Bob -- thanks for this. I did further searching and found an article online at J-Stor.org by Paul Fatout that sheds light on Lafayette as well as cites additional Lafayette press coverage and reviews of the Lafayette appearance at the Grand Opera House. The Twain-Cable Readings in Indiana Paul Fatout Indiana Magazine of History, Vol. 53, No. 1 (March 1957), pp. 19-28 (10 pages) This article is free to read for independent researchers if you have signed up for a J-stor account. Barb On Tue, Aug 8, 2023 at 9:08 PM Robert H. HIRST <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Barb and Scott, here's a transcription of both letters. Little wonky > because I had to convert from WordPerfect to Word. But the substance is > accurate and I think clear. > > *To Olivia L. Clemens* > > *7 February 1885 **$** en route from Lafayette* > > *to Indianapolis, Ind.* > > (MS: CU-MARK, *UCCL *03156in, > > > > > > On the train, > Feb. 7, 1885 > > Although I slept an hour or two on the train yesterday morning, & 3 hours > in the afternoon, I still wasn=t much refreshed, on account of having > gotten up so early; so nothing but my black coffee at 7 pm enabled me to > put the evening through creditably. *It* makes me cheerful, & easy, & > confidential & conversational with the audience; & that is all that is > necessary to success. But it cannot protect me against those curious & > disastrous lapses of memory which come of over-fatigue. I had some of > these, last night, but did not mind themCeasily covered them up. But not > so, the night before. I got lost in the last third of AA Trying Situation@C > couldn=t find my place again, & so concluded with a speech explaining the > dilemma, & the speech was a rattling, not to say an electrical, success. > > At 11 last night I had been without food (barring my cup of black coffee,) > for 24 hoursC consequently my health & stomach were in perfect condition > again. Maurice Thompson the poet (ASongs of Fair Weather@ & the > ANightingale > @) came in at 10.30, & of course I was exceedingly glad to see him; but he > stayed staid till midnight, & I didn=t like that very well, since we were > to rise at 7 this morning. > > Mamma, I wrote to Susie the other day to ask if the Toronto people had > returned Patrick a bearskin cape. Haven=t received an answer, yet. > Therefore, you better write me now, to Toronto, (Rossin House,) or > telegraph me the night of the 11th to Russell House, Detroit, concerning > the matter. > > Just two was weeks more, & I shall see you at home at half past 3 on a > Sunday morning Feb. 22! Good-bye sweetheart, I do love you. > > SSaml > > > > *É* > > * To Olivia L. Clemens* > > *8 February 1885 **$** Indianapolis, Ind.* > > (MS: CU-MARK, *UCCL *03158) > > > > Indianapolis, Feb. 8'85. > > *No*, Livy darling, don=t pay for the Artistic Homes, but just drop D. > Appleton & Co a line, saying: > > AYour bill for Artistic Homes is received, & will receive Mr. Clemens=s > attention when he returns, March 1st.@ > > If they are not satisfied with that, answer no letters of theirs, & pay no > attention to them in any way. > > ════ > > I have learned my trade at last. I know how to read my stuff. At last I can > stand on a platform & do the thing right. I did make =em shout last night. > The blue-jays & the other stuff went booming; & I told about Tom Quartz > (Baker=s Cat) for an encore. It is Cable=s fault that I have done inferior > reading all this time. He has hogged so much of the platform-time that I > have always felt obliged to hurry along at lightning speed in order to keep > the performance within bounds; but now I take my own time, & give 25 > minutes to pieces which formerly occupied but 15. > > If this show were new, I would cut a third of him out of the program. But > it isn=t worth while, now. > > I am paying Cable $450 a week & expenses. He isn=t worth a penny over $200. > He is not a novelty anywhere. He has apparently been in every town in the > country just about twice; & that is as long often as he is wanted. > Especially as he offers his same old stuff all the timeCdoesn=t prepare > himself with untried matter. He is expecting to continue on the program ne > platform next winter. He will find a sickly way