So I found my own answer, a bit further along in the DBD entries.  
Apparently the Ashcrofts had an unsuspected power of attorney with which 
they eventually intented to fire all the servants.  I suppose they were 
only giving Horace a chance to escape.  In  the May 31, 1909 entry:  " 
Sure enough, in the Liberty National he found a power of attorney! A 
stately one, a liberal one, an all-comprehensive one! By it I 
transferred all my belongings, down to my last shirt, to the Ashcrofts, 
to do as they pleased with."

On 4/16/25 11:20, Scott Holmes wrote:
> While parsing through the last year of Sam's life, in Fears' "Day By 
> Day", I became curious as to why Ashcroft wanted Sam's young butler 
> removed.  Fears' entry for March 17, 1909 has left me befuddled.  The 
> chronology seems all wrong.  He writes "Sam recorded the last time he 
> ever saw Ralph W. Ashcroft."  This is certainly not the last time.  
> Sam attended the Ashcroft's wedding, March 18, and Ashcroft 
> accompanied Sam to Virginia for the opening of the Virginian Railroad.
>
> I suspect Fears became confused while attempting to understand the 
> "Ashcroft-Lyons Manuscript" and perhaps was already fatigued by his 
> massive undertaking.  This part of Sam's life has not been a 
> significant part of "Twain's Geography" as it does not pertain to 
> "Geography", but it has piqued my curiosity.  I feel a certain 
> affinity with Fears in that neither of our projects have much 
> analysis,  Both are rather large "card catalogues" that may be of 
> benefit to scholars attempting to navigate Mark Twain's life.
>
-- 
/*Unaffiliated Geographer and Twain aficionado*/

Visit B. Scott Holmes <https://bscottholmes.com>
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