Thank you for this information. I know about this article and think of Swinton as one of his pals but also Richardson might’ve been the one I’m wondering about. I really appreciate your help grateful Arianne On Mon, Jul 1, 2019 at 12:26 PM John H. Muller < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > Arianne, > > Thanks for your note. The walking tour of Twain in D.C. is mostly > Pennsylvania Avenue from the White Hose to the area of the Newseum. We > visit the Willard, which warrants a mention of Grant, but we do not visit > the area where Grant lived before becoming President. The story I think you > are alluding to was contained in the January 16, 1868 dispatch Twain sends > from Washington City to the Daily Alta California, which published the > story 14 February 1868. > > While Twain does not name who "we" are it is likely William Swinton, one of > his most well-known drinking pals while in Washington City. > > Here's the link to the dispatch > http://www.twainquotes.com/18680214.html > > *Grant's Reception.* > > We went there, last night, to see what these great receptions are like. A > crowd of carriages was arriving, and a procession of gentlemen and ladies > pouring in at the door. We found a "good house" within, already, but > evidently the reception had not begun. A band of uniformed Dutchmen were > playing brass instruments, and ladies were flitting about from parlor to > parlor like the little busy bee that improves each shining hour. We removed > overcoats, up-stairs, where the gentlemen were corralled, and at the proper > time followed down with the rest. General and Mrs. Grant stood in one of > the back parlors, and the people were filing past them and shaking hands. > At intervals, some lady or gentleman well known to them, halted for a > moment and spoke a few words, and occasionally some lout that did not know > as much as a large dictionary stopped to say the dozen sentences he had > gotten by heart for the occasion -- and he always got pushed along by the > crowd, and never had a chance to finish them; then he felt awkward, and > backed on somebody's feet, and turned to apologize and lowly bowed his head > into somebody's intervening back, and at the same moment stepped on > somebody else's toes -- and so, butting, and crushing, and apologizing, he > would shortly be swallowed from sight in the crowd. I stood against the > wall, close by, and watched the reception ceremony for an hour, and I > cannot tell when I enjoyed anything so much. Poor, modest, bored, unhappy > Grant stood smileless, anxious, alert, with every faculty of his mind > intensely bent upon the business before him, and nervously seized each hand > as it came, and while he gave it a single shake, looked not upon its owner, > but threw a quick look-out for the next. And if for a moment his hand was > left idle, his arm hung out from his body with a curve that was suggestive > of being ready for business at a moment's notice. And so he seized each > hand, passed it on, grabbed for the next, passed it, grabbed again, with > his soul in his work and that absorbed anxiety in his eye; and it reminded > me irresistibly of a new hand catching bricks -- a new hand that was full > of misgivings; fearful that he might make a miss, but determined to catch > every brick that came, or perish in the attempt. He is not a large man; he > is a particularly plain-looking man; his hair is straight and lustreless, > his head is large, square of front and perpendicular in the rear, where the > selfish organs of the head lie; he is less handsome than his pictures, and > his face, at this time, at any rate, lacked the satisfied, self-possessed > look one sees in them; he is broad of beam, and his uniform sat as > awkwardly upon him as if he had never been in it before. > > General Grant had all my sympathies -- I had none for the visitors. The > stylishly dressed old stagers who had been at receptions before, and knew > all about them, moved complacently up, with many a smirk and stately > obeisance, shook hands, laughed pleasantly, said a word, and swept on, > composedly -- perfectly well satisfied with themselves. But the towering > boys from the interior, with a kind of human vegetable look about them, and > a painful air of discomfort about their gloved hands and their unfamiliar > Sunday clothes, were in a constant flutter of uneasiness; they seized the > General's hand, gave it a wring and dropped it suddenly, as if it had been > hot, then staggered, in a bewildered way, discovered Mrs. Grant, came to > the scratch again, got tangled as to the etiquette of the business, thrust > out a paw, drew it back, thrust it out again, snatched it back once more, > bent down, far down, in a portentous salaam, and then reeled away giddily > and ground somebody's foot to pulp under their responsible No. 13's. > Everyone of them came with his mind made up as to what he was going to do > and say, and then forgot it all, failed to do it or say it either. > > Bye and bye the parlors were crowded. Old Dowagers were there with > marketable daughters; little maids in the blushing