Since Clemens’s 5 November letters to the Daily News, the Morning Post, and the Times survive only in printed form, it is not known whether Clemens hired a copyist to make the duplicates he needed. But by 8 November he had found some help: except for the signature, the present letter is entirely in the hand of an unidentified amanuensis. This letter was not published, however, either in the London Telegraph or in any other London newspaper that has been found.

Edward Levy (later Levy Lawson, 1833–1916) was the influential editor of the politically liberal London Telegraph, a widely read newspaper known for “the promptitude, the fullness, and the variety of its telegraphic advices” ( Newspaper Press Directory , 17; Griffiths, 362–63). Levy began his journalism career as a drama critic on the London Sunday Times. He was appointed editor of the Telegraph in 1856 by his father (the proprietor), and his vivid treatment of the news brought to the newspaper a wide readership. Clemens later met Levy, probably through Anthony Trollope (see 6 July 73 to Fairbanks, n. 11click to open link).

James Macdonell (1842–79) was Levy’s “confidential helper.” He began his newspaper career in Scotland at age sixteen, and in 1865 went to work on the Telegraph. He was also a regular contributor to Fraser’s Magazine, Macmillan’s Magazine, and the North British Review (Griffiths, 388–89).

Unidentified.