26 March 1873 • Hartford, Conn. (MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 00890)
I leave in the morning (IF nothing happens to prevent) for the West, to be gone until I sail for Europe, middle of May—but shall finish the book before I sail.1explanatory note
And now I am reminded, &c, &c. See enclosed letter. Old California acquaintance. They never die, & they all write books on Californian geology, geography, & Indianology & enlarge upon everything except the main chief product of that country which is Damphoology. And they all run to me to find a publisher for them.
Please tell this man—well tell him anything you please. I have just written him a note & told him where to find you.
letter docketed by Bliss: Came with Wm Gouverneur Morris letter2explanatory note and in unidentified hand: ✓ and S. L. Clemens 1873 | Mar 26th
Clemens was planning a trip to Elmira, which he postponed. By the time he left Hartford, on 8 May, he had finished The Gilded Age (12 May 73 to Redpath, n. 1click to open link).
The enclosed letter from William Gouverneur Morris (1832–84) is not known to survive, and no information has been found about his acquaintance with Clemens. Although Morris never published a book, he won a prize from the Mechanics’ Institute of San Francisco for “An Essay on the Manufacturing Interests of California,” published in 1872. A native of New York, Morris earned a law degree at Howard University in 1855 and soon thereafter went to California. During the Civil War he served in the Second Regiment of California Cavalry, and since 1869 had been U.S. marshal for the District of California (Menefee, 141–44; “Oregon,” Sacramento Union, 18 Feb 84, 2).
References
- University of California, Mark Twain Papers, The Bancroft Library, Berkeley
- Machlis, Paul, ed. Union Catalog of Clemens Letters. Edited by Paul Machlis. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press. [In some cases, UCCL catalog numbers cited in this volume supersede those assigned in 1986 and reflect corrections or additions to the catalog since publication. An updated version of the catalog can be consulted via the Letters Search page at MTPO.] 1986
- SLC (Samuel Langhorne Clemens). Mark Twain’s Letters, Volume 5: 1872–1873. Edited by Lin Salamo and Harriet Elinor Smith. The Mark Twain Papers. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Also online at MTPO[bib32371]. 1997
- Menefee, C. A. Historical and Descriptive Sketch Book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino, Comprising Sketches of Their Topography, Productions, History, Scenery, and Peculiar Attractions. Napa City, Calif.: Reporter Publishing House. 1873
MS, Mark Twain Papers, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley (CU-MARK).
L5 , 322–323.
see Mendoza Collection in Description of Provenance.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.