Mark Twain's Final Days

As we are just a day away, I thought it would be of interest to post some of the Newspaper reports at the time of his passing.

The following comes from Barbara Schmidt's Mark Twain web site.

Barbara Schmidt's Mark Twain web site is the perfect place to visit for the Centennial. It includes many newspaper articles by Mark Twain and about Mark Twain but that's not all! It also has an amazing amount of background information on his life and works.

MARK TWAIN SINKING
Author's Condition is Critical, but He Is Expected to Live Through the Night

Special to The New York Times.

Danbury, Conn., April 20. - At 11 o'clock tonight Samuel L. Clemens, though he had been sinking all day, and at one time late in the afternoon was thought to be in a very serious condition, was resting at his residence, Stormfield, in Redding, Conn., comfortably enough to assure those in attendance on him that his chances for living through the night were very favorable. His daughter, Clara, and her husband, Ossip Gabrilowitsch, the pianist, and Alfred Bigelow Paine, the humorist's manager and biographer, who comprise the household, felt confidence enough to retire for the night shortly before 11 o'clock.

Dr. Robert H. Halsey, the heart specialist who has been in attendance, admitted that his patient was in a critical condition giving his trouble as angina pectoris. Dr. Quintard was called from New York in consultation during the afternoon, but left this evening. Oxygen was resorted to early in the afternoon to stimulate vitality. Although he was weak on his arrival from Bermuda last Tuesday, and had not since recovered his strength, it was not until today that his symptoms became alarming.

He was noticeably weak this morning and did not respond to treatment as he had previously. As the day went on he became weaker and collapsed this afternoon. He has been almost in an unconscious condition during the afternoon and this evening. He did not show any interest in his surroundings and took no notice of the people around him. Early in the evening he aroused a little and talked for a short time with his daughter. He does not seem to be suffering any pain.

The daughters who have been watching Mark Twain agree that it is simply a case of how long his wonderful constitution can battle with the malady which is gradually overcoming him. He may die during the night or he may live for several weeks, there is no knowing.

Read all the New York Times Mark Twain articles.


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Video of Mark Twain at Stormfield in 1909

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Norwalk to Showcase Their Mark Twain Connection Sunday at 2pm

I am jumping for joy over this! Madeleine and Ed Eckert of Norwalk, Connecticut are doing exactly what we envisioned when we started uncovering Mark Twain Connections across the State. The Norwalk Historical Society has taken ownership and is promoting their Mark Twain Connection this Sunday at 2 East Wall Street, Norwalk, CT.

Hopefully this starts a trend. Well done Madeleine and Ed, I'll see you Sunday.

Sunday, April 18, 2010 from 2:00-4:00 pm

Norwalk, Connecticut & Mark Twain: Some interesting associations between Norwalk and America's beloved author

Lecturers Madeleine and Ed Eckert will recount some colorful anecdotes related to the City of Norwalk and Mark Twain. Some humorous and others notorious! The presentation will highlight Mark Twain-themed artworks by notable Silvermine artists. Written as part of Connecticut's 2010 Mark Twain Centennial Project. Light Refreshments.

All donations received will be used to fund programs of the Norwalk Historical Society.

For more information, please call the Norwalk Historical Society at (203) 846-0525 or email info@norwalkhistoricalsociety.org or visit the NHS website at www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org.

Mark Twain's Final Years Article Released

Mark Twain's Final Years By Hillel Italie, AP National Writer, is out.

It was released online Wednesday and I'm hoping a print version will be available on Thursday. Mark Twain collector and book dealer, Kevin Mac Donnell, of Austin, Texas forwarded the Associated Press an impressive number of images relating to Twain's most significant works and it would be nice to see them in print.

Hillel did a great job on the article and we in Redding are very pleased with the exposure his article provides.

The interactive version of the article is located here: Mark Twain's Legacy 100 Years Later and includes rare photos and book covers.

For more on Mark Twain's time in Redding, Connecticut check out my Redding CT History website and the Mark Twain PowerPoint Presentation.

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Thursday: Mark Twain's Time in Redding

On April 15th, Brent M. Colley will present a slideshow in Watertown, Connecticut that highlights a period in Samuel L. Clemens' life which many have never seen & some never knew existed.

