25 November 1882 • Hartford, Conn. (MS, typewritten, from dictation: NPV, UCCL 02310)
i have found the ahern bill, and inclose it. here these idiots have been employing ahern clear down into august. i shall inquire into this and make myself disagreeable about it. i suppose nobody will ever be able to tell how much of this bill i do owe, but until i find out it will be a very old bill before it is collected.
here is a letter from the county clerk in texas, whereby it appears that that pauper baird has allowed the land to be sold for taxes while we have been supporting him. if i shall meet him in a place some day, where he shall beg for brimstone he will beg in vain. his wife is a nice person but he is manifestly a fool.
you can take charge of this tax business for the future, i wash my hands of it. there is a post-script, you observe, in which the county clerk proposes to lease the land. i have written him that such matters belong in your hands not mine, and that you would write him presently. you can make an arrangement with him, or not, just as seems best.
enclosure 1:
Mr. S. L. Clemens
To JAMES AHERN, Dr.
Practical Plumber and Gas Fitter
Prompt Payment Helps. 280, Asylum Street
1882
May 16 To Amount of acct. rendered 98.56
17 ʺ 2 Hours Labor Marsh repairing
gas fixt. .80
30 ʺ 1 ʺ Do Dunn repairing
Faucet .40
Aug. 7 ʺ 1 Nursery Burner .50
21 ʺ 50 ft. ¾ʺ 3 ply Best quality Hose
18½ 9.25
ʺ 1 Set Connections .40
ʺ 1 Hose End for Faucet .35 110.26
enclosure 2:
———
county clerk & clerk of the district court
of archer county.
w. w. duren, clerk. archer, texas, Novr 14 188 2
S. L. Clemens (Mark Twain)
Hartford Conn.
Dear Sir:
I received a communication from E. B. Baird Beaumont Tex Enquiring after 320 acres of Land owned by you— The Land is Situated in this (Archer County) It was Sold for Taxes last year You can redeem the Same by paying double the amount for which it was Sold viz:
State Tax $1.28
County do $ .80
Costs of Sale $5.25
Total to $7.33
It will take double that amount or $1466 to redeem the Same. That is all the back taxes due on the Land for years back of 1882.
ForⒶemendation this year (1882) the amount of Tax due is $240 Making in all a total $1706
P.S.
Will you sell your land? If so what will you take for it ⅓ cash the bal 12 months after date with theⒶemendation vendors Lien retained to secure the deferred payment?
If you dont wish to sell it—will you lease it for 5 years at 5 cents per acre rent payable in advance— This is nothing but a Stock Country—and only want it for grazing purposes—only want it for the grass.
MS, typewritten, from dictation, Jean Webster McKinney Family Papers, Special Collections, NPV, is source text for the letter. A transcript at NPV, on which is typed “Pink paper printed billhead,” is source text for the first enclosure; MS, William White Duren to SLC, 14 Nov 82, NPV, UCLC 41375, is source text for the second enclosure.
MTBus, 204–5, letter only.
See McKinney Family Papers in Description of Provenanceclick to open letter.