Some possible clues: In NB III:174-78 Twain made a note to himself to send copies of Grant's Memoirs to Andrew Reasoner (1823-1900), Frank J. Griffith (b. 1847), and somebody named Billings. All three men were connected to the Delaware, Lakawana & Western RR (owned by the Langdons) who made arrangements for a special car each summer to take the Clemenses to/from Elmira. The copies to Reasoner and Griffith survive (I own the Griffith copy) but I don't know about the one to Billings. In NB III:212-17 Twain made a note to give a Grant Memoirs to the Hartford RR station manager, William Collins. Searching the letters at MTP and elsewhere for these men's names might lead you to details about those arrangements. BTW, I wish I had a death date for Griffith. I'm nearly certain that he is dead. Kevin @ Mac Donnell Rare Books 9307 Glenlake Drive Austin TX 78730 512-345-4139 Member: ABAA, ILAB, BSA You can browse our books at: www.macdonnellrarebooks.com ------ Original Message ------ From: "Matt Seybold" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: 8/21/2021 8:03:55 PM Subject: Re: Luxury "Hotel" railroad car >I don’t have the references in front of me, but the Clemenses used the Langdon family’s private cars regularly in the 1900s (and probably before as well). I believe there is a letter in which Twain describes one in some detail as part of planning to transport Livy back to Elmira while she was convalescing. > > - MS > >> On Aug 21, 2021, at 8:48 PM, Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >> The reference you may be thinking of is mentioned in a letter to John >> McComb 6(?) Feb. 1870. The original letter is apparently lost. The >> transcription from newspaper publication is online at: >>https://www.marktwainproject.org/xtf/view?docId=letters/UCCL00420.xml;query=Palace%20car;searchAll=yes;sectionType1=text;sectionType2=explanatorynotes;sectionType3=editorialmatter;sectionType4=textualapparatus;sectionType5=;style=letter;brand=mtp#1 >> >> Barb >> >>> On Saturday, August 21, 2021, Scott Holmes <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>> I've gotten hints that Mark Twain had available to him, at least briefly, >>> a luxury railroad car, probably made available to him by his >>> father-in-law. I would appreciate any leads on this as Google seems to >>> know nothing about it. I did see the term "hotel" used to describe a car >>> Twain rode in, possibly from Elmira to New York, if I'm not mistaken. >>> >