Autobiography of Mark Twain: The Complete and Authoritative Edition, Volume 1

by Mark Twain

  77.27–31 I was reading . . . going to write a fourth] In the winter of 1884–85, Clemens was on a lecture tour with George Washington Cable. Olivia was present at the first of their two performances in New York at Chickering Hall, on 18 and 19 November. Grant’s four war articles (“The Battle of Shiloh,” “The Siege of Vicksburg,” “Chattanooga,” and “Preparing for the Wilderness Campaign”) were published in the Century between February 1885 and February 1886. They were part of “Battles and Leaders of the Civil War,” a series of articles by dozens of authors, including generals from both sides of the conflict, which appeared from November 1884 to October 1887 and was then collected in four volumes (Ulysses S. Grant 1885a, 1885b, 1885c, 1886; Johnson and Buel 1887–88).

  77 footnote *Aug.’85 . . . Gilder himself] Richard Watson Gilder (1844–1909) was a poet and the influential editor of the Century Magazine from its first issue in November 1881 until his death (see Johnson 1923, 88–96). This footnote is one of several comments that Clemens added in August 1885 to the text he had dictated in May.

  79.21–22 Charles L. Webster & Co. . . . one-tenth interest] Charles L. Webster (1851–91), a surveyor and civil engineer from Fredonia, New York, had married Annie Moffett, the daughter of Clemens’s sister, Pamela, in 1875. Clemens hired him as his general manager in 1881, giving him broad responsibility for both his business and personal affairs. In 1884, when Clemens established his own publishing company, he relied on Webster to run the business, at a salary of $2,500 a year, supplemented (starting in 1885) by one-third of the profits up to $20,000 a year, and one-tenth of earnings beyond that (contracts dated 10 Apr 1884 and 20 Mar 1885, NPV). Webster and Company published all of Clemens’s books from Huckleberry Finn (1885) to Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894), as well as other works. Clemens forced Webster to retire, ostensibly because of ill health, in 1888; he returned to Fredonia, where he died at age thirty-nine. The publishing firm, which had been losing money for several years, declared bankruptcy on 18 April 1894 (“Mark Twain’s Company in Trouble,” New York Times, 19 Apr 1894, 9).

  80.22 George W. Childs] Childs (1829–94) was the editor and publisher of the Philadelphia Public Ledger from 1864 until his death. He was a highly respected and admired businessman and philanthropist, as well as a good friend of Grant’s (N&J3, 100 n. 111).

  80.30–31 Clarence Seward’s was one] Clarence A. Seward (1828–97) established the firm of Seward, Da Costa and Guthrie in 1867; it became one of the most prominent and successful law practices in New York.

  80.35 the contract was drawn . . . in my hands] Clemens delegated Webster to negotiate with Grant. On 27 February 1885, Grant agreed to allow the firm to issue his book in return for 70 percent of the net profits. The amount of money ultimately paid to Mrs. Grant has not been determined, but Webster Company records show that by 1 October 1887 she had received checks totaling about $397,000 (Fred Grant to Charles L. Webster and Co., 22 July 1887, CU-MARK; “Cash Statement | Oct. 1st 1887 | Chas. L. Webster & Co.,” CU-MARK; N&J3, 94–97, 142, 312–13, 316 n. 47). Clemens estimated that she received between $420,000 and $450,000; the Webster Company’s portion was therefore at least $180,000. These amounts are equivalent—by some estimates—to $8 million and $3.4 million, respectively, in today’s dollars. In 1908 Fred Grant placed the figure even higher, claiming that the “first checks received for royalties on the sale of the book amounted to $534,000” (“Gen. Frederick Dent Grant’s Recollections of His Famous Father,” Washington Post, 3 May 1908, SM4, 8). On 6 July 1885, Clemens drafted a letter to the editor of the Boston Herald in response to a letter from its New York correspondent, published on 20 June. Clemens protested the claim that he had made an offer to Grant

