I would like to add these comments to Barb's, and I do so with Susan 
Bailey's explicit permission--

My offer was for up to three envelopes to be tested. The DNA test to be run 
is for mtDNA, a type of DNA that is passed from mother to daughter virtually 
unchanged from one generation to the next, so that any viable mtDNA from a 
direct female ancestor would match every granddaughter, great-granddaughter, 
etc. The first envelope tested --chosen because it was used to seal a letter 
written by Clara to Ossip while Clara was traveling alone ca. 1916 and was 
very likely sealed by Clara herself-- did not yield viable mtDNA. Either 
there wasn't enough or she may have used a stamp sponge or the storage 
conditions for that letter over the years were unfavorable. Each test for 
mtDNA costs $2500. Some less-qualified labs charge less, and tests for other 
kinds of DNA --paternity tests for example-- cost much less, but mtDNA is 
what must be tested. and the best qualified labs charge $2500. I've offered 
a second envelope for testing. It dates from ca 1960-61, a time when Clara 
may not have been sealing her own envelopes (she had a devoted assistant and 
a less devoted husband handy at the end of her life). This more recent 
envelope contains a personal letter written by Clara and the envelope is 
addressed in her hand, and after the flap was sealed she scribbled a PS on 
the flap. The presence of that PS increases the odds that she sealed it 
herself, but does not make it certain. The test would run $2500 , but there 
is a risk that no viable mtDNA will be found, even though this letter was 
stored under much better conditions than the earlier letter. It's also 
possible that Clara used a stamp sponge, or that her husband or assistant 
sealed it. So, after spending another $2500 on another mtDNA test the 
results could prove Susan's case 100%, or yield no answer at all (it could 
not disprove her maternity since we don't know who sealed the envelope). The 
decision to run that test is Susan's alone and raising the money to run 
another test is daunting, never mind the risk of more emotional stress from 
another inconclusive result.

Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member: ABAA, ILAB
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-----Original Message----- 
From: Barbara Schmidt
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 8:28 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: response to Susan Bailey claims

Updates on Susan and Deb's research are posted on The Twain Shall Meet
facebook page as new discoveries and links are found.  To my knowledge, the
first DNA envelope offered for testing failed to find usable DNA due to the
age of the sample.  Susan's matches to known descendants who have provided
DNA to a national database continues to rise.
There are also many other letters from Nina's estate that were recently
found to be at the Mark Twain Papers that were unknown to Susan and Deb at
the time their book was produced.  I understand these are being transcribed
and made available. One other scholar who has researched Nina's life in
depth has also shared additional material.  While Susan may never attain
that 100% certainty mark, the percentages for her being Nina's daughter are
extremely close to that.

I do expect there will be an updated second edition of their book at some
point in time. I agree with Hal that this story is one that would be of
prime interest for a venue such as the History Channel.

Barb