diffidence of girlhood; > imperious dames of the F. F. V. in the imposing costumes of a former > generation; chattering young ladies of fashion, with elaborately painted > faces and uncovered bosoms; General officers in uniform; foreign Ministers > with orders upon their breasts; gold-laced naval heroes; and half a dozen > young masculine noodles in white kids a size to small, scarf-pins that were > dazzling, claw-hammers without dust or wrinkle, hair fearfully and > wonderfully done up, and faces whereon were written -- nothing. About > one-half the company had the old complaint -- they could not think of > anything to say -- they could not determine upon an attitude that was > satisfactory to them -- they did not know what on earth to do with their > hands. They were an aimless, uneasy, unhappy lot, and deserved compassion. > General Sheridan was there -- a little bit of a round-headed, > broad-breasted, short-legged young Irishman, with hair cropped down to > plush on his large, ungainly head, and with nothing in him that is in his > features save the bright spirit that is in his eye and the bravery that is > in his lip. He is very homely. And Seward was present also, with his > splendid beak, and a scar and an ugly protuberance on his port cheek that > come of the murderous attempt upon his life the night Mr. Lincoln was shot. > The reception was still under headway and Grant was still wearily "shaking" > the old crowds and shaking hands with the news ones when we departed. His > gloves that were so white and smooth at first, were worn and soiled and > greasy then. His exhausting watch was only half over -- it was but little > after nine o'clock. > > On Sat, Jun 29, 2019 at 3:51 PM Arianne . <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > ) Dear John > > > > (I have always wanted to say that) > > > > Do you by any chance include the house where Ulysses S Grant lived > before > > he became president? Somewhere I read that Clemens and some reporter > friend > > of his went to that house to contact grants father to take him out > > drinking. I can’t remember where I heard that or read it. Have you heard > > that story? I would love to pin down the source of it And to know which > > reporter friend was with him. > > > > Thanks for any help. I sure would love to go on your tour if I ever get > > back to New York. Thanks again Arianne Laidlaw > > > > On Tue, Jun 18, 2019 at 12:03 PM John H. Muller < > > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mark-twain-in-washington-dc-walking-tour-with-authorhistorian-john-muller-tickets-62630675035 > > > > > > > > > --- > > > > > > Starting near the Jackson statue in Lafayette Square, journey back to > the > > > mid-19th century, when Mark Twain spent the winter of 1867–68 working > as > > a > > > journalist for a half-dozen newspapers. Join historian and author of > > “Mark > > > Twain in Washington, D.C: The Adventures of a Capital Correspondent” > John > > > Muller as you travel to sites like the Willard Hotel, Newspaper Row, > and > > > the old City Hall to uncover this little-known but pivotal chapter in > > > Twain’s life. While walking, you’ll hear captivating stories about > > Twain’s > > > time in various boarding houses and the lively, irreverent, and > > > hard-drinking bohemian correspondents he ran with. > > > > > > Learn About Mark Twain’s Years in Washington, DC! > > > > > > - Historian and author John Muller reveals the untold stories of one of > > the > > > most famous authors of all time. > > > > > > - Visit Essential Historic Sites > > > > > > - John leads you on an adventure stretching more than a half-century as > > you > > > visit places like Newspaper Row, the old Police Court, and more. > > > > > > - Get some steps in - approximately 1.5 miles - with friendly, > > like-minded > > > people. > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > John Muller > > > 202.236.3413 > > > Capital Community News l Greater Greater Washington l Washington > > Syndicate > > > > > > *Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C: The Lion of Anacostia > > > < > > > > > > http://www.amazon.com/Frederick-Douglass-Washington-D-c-Anacostia/dp/1609495772/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=H42HP4SBZ8OA&coliid=I34OMAR1SV8L9G > > > >* > > > [The > > > History Press, 2012] Winner of 2013 DC READS > > > Mark Twain in Washington, D.C.: The Adventures of a Capital > Correspondent > > > <http://amzn.to/19PzIFd> [The History Press, 2013] > > > > > -- > > Arianne Laidlaw A '58 > > > > > -- > John Muller > 202.236.3413 > Capital Community News l Greater Greater Washington l Washington Syndicate > > *Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C: The Lion of Anacostia > < > http://www.amazon.com/Frederick-Douglass-Washington-D-c-Anacostia/dp/1609495772/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=H42HP4SBZ8OA&coliid=I34OMAR1SV8L9G > >* > [The > History Press, 2012] Winner of 2013 DC READS > Mark Twain in Washington, D.C.: The Adventures of a Capital Correspondent > <http://amzn.to/19PzIFd> [The History Press, 2013] > -- Arianne Laidlaw A '58