Vol 3 Section 0823
Sam’s notebook: “8 p.m. Sherry’s. Banquet to Jules Cambon, French Ambassador” [NB 45 TS 33]. Note: Sam was unable to attend the dinner at Sherry’s for the retiring ambassador from France, Jules M. Cambon, though the NY Times of this date, p.5 included his name. See Howells’ Nov. 16.
November 16 Sunday – In N.Y.C. William Dean Howells wrote to Sam.
(the way you look now)
Of course I should like to help pry that money out of Heriot [sic Harriott], but I think it will take more than fence-rails to do it. Poor Stoddard wrote me to the same effect as he wrote you, and wrung my heart so that I have not yet braced up to show that I had one. “This d—— human race!” You were well out of that dinner last night. Oh, but the clack was dull [MTHL 2: 750].
Notes: Howells put a picture of Twain at the top of the letter. N2 of the source states: “This is the first of a sequence of notes in which Mark Twain and Howells planned how best to induce Frederick C. Harriott (1840-1914; husband of actress Clara Morris) to pay Charles W. Stoddard some four hundred dollars which Harriott, acting as Stoddard’s literary agent, had received from Lothrop Publishing Co. of Boston as an advance on Stoddards’ book of essays Exits and Entrances (1903).” Harriott was from a wealthy family and for some 25 years was agent for his famous actress wife. The dinner was Nov. 15 for ambassador Jules M. Cambron; Sam did not attend.
The New York Times, p.14, noted the first recital of the season by Ossip Gabrilowitsch would be given on Dec. 4 at Daly’s Theatre.
November 17 Monday – Emily S. Hutchings replied from St. Louis to Sam’s Nov. 14, thanking him for his “good and helpful letter,” which she’d rec’d this morning. She related a quick history of a novel she’d written on the Civil War when she was 20, and of Gen. Lew Wallace’s opinion, her decision not to publish it with Munsey, etc. Her lament was that so many other “oars” were in the water when it came to getting a book to the right publisher. She wished Livy better health [MTP].
Howard E. Wright for the Plasmon Co. of America wrote to Sam concerning payments of “equal sums of $5,000, the first payment due within a week, and the balance from twenty to thirty days thereafter”
[MTP]. Note: the payments were for Sam’s subscription for the stock.
Chatto & Windus’ Jan. 1, 1904 statement to Clemens shows the first 2,000 copies of the 3s.6d. edition of GA were printed [1904 Financials file MTP].
November 18 Tuesday – Sam gave daughter Jean the following book, which she inscribed with her name and this date: Arthur Radclyffe Dugmore’s Nature and the Camera. How to Photograph Live Birds and Their Nests, Animals, Wild Game [Gribben 205].
Sam’s notebook: “Strachey dinner 8 p.m. Arr. Grand Central at 8. Col. Harvey 1 W. 72d” [NB 45 TS 34].
As entered in his NB, Sam attended a dinner honoring Mr. Strachey, likely at George Harvey’s. William Dean Howells was also there [MTHL 2: 751n2 for Nov. 19: NB 45 TS 34]. Note: See Nov. 19 from Howells. The NY Times identifies: John St. Loe Strachey (1860-1927), editor of The London Spectator [Nov. 16, 1902, “Luciana Aground in Lower Bay,” p. 8], although the Times gets it wrong as “St. Leo.”
November 19 Wednesday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to John M. Dickey in Indianoplis, Ind.
Dickey had evidently asked for copies of letters to and from James Whitcomb Riley the “Hoosier Poet”.
SLC used mourning border for most letters from Susy’s death on, then from Livy’s death on.