The Stockbroker's Clerk.
The case begins on Saturday, June 1, 1889.
Why?
THE STATE OF WATSON’S CAREER AND MARRIAGE:
"Shortly after my marriage I had bought a connection in the Paddington district."
"I had confidence, however, in my own youth and energy and was convinced that in a very few years the concern would be as flourishing as ever."
"For three months after taking over the practice I was kept very closely at work and saw little of my friend Sherlock Holmes, for I was too busy to visit Baker Street, and he seldom went anywhere himself save upon professional business."
"Shortly after my marriage I had bought a connection in the Paddington district."
"I had confidence, however, in my own youth and energy and was convinced that in a very few years the concern would be as flourishing as ever."
"For three months after taking over the practice I was kept very closely at work and saw little of my friend Sherlock Holmes, for I was too busy to visit Baker Street, and he seldom went anywhere himself save upon professional business."
STATEMENT OF THE MONTH:
"I was surprised, therefore, when, one morning in June, as I sat reading the British Medical Journal after breakfast, I heard a ring at the bell, followed by the high, somewhat strident tones of my old companion’s voice."
"You had, then, been sitting with your feet outstretched to the fire, which a man would hardly do even in so wet a June as this if he were in his full health."
"I was surprised, therefore, when, one morning in June, as I sat reading the British Medical Journal after breakfast, I heard a ring at the bell, followed by the high, somewhat strident tones of my old companion’s voice."
"You had, then, been sitting with your feet outstretched to the fire, which a man would hardly do even in so wet a June as this if he were in his full health."
SIGNIFICANT REFERENCE TO A PRIOR CASE:
"I trust that Mrs. Watson has entirely recovered from all the little excitements connected with our adventure of the Sign of Four."
"I trust that Mrs. Watson has entirely recovered from all the little excitements connected with our adventure of the Sign of Four."
STATEMENT OF THE SEASON AND WATSON’S HEALTH:
"Summer colds are always a little trying."
"I was confined to the house by a severe chill for three days last week."
"Summer colds are always a little trying."
"I was confined to the house by a severe chill for three days last week."
THE TIMELINE OF HALL PYCROFT’S CAREER:
"I used to have a billet at Coxon & Woodhouse’s, of Draper Gardens, but they were let in early in the spring through the Venezuelan loan, as no doubt you remember, and came a nasty cropper. I have been with them five years, and old Coxon gave me a ripping good testimonial when the smash came, but of course we clerks were all turned adrift, the twenty-seven of us. I tried here and tried there, but there were lots of other chaps on the same lay as myself, and it was a perfect frost for a long time. I had been taking three pounds a week at Coxon’s, and I had saved about seventy of them, but I soon worked my way through that and out at the other end. I was fairly at the end of my tether at last, and could hardly find the stamps to answer the advertisements or the envelopes to stick them to. I had worn out my boots paddling up office stairs, and I seemed just as far from getting a billet as ever."
"I used to have a billet at Coxon & Woodhouse’s, of Draper Gardens, but they were let in early in the spring through the Venezuelan loan, as no doubt you remember, and came a nasty cropper. I have been with them five years, and old Coxon gave me a ripping good testimonial when the smash came, but of course we clerks were all turned adrift, the twenty-seven of us. I tried here and tried there, but there were lots of other chaps on the same lay as myself, and it was a perfect frost for a long time. I had been taking three pounds a week at Coxon’s, and I had saved about seventy of them, but I soon worked my way through that and out at the other end. I was fairly at the end of my tether at last, and could hardly find the stamps to answer the advertisements or the envelopes to stick them to. I had worn out my boots paddling up office stairs, and I seemed just as far from getting a billet as ever."
THE DAYS OF PYCROFT’S NEW JOB(S):
"At last I saw a vacancy at Mawson & Williams’s . . .I sent in my testimonial and application, but without the least hope of getting it. Back came an answer by return, saying that if I would appear next Monday I might take over my new duties at once, provided that my appearance was satisfactory."
"When do you go to Mawson’s?"
"On Monday."
"Be in Birmingham to-morrow at one."
"Stick at it, and let me have the lists by Monday, at twelve."
"All Sunday I was kept hard at work, and yet by Monday I had only got as far as H. I went round to my employer . . . and was told to keep at it until Wednesday, and then come again. On Wednesday it was still unfinished, so I hammered away until Friday — that is, yesterday."
"And you can come up to-morrow evening at seven and let me know how you are getting on. Don’t overwork yourself. A couple of hours at Day’s Music Hall in the evening would do you no harm after your labours."
"At last I saw a vacancy at Mawson & Williams’s . . .I sent in my testimonial and application, but without the least hope of getting it. Back came an answer by return, saying that if I would appear next Monday I might take over my new duties at once, provided that my appearance was satisfactory."
"When do you go to Mawson’s?"
"On Monday."
"Be in Birmingham to-morrow at one."
"Stick at it, and let me have the lists by Monday, at twelve."
"All Sunday I was kept hard at work, and yet by Monday I had only got as far as H. I went round to my employer . . . and was told to keep at it until Wednesday, and then come again. On Wednesday it was still unfinished, so I hammered away until Friday — that is, yesterday."
"And you can come up to-morrow evening at seven and let me know how you are getting on. Don’t overwork yourself. A couple of hours at Day’s Music Hall in the evening would do you no harm after your labours."
HOLMES AND WATSON ENTER THE TIMELINE:
"At seven o’clock that evening we were walking, the three of us, down Corporation Street to the company’s offices."
"At seven o’clock that evening we were walking, the three of us, down Corporation Street to the company’s offices."
THE CURRENT DAY RECONFIRMED:
"It is customary at Mawson’s for the clerks to leave at midday on Saturday."
"It is customary at Mawson’s for the clerks to leave at midday on Saturday."
WHAT THE BARING-GOULD ANNOTATED SAYS:
June 15, 1889
June 15, 1889
WHAT ZEISLER, THE KING OF CHRONOLOGY, SAYS:
June 15, 1889
June 15, 1889
THE BIRLSTONE RAILWAY TIMETABLE:
Trusting Dr. Watson’s narrative, we can pull two undisputable references from "Stockbroker’s Clerk": that it was June, and it was a Saturday. Beyond those, the next most important chronological details would seem to be these three: (1) the case occurs after The Sign of the Four, (2) the three month duration of Watson’s marriage, and (3) the fact Watson hasn’t seen Holmes at all in that time, as he builds his practice.
Trusting Dr. Watson’s narrative, we can pull two undisputable references from "Stockbroker’s Clerk": that it was June, and it was a Saturday. Beyond those, the next most important chronological details would seem to be these three: (1) the case occurs after The Sign of the Four, (2) the three month duration of Watson’s marriage, and (3) the fact Watson hasn’t seen Holmes at all in that time, as he builds his practice.
Taking those last three details into account, and simply looking at the dates which the Smash has already assigned to the cases we’ve looked at thus far, the starting date of STOC is fairly plain: Saturday, June 1, 1889.
(Once more I’m taking Holmes and Watson’s weather reporting as a somewhat subjective phenomenon, and allowing that a man can reasonable say "so wet a June as this" at any given time during the month, even the very first day.)
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