  ”which no regular publisher felt like competing with.” I merely offer double as much for General Grant’s book as the Century Co had offered—that is all. I suggested to Gen. Grant that he submit my offer to the Century & other great publishing houses, & close with the one that offered him the best terms. He did it, & my offer was duplicated by several “regular publishers,” the Century among the number; & two firms exceeded my offer. But none of them could exceed my facilities for publishing a subscription book—nor equal them, either—a fact which I proved to the satisfaction of General Grant’s lawyer; & that is why I got the book. (MS draft in CU-MARK)

  80.39 Roswell Smith’s remark] Smith (1829–92), publisher of the Century Magazine, had been one of the journal’s founders in 1870, when it was called Scribner’s Monthly. The change of name took place in 1881, when the magazine severed its connection with the Scribner firm, but Smith continued as its publisher (Mott 1957, 457, 467).

  82.7–8 annual in London had offered little Tom Moore] The diminutive Irish writer Thomas Moore (1779–1852) published his first poetry collection under the pen name “Thomas Little.” The “annual in London” has not been identified.

  82.30 Dr. Douglas] John H. Douglas was a leading New York throat specialist; in October 1884 he diagnosed Grant’s affliction as cancer of the throat (“Sinking into the Grave,” New York Times, 1 Mar 1885, 2).

  83.9 Mt. McGregor] On 16 June 1885 the Grants traveled to a cottage owned by a friend, financier Joseph W. Drexel, on Mount McGregor, a summer resort near Saratoga Springs, New York. Grant stayed there, attended by his family and Dr. Douglas, until his death on 23 July (New York Times: “Resting at Mount McGregor,” 17 June 1885, 1; “A Hero Finds Rest,” 24 July 1885, 1).

  83.11–12 Marine Bank man . . . sent up for ten years] James D. Fish was sentenced in June 1885 to ten years in Auburn State Prison (“On the Way to Auburn,” New York Times, 28 June 1885, 7).

  83.22 President of the Erie Railroad] Hugh J. Jewett (1817–98) served as president of the Erie Railroad from 1874 to 1884, and was credited with rescuing it from insolvency. He was one of the largest creditors of the Marine Bank when it failed (“The Marine Bank Failure,” New York Times, 14 May 1884, 1).

  83.30 ex-Senator Chaffee] Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., married Fannie Josephine Chaffee, the daughter of Jerome B. Chaffee, in 1880. Chaffee became wealthy from mining, land speculation, and banking in Colorado, and served as one of the state’s first senators in 1876–79. Chaffee himself was another of Ward’s victims: he lost about $500,000 in bonds that he had given to Ward to use as securities on loans (McFeely 1981, 489; “Senator Chaffee’s Bonds,” New York Times, 28 Dec 1884, 12).

  85.24 I was talking to General Badeau there one day] Badeau recalled a conversation with “one of the greatest wits of this generation” that took place when they met on a visit to Grant as he “lay lingering in his final illness”:

  The visitor was a personal friend as well as an admirer of Grant, and he and I talked of the great revulsion in popular feeling which had occurred—the sympathy and affection that had revived as soon as the hero was known to be dying. It made me think of Lincoln, reviled and maligned for years, but in one night raised to the rank of a martyr and placed by the side of Washington. “Yes,” said the other, with the terrible sententiousness almost of Voltaire: “The men that want to set up a new religion ought always to get themselves crucified.” (Badeau 1887, 590)

  86.11 I will make a diversion here, and get back upon my track again later] Albert Bigelow Paine published this “diversion” (86.11–91.18) in Mark Twain’s Autobiography under the title “Gerhardt and the Grant Bust”; he placed it after his incomplete text of “About General Grant’s Memoirs,” which ends with “that sort of thing” (93.41–42; MTA, 1:57–68). Physical evidence in the typescript as well as several references and dates in the text itself show, however, that Clemens dictated the text as it is presented here (see the Textual Commentary, MTPO).

