16 March 1881 • Hartford, Conn. (MS: NPV, UCCL 01929)
two lines—a dateline and possibly a postscript—cut away
Those handsome impressions came just in the nick of time. When I telegraphed you a week ago, to tell me Beck’s opinion of the Twain-Snyder plates, I had an object in view, to-wit: If the utility of our invention was doubtful, I would allow my neighbor to go on digging his blamed cellar, & build a house right in our faces & shut off our eastward prospect—& in effect, block up the front of our house. If the utility of our invention was not doubtful, I could afford to say to him, “You can’t build there—discharge your workmen immediately; deed me the land; & send in your bill.” Well, his terms were twelve thousand dollars—rather too much, but he had me where the hair was short. I waited—keeping a good grip on my patience—& allowed a the cellar-digging to go on, deeper & deeper—but you see I wanted to be pretty certain. Those impressions arrived an hour ago, while we are were at breakfast. Well, the land is mine, now, & he has gone down town to draw up the deed!
Old Kaolatype is a bit expensive; but if it hadn’t been for K., we shouldn’t be in the bully brass business, you know.
References
- Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
- 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
- Webster, Samuel Charles. Mark Twain, Business Man. Edited by Samuel Charles Webster. Boston: Little, Brown and Co. 1946
MS, Jean Webster McKinney Family Papers, Special Collections, NPV.
MTBus, 151.
See McKinney Family Papers in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.