of making a living. When I > am advertised for a new program, it is *all* newC& his is all oldCstuff > which he has exploited in that tow town once or twice before. > > ════ > > Last night I wished I was in front of an English audienceCit would have > been good to see. > > ════ > > Goodbye, my darling, kiss those rascals for meCfor I love you all. > > SSaml > > On Tue, Aug 8, 2023 at 6:25 PM Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: > > > Scott -- as to that Feb. 7 entry in DBD -- that could be based on a > > misdated letter. It would be necessary to read those two separate letters > > side-by-side that SLC wrote to Olivia that are catalogued online as Feb. > 6 > > and Feb 7 and see if they are referring to only one train trip. Perhaps > > one letter was a draft and revised or just sent along with another. You > are > > right that taking secondary sources literally is hazardous. > > > > Barb > > > > On Tue, Aug 8, 2023 at 6:47 PM Scott Holmes <[log in to unmask]> > > wrote: > > > > > Your point is well taken. I have been unable to locate an on-line copy > > > of any Lafayette paper for that date. I was actually trying to find > > > train schedules, such as I found for the Fort Wayne departure. My > > > reference to Scharnhorst was not about the interview but about his > > > paragraph in "The Middle Years" page 446. One needs to be careful > about > > > all secondary sources, however. This particular entry has them > > > departing Fort Wayne before 6am, the Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, February > > > 6, 1885 has the train departing at 6:30 am. I'm still bothered by the > > > DBD entry for February 7th - why would he need to take a train to > > > Indianapolis at 7am if he was already in Indianapolis. This would make > > > more sense if he actually woke up in Lafayette that morning.As an > > > asideregarding the interview, I enjoyed Twain's description of the > canal > > > and its comparison with Venice. > > > > > > On 8/8/23 15:30, Barbara Schmidt wrote: > > > > Scott -- a couple of things to consider -- the two letters catalogued > > by > > > > MTP described as from Lafayette or en route from Lafayette may have > > been > > > > written on the same date or several hours apart but misdated or > mailed > > > > separately. I have found no convincing evidence that Clemens and > Cable > > > > lectured in Lafayette. They may have and the news accounts of it just > > > have > > > > not surfaced. > > > > > > > > Yes, there is that interview in Scharnhorst (#37) from the Lafayette > > > > COURIER newspaper. Footnote 1 indicates a paragraph has been omitted > > > > because it appeared in an earlier interview. The question that arises > > for > > > > me — Was this an authentic interview or a reporter’s spoof or hoax > with > > > > Clemens quoting poetry, drinking beer, and commenting on the mayor > and > > > tax > > > > issues in Lafayette? To nail down whether the Lafayette interview > is > > > > authentic and if Clemens and Cable did lecture there, it would help > to > > > take > > > > a look at issues of that paper for the week before and after the > > > interview > > > > was published to see if any lectures were advertised or reported. > > > > > > > > Barb > > > > > > > > On Tue, Aug 8, 2023 at 10:31 AM Scott Holmes<[log in to unmask]> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > >> While tracking the trains between Fort Wayne, Lafayette, and > > > >> Indianapolis, I became confused over the Day By Day entries for > > > >> February 6 and 7. It appears that both "Chronology of Known Mark > > Twain > > > >> Speeches,..." and "Touring with Cable and Huck" missed the Lafayette > > > >> Lecture on February 6th of 1885. Gary Scharnhorst did not. What > > caused > > > >> me to stumble was the February 6th DBD entry that goes on to > describe > > > >> the February 7th lecture in Indianapolis and then the February 7th > > entry > > > >> that notes Sam had to get up a 7am to take the train to > Indianapolis. > > > >> Why would he need to do that if he was already in Indianapolis? > > > >> > > > >> -- > > > >> /Unaffiliated Geographer and Twain aficionado/ > > > >> > > > -- > > > /Unaffiliated Geographer and Twain aficionado/ > > > > > >