Colley's passion for Twain was kindled by the 2002 Ken Burns documentary, Mark Twain:

"Burns opened the flood gates so-to-speak. It was the volume of requests for information about his time in Redding, following the documentary's release, that initiated my interest in his life. People were shocked to find out he lived and died in Redding."

In answering questions about the twilight years of Samuel L. Clemens' life, Colley discovered that his time in Redding was a significant period in his life:

"It was just 1 year and 6 months, if you subtract the time he spent in Bermuda, and yet so much happened. The problem is that his years in Redding have not been properly documented, and as a result there are many questions, conflicting theories & opinions that need to be clarified."

Books that explore Twain's time in Redding are coming out left and right and yet not one author has spend a significant amount of time in Redding to research their subject's final destination. That's vexatious to Mr. Colley:

"If you are going to write about his time in Redding, thoroughly research Redding. There are archives in Redding's Mark Twain Library that no one has seen. I mean that. There are things I have not seen and I've been in the archives quite a bit. These authors do a "drive-by" and think they know all there is to know."

The slideshow Mr. Colley will present at Walker Hall: "Celebrating Twain's Redding" covers everything you ever wanted to know about the great author's final home, with many interesting facts, stories and rare photos to illustrate the timeline:

"It was a very short time period but a very eventful one that many find enthralling. It's a fun presentation to give."



The Watertown Historical Society talk is April 15th, 7pm at Walker Hall. Walker Hall is a stone building across the street from the Town Hall in Watertown, Connecticut.

Mark Twain and Helen Keller Talk is Thursday

The Historical Society of Easton will host a free lecture, “Mark Twain and Helen Keller,” on Thursday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Easton Library community room, 691 Morehouse Road.

Brent Colley, Redding historian and promoter of the 2010 Mark Twain Connecticut Tourism Project, will share his research about the special friendship and lives of these two unique individuals and former local residents.

Though spanning different generations and lifestyles, Twain and Keller shared a mutual respect and admiration for each other.

The lecture is open to the public; for details contact Lisa Burghardt at 203-581-0850.

This week Brent will be Tweeting information about Twain and Keller via his personal account- http://www.twitter.com/BrentMColley

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Also, this Saturday morning Brent will be speaking at The Association for the Study of Connecticut History (ASCH) Annual Meeting.

11:15AM Brent Colley, "Mark Twain in Connecticut: One Hundred Years Past"

April 21, 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain's passing which provides the residents of Connecticut the great opportunity to celebrate and raise awareness of Twain's life here in Connecticut. Since September of 2009, Redding historian Brent Colley, has been working on a project called: The Mark Twain Centennial Project.

The project's primary goal is to encourage a re-awakening of interest in Twain-related research and tourism here in Connecticut. Its secondary goal is to increase foot traffic to Connecticut museums, libraries, and public buildings that have "Twain Connections". To date Brent has uncovered (55) towns and cities connected to Mark Twain and he cannot wait share these connections with us at the ASCH annual meeting.

In addition, Brent will present a PowerPoint presentation on Manchester, Connecticut's Twain Connection - Charles Cheney mansion.

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Mark Twain Marginalia

This is one of my favorite examples of Mark Twain Marginalia because it shows not only his humor but his knowledge of fame and how it lives on.

A signed copy of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to Edward & Charles Sisson of San Francisco on March 12, 1885.

"Some people can smoke to excess. Let them beware. There are others [who] can't smoke to excess because there isn't time enough in the day which contains only 24 hours. But never mind about that: The matter which touches me much nearer is the question who got this book from poor Edward & Charles?"

Truly Yours,
-Mark Twain

To the left of Twain's signature are two "sparring" figures Twain drew and what appears to be the words "guess it."

What's amazing is that the man who "got the book" from poor Edward & Charles made note of it!

J.M Barrie August 1908.

And! he signs it over to the new owner, Michael Llewelyn Davies, on June 16, 1910.

This very interesting piece of Twain Marginalia is at Yale University's Beinecke Library.


There is additional Marginalia examples at the Mark Twain Library in Redding and the Mark Twain House in Hartford.

Our favorite Redding marginalia is in the margin of Saratoga 1901 by Eli Perkins & Lumley:

"Saratoga in 1891(sic) or The Droolings of an Idiot"

View article/post on Hartford's Mark Twain Marginalia.

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