter is chit-chat about Picard’s doings [MTP].

Eleanor Sayles (1878-1971) married Jervis Langdon II on Oct. 2, 1902 in Elmira, NY. They would produce two children. Livy called her “Lee” in a previous note.

October 3 Friday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to William Dean Howells.

It is a charming book, & perfectly true. It ought to reproach me, for I am making Huck Finn tell things that are perfectly true, this last week or two. They are true, but with that qualification: he exaggerates; you don’t. Still, I have to keep him as he was, & he was an exaggeration from the beginning.

I ran away twice; once at about 13, & once at 17. There is not much satisfaction in it, even as a recollection. It was a couple of disappointments, particularly the first one. The heroics squish out of such things so promptly [MTHL 2: 746]. Note: Howells’ charming book was The Flight of Pony Baker, A Boy’s Town Story (1902). The book dealt with the boy Pony “running off” from his parents. Sam had evidently restarted revisions to “Tom Sawyer’s Conspiracy, his unfinished story he began in 1898 in Vienna.

Sam also replied to Howard E. Wright of the American Plasmon Co., N.Y. (incoming letter not extant). He related Livy’s slow progress and their desire to move her to Riverdale when she was strong enough, a time he could not guess. Yes, he would like Wright to keep him posted on the business, both in New York and London. Sam intended to go to New York for a day when Samuel Bergheim and Henry A. Butters were there to confer with them on Plasmon Co. progress. Sam asked Wright for a favor: look into his challenge to have the Tarrytown house taxes reduced through attorney Henry C. Griffin (Sam had lost Griffin’s address and had not heard from him in three months). He’d just received a tax bill with the same assessment on the property of $80,000; Livy had purchased the house for $45,000. Had Griffin’s efforts been defeated? [MTP]. Note: Henry C. Griffin was the attorney identified by the New York Times, Aug. 20, p.8.

Sam’s notebook: “Send autographed photo to / Fraulein Elizabeth Malaschkin [sic] / Redaction der Zeitung /

Riazanski Listok / Riazan, Russia / Done, Oct.3” [NB 45 TS 29]. Note: entry put under Oct. 4.

October 4 Saturday – In York Harbor, Maine Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore asking for a “supply of lecture-declinations”; he advised they wouldn’t be able to “get away for two or three weeks—the

improvement [in Livy] is very slow” [MTP].

October 5 Sunday – In York Harbor, Maine: Sam’s notebook: “Sent winter-fuel letter (Secy Treasury) to Duneka for Weekly” [NB 45 TS 29]. Note: see the letter in Oct. 3, 1901 entry—there is some doubt about when it was actually written.

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