May 19 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore, reacting to the lack of interest in the advertisements for the sale of their Hartford house. Whitmore was surprised there had been no letters from out of town. To Sam, the plan used to seem plausible to hook “some rich Chicagoan” but now that the scheme wasn’t successful he wasn’t surprised.

The thing that does is that there is but one Hartford bid. I had thought of Mrs. George Perkins, & of James Goodwin’s son; as possible bidders.

A Hartford man has said to me, “If the house were out of the way, the land would promptly sell for $35,000; it is a prime site for several purposes.”

Is that true? What could we get for the house & stable as old materials?

If the house is not sold now to some appreciative lady like Senator Roberts’s mother, it may some day be degraded to base uses. I will prevent that by tearing it down, if I can afford it [MTP]. Note: luckily for posterity the house was not torn down.

In St. Louis, Mo., James R. Clemens and daughter Muriel Clemens wrote to invite Sam to stay with them prior and after his honorary doctor of law degree ceremony [MTP]. Note: Sam accepted on May 23.

Sam’s notebook entry lists more ideas for the “50 years after” tale, never finished [NB 45 TS 13].

Franklin G. Whitmore wrote to Sam, enclosing the sketch made by his nephew, Charles O. Whitmore of the proposed mantel replacement. The estimate for taking down, boxing and shipping the old mantel, then replacing it with the one planned, was $200, with an architect’s fee an additional five or ten dollars [MTP].