To
Maurice Weidenthal 24 March 1876 • Hartford, Conn.(MS: Weidenthal, UCCL13028) (SUPERSEDED)
Hartford Mch 24
Dear Sir:
I desire to express to you my thanks for the compliment you pay me in proposing to
make me a member of the
Davenport club of Cleveland. With my best wishes for the long life & prosperity of
the Club, I am
Maurice (Bud) Weidenthal is the grandson of Maurice Weidenthal. The MS (and a photograph
of Clemens later sent to the Davenport
Club) have remained in the family papers.
The letter from Maurice Weidenthal proposing Clemens’s membership in the
Davenport Club, an amateur dramatic society in Cleveland, and probably written in
mid-March, has not been found. Weidenthal
(1853–1917), secretary of the club, was the Cleveland correspondent of the New York
Dramatic News.
In 1882 he joined the Cleveland Herald as a reporter and shortly after was promoted to dramatic critic. He
became a leading Cleveland journalist at the Herald, the Plain Dealer, and other
papers, and in 1906 founded the weekly Jewish Independent, serving as its editor until his death (Van Tassel and Grabowski 1987, 245, 1035; Susan
W. Saltzman, personal communications). After receipt of Clemens’s 24 March letter, Weidenthal
wrote again (CU-MARK):
UCLC32349
davenport club, city hall
cleveland, o., May 8th 187
6
Sam’l L. Clemens Esq.
Dear Sir
It gives me great pleasure to notify you, that at a meeting held by the Davenport
Club you was unanimously
elected honorary member. Hoping that we will prove ourselves worthy of the great honor
bestowed upon us by your acceptance of the
membership I remain your obdt servant
M. Weidenthal Sec.
P.S. Not wishing to insinuate anything, I would like to tell you that just as a matter
of information of
course, that the walls of our club room contain such photographs as those of E. L.
Davenport, Lawrence Barrett, Charles
Sumner, Edwin Booth &c.
I think a picture of Mark Twain would be a splendid ornament to our room
Yours &c
M. W.
Weidenthal mentioned actors Edward L. Davenport, Lawrence Barrett, and Edwin Booth, and statesman Charles Sumner. Clemens responded to Weidenthal’s second letter on 13 May, sending
two photographs of himself, one of which was apparently chosen for display at the
club, while the other—from an 1869
sitting at the New York studio of Gurney and Son—was kept by Weidenthal and survives
with the 24 March letter:
X
On 13 June, Ira C. Cartwright wrote Clemens on behalf of the club (CU-MARK), in part giving the gist of Clemens’s letter of 13 May:
UCLC32373
davenport club, city hall
Samℓ L Clemens Esq
Dr Sir
After a rather extended absence from the city I have returned and find, among other
things which were
over-looked during my absence, your favor of the 13th ult. unanswered, which is, very much to be regretted
since it does not, by any means, give expression to the feelings which were manifest
by members generally on receipt of it. The
pictures (two in number) enclosed from which to select have been duly examined, and
carefully compared, and being unable to decide
which is the best we have concluded to keep both. I need hardly tell you that we feel
highly honored by, and deeply grateful
for, your having thus favored us, and if future friendship be not objectionable we
are yours to command. Hoping our course
in this will meet with your approval, and also, that we may hear from you whenever
your leisure may serve you;
I remain
Resp’y
Ira C Cartwright
Sect
P.S. In explanation of the above signature, I would say that Mr Weidenthal’s term of office has expired, and I
am his successor I.C.C.
Maurice (Bud) Weidenthal is the grandson of Maurice Weidenthal. The MS (and a photograph of Clemens later sent to the Davenport Club) have remained in the family papers.