26 February 1873 • Hartford, Conn. (MS: CU-MARK, UCCL 00876)
All right. Make it March 1—& then go back to the old system & make the next statement May 1. You see it was your delay that strung it out to Nov. 26; (never it should have been Nov. 1.1explanatory note
In inclose proxy.2explanatory note
Can get sketches ready any time, but shall wait awhile, as I have good hopes of finishing a book which I am working like a dog on—a book which ought to outsell the sketches, & doubtless will. It will make a pretty lively sensation I bet you. 3explanatory note
letter docketed: ✓ and S. L. Clemens | Feb 26/73 | Hartford Ct | Author
The letter from Bliss to which Clemens replied is not known to survive. The two American Publishing Company quarterly statements extant for 1872 are dated 1 May and 5 August, indicating the next statements were due on 1 November 1872 and 1 February 1873. Only one statement survives from 1873, dated 1 May, but Bliss clearly did send one on or about 1 March (8 May 72 to Perkinsclick to open link; Elisha Bliss, Jr., to SLC, 5 Aug 72 and 1 May 73, CU-MARK; 4 Mar 73 to Blissclick to open link).
The enclosed proxy, which Bliss had presumably requested from Clemens as a voting stockholder in the American Publishing Company, does not survive (4 Mar 73 to Bliss, n. 5click to open link).
Clemens was at work on The Gilded Age. He did not issue a book of sketches through Bliss until 1875 (21 Mar 72 to Bliss, n. 1click to open link).
MS, Mark Twain Papers, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley (CU-MARK).
L5 , 301–302; MTLP, 85.
see Mendoza Collection in Description of Provenance.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.