[Mark Twain]. Samuel Clemens Autograph Letter Signed. One page, 5.75" x 9"; no place, no date. Clemens writes in full: "An hour later. / Dear Mr. Colson – Please suppress the fact that I am here to procure copyright. I remember, now, that Osgood told me to not let that get into print here until Thursday morning, Dec. 1. Truly yours, S.L. Clemens." It is likely Clemens wrote this letter during one of his trips to Canada during which time he sought to secure the copyrights for his writing. He initially made reference to securing a copyright in 1881 during a speech given at a banquet in his honor in Montreal. He subsequently made trips to Canada in in the years 1883, 1884, and 1885, to address the requirement that copyrights be registered to a Canadian resident. The letter offered here was likely written during one of those visits. Condition: Flattened folds, with creasing throughout. Mark Twain is written twice in an unknown hand in pencil on the front. The verso has light soiling, and "S.L. Clemens / Mark Twain" written twice, once in crayon (which has faded) and again in ink. Tiny tears along both vertical margins, mostly due to wear. HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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