  86.12 away with G. W. Cable, giving public readings] George Washington Cable (1844–1925), a New Orleans native, was known for his stories of Creole life. He and Clemens became friends in 1881, and from November 1884 through February 1885 they joined in a lecture tour. Billed as the “Twins of Genius,” they spoke in more than sixty cities in the East, Midwest, and Canada.
Clemens gave readings from his forthcoming Huckleberry Finn (which issued in February) and other works, and Cable read from several of his books and sang Creole songs (Cardwell 1953, 1–3, 12; HF 2003, 578).

  86.18 the Presidential election] Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, defeated James G. Blaine in the 1884 election.

  87.7–11 J. Q. A. Ward . . . no true artist could bring himself to do] On 5 April 1884, before Gerhardt returned from Paris, Clemens wrote to him, “I would strongly advise that you now write A. St Gaudens & J. Q. A. Ward, & ask them if they can give you employment & wages in their establishments in New York. If they can & will, that is a certainty; it is sure bread & butter; & is of course better & wiser than setting up for one’s self without capital” (CtHMTH). Gerhardt replied on 27 May that he strongly preferred to work independently, and pleaded, “Don’t make me be a second fiddle that would kill me” (CU-MARK).

  88.8–9 We reached the General’s house . . . to see the family] Clemens wrote an account of this visit in his notebook on the day it took place, 20 March 1885 (N&J3, 106–7).

  88.16 Jesse Grant’s wife] Elizabeth Chapman Grant (known as “Lizzie”) married Jesse in San Francisco in 1880 (McFeely 1981, 484).

  89.5 Mrs. Fred Grant] Ida Honoré married Fred Grant in 1874 (Goldhurst 1975, 117).

  90.20 Harrison, the General’s old colored body-servant] Harrison Tyrrell had been Grant’s devoted valet for many years (McFeely 1981, 519). In a letter of 11 September 1885 Clemens wrote to Henry Ward Beecher about Grant’s loyalty to him:

  You remember Harrison, the colored body-servant? the whole family hated him, but that did not make any difference, the General always stood at his back, wouldn’t allow him to be scolded; always excused his failures & crimes & deficiencies with the one unvarying formula, “We are responsible for these things in his race—it is not fair to visit our fault upon them—let him alone;” so they did let him alone, under compulsion. (CU-MARK, in MTL, 2:460–61)

  90.29 best portrait of General Grant that is in existence] For an image of the bust see the photograph following page 204; see also Schmidt 2009d.

  91.17–18 after the world learned his name] Here, at the end of the account of the bust of Grant, Clemens wrote “Depew’s speech” in the bottom margin of the page as a prompt to himself. It wasn’t until the Autobiographical Dictation of 1 June 1906, however, that he actually described the speech, which was delivered at a banquet in Grant’s honor by Chauncey M. Depew (1834–1928), a prominent attorney and director of several railroads. There Clemens noted that it was “the most telling speech I ever listened to—the best speech ever made by the capable Depew, and the shortest.”

  92.3–4 we proceeded to draw a writing to cover the thing] Webster wrote to Clemens on 15 April 1885 that he had just signed a contract with the Century Company, which stipulated that all of Grant’s “future articles” in the Century Magazine—that is, the second, third, and fourth—were to be copyrighted by Webster and Company “in the name of U. S. Grant.” In regard to the Memoirs, Webster agreed “not to publish first vol before Dec. 1st next, and second vol before Mch. 1st next” (CU-MARK).

  92.32 Smith’s exact language] Clemens’s extant notebook contains no such remark. Clemens did, however, note that

  Mr. R S . . . said to me shortly after the contract was signed, “I am glad on GG’s account that there was somebody with pluck enough to give such a figure[;] I should have been chary of venturing it myself.” . . .

  10 p c.

  This was a perfectly fair & honorable offer, for it was based upon a possible sale of 25,000 sets. But I was not figuring on 25,000, I was figuring on a possible 300,000. Each of us could be mistaken, but I believed I was right. (N&J3, 182–84)

  93.7–8 New York World and a Boston paper, (I think the Herald)] Clemens appended four clippings at the end of his typescript, which are included in the text; among them is the World article, which appeared on 9 March 1885 (see 95.24–96.27). No copy of the Herald has been found, but another article that Clemens appended, from the 9 March Springfield (Mass.) Republican (see 94.36–95.21), repeats the information reported by the New York correspondent of the Herald.

