23 June 1870 • Elmira, N.Y. (Paraphrase: Dawson, UCCL 11807)
The other day he did some “tall telegraphing,” as he rightly terms it. His brother-in-law traveling, nobody knew where, in Europe, was wanted home immediately. Mark telegraphed to Monroe & Co., the American bankers in Paris, to telegraph all over Europe and ascertain his where-abouts. In eight hours after sending the dispatch to Monroe & Co. a reply was received here that the brother-in-law was in Bavaria.1explanatory note
The Clemenses had returned to Elmira on 22 June. On 25 June Clemens wrote Mary Mason Fairbanks that “Charley was telegraphed for, day before yesterday.” Clemens sent his telegram to John Munroe and Company, the Wall Street bankers, whose Paris office was at 7 Rue Scribe. The telegram itself has not been found. This paraphrase of it was based on Clemens’s own recollection, on 5 July, in an interview with the Washington correspondent of the Sacramento Union, George F. Dawson (25 June 70 to JLC and familyclick to open letter; Wilson 1870, 878; Dawson; Poore 1870, 121).
Paraphrase in George F. Dawson, “Letter from Washington,” Sacramento Union, 19 July 1870, 1.
L4 , 155.