August 4 Tuesday – Sam went to New York City for the funeral of his nephew, Samuel E. Moffett, and where, per Robert Collier, he wrote to the Accident Insurance Co. which had determined that Moffett did not die from an accident but from natural causes. Moffett held an accidental death policy but had few assets.

Dear Sir

I shall be obliged to you for giving every consideration in your power to the case of my nephew, Samuel G Moffett, who was insured in your company and who died on Sat. Aug. 1st.

I am sure you will do all you can to make things easy for his family [MTP; Aug. 17 to Mary Rogers].

Sam stayed overnight in New York [Aug. 6 to Emilie Rogers]. Note: during the trip for the funeral, Sam later claimed he’d suffered “sunstroke,” but this may have been the beginning of his fatal heart disease. See Dec. 19 to H.H. Rogers.

Isabel Lyon’s journal: The King and Ashcroft started this morning for Mr. Moffett’s funeral. Last night I couldn’t sleep, so the morning broke with no strength in it. But I dismissed Hobby, paid her in full—so that expense is closed up—and I worked and I lunched with mother and then at 8:30 Benares telephoned me to say that Robert Collier had taken the King and him out to the funeral service at Mount Vernon in a splendid motor car. The heat in the city was intense [MTP: IVL TS 55-56].

S. Reid Spencer wrote from NYC to Sam looking for a copy of 1601, and not finding it anywhere [MTP].

J.M. Turner wrote from Lansing, Iowa about a plan to further channel the Mississippi. He transcribed what appears to be a NYC news article quoting Clemens: “This deepening of the channel of the Mississippi River is an excellent thing,” he said, “but Providence willed that the stream should always be crooked. If fourteen Banks of England were back of the scheme and fourteen more Banks of England back of the original bakers the task of deepening the channel to fourteen feet from Chicago to the Gulf is a hopeless one” [MTP]. Note: IVL for Sam: “I didn’t say that. I put it stronger. I said God Almighty tried to do it & didn’t succeed; so it isn’t for you people to————”