April 30 Thursday – In Riverdale, Isabel V. Lyon and Sam wrote to an unidentified person , enclosing an aphorism: “Work & Play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions” [MTP].
Sam’s notebook:
Collier & Scribner together would have earned $100,000 a year for me in the subscription trade, leaving to Harper the entire book-store & mail-order trade—but the old Harper contracts had full command of the situation—I was a Harper slave & couldn’t get free. I had to accept whatever terms the Harper corporation were willing to grant so they force the American Publishing Co out & took the whole thing, merely giving me a small 5-year guarantee (as above), & paying me 30 cents a word for magazine articles. If Collier were in their place the books would pay me $200,000 a year. However, after a 2-year tuition the Harpers will do well enough with them [NB 46 TS 15-16].
Dr. Wilson L. Hawkes wrote from York Harbor, Maine to Sam, after receiving his of the 19th.
After my explanation of my charges for professional services I do not see why you refer to any legal question—I never have, never shall take a bill into court—am willing to settle with any reasonable discount, but your deciding just how much I shall take is not only unkind but unjust—I will take for the 96 visits three ($3) dollars per visit as I charged all patients at York Harbor [MTP]. Note: in his Apr. 6, E.D. Twombly of York Harbor claimed the doctor’s normal rate was one dollar per visit.
James Careton Young of Minneapolis, Minn. sent a printed page about his travels to Europe, and his plans then to “form my library.” The page ended with a solicitation for books [MTP]. Note: see Dec. 3, 1904.
April, late or May early – Sam wrote a short essay, “Reflections on a Letter and a Book,” so titled later by Paine. The piece was a response to a letter and book sent him by Hilary Trent (aka R.M. Manley). Sam was often irritated by such requests to read literary works, and took this instance to wax ridicule on the selfishness of the human race [AMT 1: 181, 520n181.3].