  93.9–11 I had taken an unfair advantage . . . got the book away from them] Robert Underwood Johnson, an associate editor of the Century Magazine, wrote many years later that Paine’s account of the Grant negotiations in Mark Twain: A Biography (MTB, 2:799–803)—which was based on this dictation—“leaves something to be desired. It places Mr. Roswell Smith in the attitude of treating the author in a somewhat niggardly manner, the fact being that the matter was wholly in the hands of General Grant, on whose terms it was to have been undertaken”:

  As to the first offer of Mr. Clemens, the difference between it and ours was very slight, if any: in one case a larger royalty being computed on the net returns and in the other a smaller on the gross. Mr. Clemens made a later alternative offer of a considerable cash advance, a large percentage of the profits, and a guaranty of a certain sale. Had we known of this we should have been able to meet the situation. We were at the disadvantage that Mark Twain, who was a frequent visitor at the Sixty-sixth Street house, knew our terms and we did not know his.

  Nevertheless, with all respect to Roswell Smith’s motives, which were above criticism, it remains that his failure to secure this work beyond peradventure within the five months from the time he was invited to Long Branch in September until the signing of the contract in February was, from a business point of view, a signal exception in the successful career of a publisher of imagination, boldness, and resourcefulness. His omission to clinch the matter did not reflect the alertness and enterprise of his associates, but he had the disadvantage of having as a rival a man of winning personality, shrewd business ability, and large horizon. The result cast a gloom over the younger members of the Century Co., who never ceased to think that in our hands this phenomenal book would have reached as phenomenal a sale as it did in Mr. Clemens’s; for at that time the success of the War Series had put the Century Co. in close touch with the public in the matter of military history. We thought it hard that another should have “plowed with our heifer.” (Johnson 1923, 218–19)

  In late October 1884 Smith was still confident that Grant would place his book with the Century Company. In a letter of 9 September 1884 he wrote to Gilder that Grant was

  thoroughly intelligent in relation to the subscription book business, and very much disgusted with the way it is usually managed. He remarked that he did not propose to pay a scalawag canvasser $6 for selling a $12 book, not worth much more than half the money, as in some cases he quoted. His ideas agree with ours—to make a good book, manufacture it handsomely, sell it at a reasonable price, and make it so commanding that we can secure competent agents at a fair commission. (Rosamond Gilder 1916, 123–24)

  Johnson later learned from Fred Grant that “his father’s decision had been influenced chiefly by the fact that Mr. Clemens had convinced him that . . . his own firm had been successful publishers of subscription books, while the Century Co. had done little in that line” (Johnson 1923, 218).

  93.14–16 Boston paper’s account . . . sister of Mr. Gilder]Jeannette L. Gilder (1849–1916) corresponded from New York for the Boston Saturday Evening Gazette (not the Herald, as Clemens suggests) under the pseudonym “Brunswick.” Her letter to the Gazette is largely reprinted in the article from the Springfield (Mass.) Republican of 9 March 1885 that here follows Clemens’s dictation (see 95.13–21). Although less well known than her brother Richard Watson Gilder, Jeannette Gilder pursued a successful literary career. In 1881 she cofounded a literary magazine, The Critic, with her other brother, Joseph B. Gilder, which they edited together until 1906. Her work appeared in a variety of newspapers and magazines, and she compiled several literary anthologies.

  94.14–16 new electric light company of Boston . . . prosperous condition] In the spring of 1883, numerous articles in the Hartford Courant reported on the rapid growth of the American Electric and Illuminatin
g Company of Boston, incorporated a year earlier. Its successful plan to establish subsidiary companies throughout New England was expected to pay shareholders “substantial dividends” (Hartford Courant, 20 Feb 1883, 3).

  94.22 lied about his son] See the note at 95.3–4.