2 November 1881 • Hartford, Conn. (MS, draft telegram with added note: CU-MARK, UCCL 11171)
blank no. 2.
the western union telegraph company.
all messages taken by this company subject to the following terms:
to guard against mistakes or delays, the sender of a message should order it repeated; that is, telegraphed back to the originating office for comparison. for this, one half the regular rate is charged in addition. it is agreed between the sender of the following message and this company, that said company shall not be liable for mistakes or delays in the transmission or delivery, or for non-delivery, of any unrepeated message, whether happening by negligence of its servants or otherwise, beyond the amount received for sending the same; nor for mistakes or delays in the transmission or delivery, or for non-delivery, of any repeated message beyond fifty times the sum received for sending the same, unless specially insured; nor in any case for delays arising from unavoidable interruption in the working of its lines, or for errors in cipher or obscure messages. and this company is hereby made the agent of the sender, without liability, to forward any message over the lines of any other company when necessary to reach its destination.
correctness in the transmission of messages to any point on the lines of this company can be insured by contract in writing, stating agreed amount of risk, and payment of premium thereon at the following rates, in addition to the usual charge for repeated messages, viz., one per cent. for any distance not exceeding 1,000 miles, and two per cent. for any greater distance. no employee of the company is authorized to vary the foregoing.
no responsibility regarding messages attaches to this company until the same are presented and accepted at one of its transmitting offices; and if a message is sent to such office by one of the company’s messengers, he acts for the purpose as the agent of the sender.
messages will be delivered free within the established free delivery limits of the terminal office— for delivery at a greater distance, a special charge will be made to cover the cost of such delivery.
the company will not be liable for damages in any case where the claim is not presented in writing, within sixty days after sending the message.
a. r. brewer, sec’y. norvin green, president.
Written after 4 or about 4. 188
send the following message, subject to the above terms, which are agreed to.
to J. R. Osgood, 211 Tremont st. Boston Mass.
Telegram received. Shall come per New England road, & arrive about 1 P. M.
This gives us the whole afternoon.
boxed at bottom left: Chg to S. L. C. boxed at bottom center: OVER.Ⓐemendation
☞read the notice and agreement at the top.
on the verso:
Please preserve these, & give them to me tomorrow.
enclosure, telegram, copy received:
blank no. 1.
the western union telegraph company.
this company transmits and delivers messages only on conditions, limiting its liability, which have been assented to by the sender of the following message.
errors can be guarded against only by repeating a message back to the sending station for comparison, and the company will not hold itself liable for errors or delays in transmission or delivery of unrepeated messages.
this message is an unrepeated message and is delivered by request of the sender under the conditions named above.
a. r. brewer, sec’y. norvin green, president.
21B 228
dated Boston 2 1881
received at 444
stamped: western union
tel. co
nov 2 1881
hartford, ct.
to S. L. Clemens
Why not take New York & New England train leaving at nine & due here at one & have afternoon for consultation?
20 pdg
( OVER Ⓐemendation)
read the notice at the top.
on the verso:
inserted and boxed at upper left: Mind-telegraphing. Nov. 2
5. 30 P. M., at dinner table.
This telegram just received. Mine (without erasures, & almost identical in language) lay by my plate at the time. I was intending to send George down with it tonight.
I read the two aloud, & then erased some words in mine which the Osgood telegram rendered then unnecessary.
Then concluded to save mine & draft a new one.
The above is true
“Telegram received” refers to O.’s previous telegram “Can you come?”
MS, CU-MARK, is source text for the letter; MS, James R. Osgood to SLC, 2 November 1881, CU-MARK, UCLC 40907, is source text for the enclosure.
MicroML, reel 4.
See Mark Twain Papers in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.