January 25 Tuesday – Under consideration for over a year, Webster & Co. And Adam Badeau finally signed a contract for Badeau’s Grant in Peace. Webster later insisted that some portions revealing the bitter Badeau-Grant disagreement of 1885 be edited to avoid distress to Mrs. Grant, causing Badeau to withdraw from the contract. The book was published in 1887 by S.S. Scranton & Co. Of Hartford [MTNJ 3: 270n146].

In Hartford Sam wrote to Mary Mason Fairbanks, who was staying with her daughter at the Everett House in New York. Sam’s plans included taking Livy to New York the next evening (Jan. 26) for a dinner and a luncheon but he wasn’t sure she would be well enough. If he didn’t show up, then Mary would understand [MTP; MTMF 259]. Livy wasn’t well enough; she spent a few days in bed with a cold since her last trip to the City [Jan. 27 to Dora Wheeler].

Sam also wrote to Irving Bacheller, who ran the first U.S. newspaper syndicate. He reveals a close call on the train coming back from New York on Jan. 22:

Enclosed please find 2 fares from New York to Hartford. When I told you, in the smoking car, coming out of New York, Saturday 4:30 p.m. that I was “out of soap” [slang for out of money], and that my mileage book was forward in the palace car, I meant to make things right before reaching Hartford, but the whist game employed me to the very last moment, and I had to jump or get carried by. By the time I found my wife and my mileage book you were already gone [MTP].

Sam also wrote to J.F. Tapley, the binder for the McClellan book under publication:

I cannot remember when I have seen so superb a binding as the one which glorified the McClellan you sent me…[MTP].

Arthur Jenkins, chairman of a committee to raise funds for a city hospital in Syracuse, N.Y. wrote to Sam asking for him “to contribute something original. A poem, bit of history, a sketch, dialogue, recipe or fragment of any kind will be thankfully received.” Enclosed, a list of people asked to contribute (now lost). Sam wrote on the envelope, “Disgusting letter — & a reply” [MTP]. Note: Sam didn’t care much for brazen requests of free work from his pen by unknown persons.