August 4 Wednesday – Sam and the Langdons took a three day trip to Niagara Falls and stayed at the Cataract House Hotel. Also along were Charles J. Langdon and his fiancée Ida Clark, he parents, as well as Livy’s friend Fidele Brooks and husband Henry Brooks and son of New York, and neighbors of the Langdons, Dr. Henry Sayles and wife Emma Sayles. Cousin A. Langdon was also in the hotel. The trip allowed Jervis to inspect the finances of the nearby Buffalo Express. Sam had received an offer to consider—one-third share of the Buffalo Express for $25,000 [MTL 3: 288n2; MTL 3: 300n4; Reigstad 59-62]. Note: this trip previously pinned to 3 days in late July; thanks to Reigstad’s scholarship it is here corrected.

Elisha Bliss wrote from Hartford to Sam.

Friend Clemens / Yours of 1 st is at hand, enclosing communication from Trumbull. That is all O.K. He has been in to see me 2 or 3 times. We shall use the letter in a very quiet way occasionally—privately not publicly…I enclose a few of our Circulars” Bliss believed the book would be a success and explained the delays: “Now lets let the thing drop & sell the Book. That’s what we want to do” [MTP].